-
News & Blogs
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Announces New Executive Director
Oct 24, 2011Press release: The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival announced its new Executive Director: Lexi Leban, who begins working with the festival November 7, 2011. A longtime member of the Bay Area film community, Lexi has worked in all aspects of film, from production to distribution. She’s also worked with numerous film festivals, including the Mill Valley Film Festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Global Social Change Film Festival in Bali. Lexi is currently Academic Director of the Digital Filmmaking & Video Production Program at the Art Institute of California, where she built the department from its inception. Her most recent feature documentary, Girl Trouble, which follows young girls in San Francisco’s juvenile justice system, aired on PBS’s acclaimed series Independent Lens in January of 2006, and won Best Bay Area Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival. More at sfjff.org.
-
News & Blogs
SF Film Society Names Bingham Ray Executive Director
Oct 19, 2011Press release: San Francisco Film Society announced the appointment of Bingham Ray as its executive director, effective November 7, 2011. Ray comes to the San Francisco Film Society from New York City, where he recently served as the first run programming consultant to the Film Society of Lincoln Center, executive consultant to the digital distribution company SnagFilms and adjunct professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. More at sffs.org.
-
Deadlines
Opportunities: Center for Asian American Media Fellowship Program
Oct 17, 2011Furthering CAAM's work to nurture Asian American media professionals and advance the field of Asian American media, the second annual CAAM Fellowship Program will connect young, talented individuals with leading professionals in the field. ELIGIBILITY: Participating fellows will have access to the leading Asian American talent in film, television and digital media. Each fellowship will be individually tailored to best fit the needs of the fellows and advisers. Fellowships will range from fully integrated collaborations to regular feedback on current projects to an ongoing dialogue about professional development. AWARDS: The CAAM Fellowship Program Retreat will allow the mentor-mentee pairs to spend two full days together in a quiet and peaceful environment where they can focus on the mentees' career, whether it is a script being developed or an acting career that needs some guidance. DEADLINE: October 17, 2011. WEBSITE: caamedia.org/filmmaker-resources/fellowship/caam-fellowship-program-2011/.
-
News & Blogs
Below the Line: "SPY Delivers Visual Effects, DI and Stereo Conversion for Coppola's 'Twixt' "
Sep 22, 2011"San Francisco-based visual effects and post house SPY, a FotoKem company, recently contributed hundreds of visual effects shots, the digital intermediate and 3D conversion services for Francis Ford Coppola’s latest feature film, Twixt," reports Below the Line. More at btlnews.com.
-
News & Blogs
Wall Street Journal: "Discovery CEO Calls Netflix Pact a 'Win'"
Sep 21, 2011"Discovery Communications Inc. said it believes its new deal to distribute its shows over Netflix Inc.'s content-streaming service is an 'economic win,'" reports Maxwell Murphy, "and Discovery will learn from the pact lessons that will help shape its digital strategy." More at online.wsj.com.
-
July 26, 2011
'World on a Wire'
Jul 29, 2011Recently rescued from obscurity via a new digital master, Fassbinder's high concept/high reward 1973 science-fiction epic 'World On A Wire' made a big impression on critics and viewers when it screened at SFIFF this past year. Roxie screens this wildly prescient, highly satisfying three-and-a-half-hour masterpiece beginning Friday. More info at roxie.com.
-
July 19, 2011
Marius Watz: Automatic Writing
Jul 22, 2011SFFS presents the work of pioneering software artist Marius Watz, who uses digital processes and authored algorithms to “automatically” produce numerous types of media including video, still imagery and sculpture through semi-autonomous software systems, as part of its KinoTek series. Look for sci-fi writer/theorist Bruce Sterling's essay on Watz in Thursday's SF360.org. Events: An exhibition in Super Frog Gallery at New People opens July 22; Artist Talk, July 26; Master Class, July 27. More at sffs.org.
-
Home
Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’
Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.
-
In Depth
Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’
Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.
-
July 21, 2011
Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’
Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.
-
Home
Hong Takes New Tack with 'Oki's Movie'
Adam Hartzell
Jun 24, 2011Hong Sang-soo's latest leaves us with an awkward ambivalence that resonates long after the film is finished.
-
June 23 2011
Hong Takes New Tack with 'Oki's Movie'
Adam Hartzell
Jun 24, 2011Hong Sang-soo's latest leaves us with an awkward ambivalence that resonates long after the film is finished.
-
Reviews
Hong Takes New Tack with 'Oki's Movie'
Adam Hartzell
Jun 24, 2011Hong Sang-soo's latest leaves us with an awkward ambivalence that resonates long after the film is finished.
-
Home
Celebrating a Reel Education
Jennifer Preissel
Jun 9, 2011San Francisco Film Society commemorates 20 years of education programs in 2011. Since 1991, the San Francisco Film Society has been educating youth in film, but it’s not all elementary, or middle, or high school-oriented: What began as a K–12 Schools at the Festival program that brought students and international cinema together has, 20 years later, grown into year-round educational programming that serves not just under-18s, but lifelong learners, professional and novice filmmakers and university students.
-
June 9, 2011
Celebrating a Reel Education
Jennifer Preissel
Jun 9, 2011San Francisco Film Society commemorates 20 years of education programs in 2011. Since 1991, the San Francisco Film Society has been educating youth in film, but it’s not all elementary, or middle, or high school-oriented: What began as a K–12 Schools at the Festival program that brought students and international cinema together has, 20 years later, grown into year-round educational programming that serves not just under-18s, but lifelong learners, professional and novice filmmakers and university students.
-
News & Blogs
Celebrating a Reel Education
Jennifer Preissel
Jun 9, 2011San Francisco Film Society commemorates 20 years of education programs in 2011. Since 1991, the San Francisco Film Society has been educating youth in film, but it’s not all elementary, or middle, or high school-oriented: What began as a K–12 Schools at the Festival program that brought students and international cinema together has, 20 years later, grown into year-round educational programming that serves not just under-18s, but lifelong learners, professional and novice filmmakers and university students.
-
News & Blogs
Fandor Partners with Microcinema International and Kino Lorber
Jun 7, 2011Press release: Fandor, a new on-demand provider of independent films, along with distributors Kino Lorber and Microcinema International, today announced it is pioneering the coordinated theatrical and digital premier, a first for the industry. The first film to be released under the coordinated theatrical and digital premier paradigm will be the June 15 re-release of 'David Holzman's Diary.' More at microcinema.com and fandor.com.
-
april 22 2011
Swimming in the Deep End of San Francisco International Film Festival
Max Goldberg
Apr 15, 2011Films in the 54th SFIFF immerse viewers in distant times, unique places.
-
Festivals
Swimming in the Deep End of San Francisco International Film Festival
Max Goldberg
Apr 15, 2011Films in the 54th SFIFF immerse viewers in distant times, unique places.
-
Home
Swimming in the Deep End of San Francisco International Film Festival
Max Goldberg
Apr 15, 2011Films in the 54th SFIFF immerse viewers in distant times, unique places.
-
Reviews
Swimming in the Deep End of San Francisco International Film Festival
Max Goldberg
Apr 15, 2011Films in the 54th SFIFF immerse viewers in distant times, unique places.
-
First Person
Filmmakers Bring Stories to New Platforms
Erica Marcus
Mar 22, 2011The Media that Matters Conference showcased innovative formats and powerful storytelling.
-
Home
Filmmakers Bring Stories to New Platforms
Erica Marcus
Mar 22, 2011The Media that Matters Conference showcased innovative formats and powerful storytelling.
-
March 24, 2011
Filmmakers Bring Stories to New Platforms
Erica Marcus
Mar 22, 2011The Media that Matters Conference showcased innovative formats and powerful storytelling.
-
December 23, 2010
Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube
Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?
-
December 28, 2010
Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube
Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?
-
Home
Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube
Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?
-
Reviews
Film 2010: YouTube, WeTube
Susan Gerhard
Dec 22, 2010Is this what we talk about when we talk about YouTube?
-
December 23, 2010
Film 2010: We’re Not Here to Make Friends
Hannah Eaves
Dec 21, 2010'The Social Network' debate offered a moral for all of us: If you don't like this digital revolution, build one of your own.
-
December 28, 2010
Film 2010: We’re Not Here to Make Friends
Hannah Eaves
Dec 21, 2010'The Social Network' debate offered a moral for all of us: If you don't like this digital revolution, build one of your own.
-
Digital
Film 2010: We’re Not Here to Make Friends
Hannah Eaves
Dec 21, 2010'The Social Network' debate offered a moral for all of us: If you don't like this digital revolution, build one of your own.
-
Home
Film 2010: We’re Not Here to Make Friends
Hannah Eaves
Dec 21, 2010'The Social Network' debate offered a moral for all of us: If you don't like this digital revolution, build one of your own.
-
December 9, 2010
Stanford's MFA Doc Program Teaches Cardinal Rules, and How to Break Them
Sara Dosa
Dec 9, 2010A night with Stanford’s Doc Film MFAs offers insight into a storied program.
-
Home
Stanford's MFA Doc Program Teaches Cardinal Rules, and How to Break Them
Sara Dosa
Dec 9, 2010A night with Stanford’s Doc Film MFAs offers insight into a storied program.
-
Reviews
Stanford's MFA Doc Program Teaches Cardinal Rules, and How to Break Them
Sara Dosa
Dec 9, 2010A night with Stanford’s Doc Film MFAs offers insight into a storied program.
-
November 10, 2010
Roman Polanski Shorts with Live Music by Sza/Za
Nov 10, 2010Taking the legendary director of 'Rosemary's Baby,' 'Chinatown' and 'The Pianist' out of headlines and back to his filmmaking and geographic roots, this program pairs a live performance by Warsaw electro-acoustic duo Sza/Za with early Polanski shorts at Letterman Digital Arts Center’s Premier Theater. More at sffs.org.
-
Home
'Left in the Dark' Savors the Bay Area's Cinema Past, Present
Susan Gerhard
Oct 4, 2010Photo/essay book 'Left in the Dark' offers a way in—and out of—San Francisco cinema's rich, gritty, glamorous past.
-
October 7, 2010
'Left in the Dark' Savors the Bay Area's Cinema Past, Present
Susan Gerhard
Oct 4, 2010Photo/essay book 'Left in the Dark' offers a way in—and out of—San Francisco cinema's rich, gritty, glamorous past.
-
Q & A
'Left in the Dark' Savors the Bay Area's Cinema Past, Present
Susan Gerhard
Oct 4, 2010Photo/essay book 'Left in the Dark' offers a way in—and out of—San Francisco cinema's rich, gritty, glamorous past.
-
September 21, 2010
The Lost Films of Charles Ludlam
Sep 24, 2010After seeing one of Charles Ludlam's early plays, theater critic Brendan Gill famously remarked, "This isn't farce. This isn't absurd. This is absolutely ridiculous!" Yerba Buena Center for the Arts presents two of Ludlam's rarely seen films: a digitally remastered version of 'The Sorrows of Dolores' (September 24–25) and 'The Impostors' (September 26), where Ludlam stars as a gay magician.
-
Digital
Online Film Contests: Friend or Foe?
Hannah Eaves
Sep 14, 2010Contemplating the pros and cons of entering online film contests.
-
Home
Online Film Contests: Friend or Foe?
Hannah Eaves
Sep 14, 2010Contemplating the pros and cons of entering online film contests.
-
September 16, 2010
Online Film Contests: Friend or Foe?
Hannah Eaves
Sep 14, 2010Contemplating the pros and cons of entering online film contests.
-
Home
Innovative Characters, Concepts Inform New California Website
Adam Hartzell
Sep 13, 2010A new film/photography website offers compelling characters, bold artistry and innovative storylines.
-
Q & A
Innovative Characters, Concepts Inform New California Website
Adam Hartzell
Sep 13, 2010A new film/photography website offers compelling characters, bold artistry and innovative storylines.
-
September 16, 2010
Innovative Characters, Concepts Inform New California Website
Adam Hartzell
Sep 13, 2010A new film/photography website offers compelling characters, bold artistry and innovative storylines.
-
September 7, 2010
'Portrait of Jason' Redux
Sep 8, 2010Local digital media artist Tim Roseborough presents a feature-length video in homage to Shirley Clarke's 1967 documentary, 'Portrait of Jason,' one last time at Scenius Gallery on 18th Street.
-
Home
'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model
Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.
-
Q & A
'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model
Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.
-
September 9 2010
'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model
Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.
-
Home
'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model
Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.
-
Q & A
'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model
Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.
-
September 9 2010
'Them Greeks' Tests Independent Digital Production Model
Jessica Sapick
Sep 7, 2010An animator collaborates over the ether to bring 'Them Greeks....!' to life.
-
August 31, 2010
A Digitally Restored 'Tommy'
Sep 6, 2010Ken Russell's restored 'Tommy' brings Roger Daltry's traumatic youth back to digital life at the Castro.
-
07-21-2010
A Need to Think Outside the Box (Office)
Jon Reiss
Jul 20, 2010The maker of Bomb It offers hard-won advice on the marketing of film in the 2010s.
-
First Person
A Need to Think Outside the Box (Office)
Jon Reiss
Jul 20, 2010The maker of Bomb It offers hard-won advice on the marketing of film in the 2010s.
-
Home
A Need to Think Outside the Box (Office)
Jon Reiss
Jul 20, 2010The maker of Bomb It offers hard-won advice on the marketing of film in the 2010s.
-
Q & A
Polk Street Lures Boswell's 'Stranger'
Michael Fox
Jun 23, 2010Scott Boswell’s marvelous debut feature, The Stranger In Us, plays out on Polk Street and in the Tenderloin, far from the oft-photographed glamour spots of San Francisco.
-
In Production
Koppelman Maps International Cybercrime, Cuban Opera
Michael Fox
Jun 9, 2010Charles Koppelman's documentary in progress, Zero Day, exposes each of three threats to the Internet: cybercrime, cyberespionage and cyberwarfare.
-
Digital
A Digital Glossary
Hannah Eaves
Jun 8, 2010What s the difference between streaming and download rights? Here s a glossary of terms filmmakers should know before signing a contract or hiring a web developer.
-
Digital
A Digital Glossary
Hannah Eaves
Jun 8, 2010What s the difference between streaming and download rights? Here s a glossary of terms filmmakers should know before signing a contract or hiring a web developer.
-
Reviews
Independent Inuit Films at YBCA
Dennis Harvey
Apr 8, 2010Inuit peoples—the indigenous cultures rooted in Arctic regions from Alaska to Greenland—have an honored place in film history, dating to Flaherty's Nanook of the North.
-
Reviews
Link TV's ViewChange Launch
Jane Riccobono
Apr 2, 2010ViewChange.org, a digital-media hub on global development, offers news about microeconomics and innovative web technology that enables users to contribute to the causes they re learning about.
-
Reviews
Streetfilms' Two-Wheeled Revolution
Adam Hartzell
Mar 31, 2010Pedestrians have always propelled cinema narratives, but the bicycle has rarely had a starring role.
-
Festivals
San Francisco International Film Festival's 53rd Edition
Susan Gerhard
Mar 30, 2010Director of Programming Rachel Rosen and programmers Rod Armstrong, Audrey Chang and Sean Uyehara shared thoughts on 177 films from 46 countries.
-
Reviews
Green by Design: Purebred Productions
Michael Behrens
Mar 28, 2010San Francisco has a variety of excellent soundstages, but one is trying to save the earth.
-
Digital
Sights and Sounds of South by Southwest
Hannah Eaves
Mar 24, 2010Tens of thousands of artists, aficionados and businesspeople flock to Austin for a festival that is part online conference, part film festival, and more than part music.
-
Q & A
Karim Ahmad on ITVS's Forward-Thinking FUTURESTATES
Adam Hartzell
Mar 21, 2010Think of U.S. public television and science fiction or any type of fiction doesn't spring to mind. ITVS aims to change that perception with a series of mini-features.
-
Q & A
Reed's Promise of Prodigal Sons
Michael Fox
Mar 3, 2010If Kimberly Reed took a not particularly unique path into filmmaking, she certainly took an interesting road out of it.
-
In Production
Laotian Tourists Focus Murray's Camera
Michael Fox
Mar 2, 2010When Laos revised its visa structure to allow visitors to stay for more than one week, Westerners with digital cameras surged over the border.
-
In Production
Laotian Tourists Focus Murray's Camera
Michael Fox
Mar 2, 2010When Laos revised its visa structure to allow visitors to stay for more than one week, Westerners with digital cameras surged over the border.
-
In Production
Final Chapter in Kelly and Yamamoto's Art Trilogy
Michael Fox
Feb 16, 2010Transformation, of any kind, an ephemeral, elusive thing to capture on film. One advisor told Nancy Kelly she'd never do it. Difficult, sure, but impossible?
-
Story Structure
Best Length for Documentary Films
Karen Everett
Feb 9, 2010How long should your documentary be? If your audience begins to glaze over or feel restless, you've lost the opportunity to leave them wanting more.
-
Festivals
SF Indiefest at Twelve
Matt Sussman
Feb 4, 2010It s a strange time for independent film, with scaled-back specialty divisions and online self-distribution, but SF Indiefest remains a champion of the unsung and un-buzzable.
-
Reviews
Pacific Film Archive's Young Filmmakers on Big Screen
Jane Riccobono
Feb 3, 2010In the YouTube-Facebook-viral video era, it's hard to remember the time when youth-made media was rare.
-
Digital
Chat It Up: Livestream, UStream and Justin.tv
Hannah Eaves
Feb 1, 2010When President Obama took office, CNN brought it online, allowing viewers to chat with friends and strangers, their conversation appearing next to the video.
-
In Production
Connie Field's Magnum Opus on Anti-Apartheid Movement
Michael Fox
Jan 12, 2010By any measure, the long-awaited release of Have You Heard from Johannesburg? shapes up to be one of the major documentary events of 2010.
-
Q & A
Jennifer Phang On Half-Life and Identity
Judy Stone
Jan 8, 2010Jennifer Phang has experienced more than enough culture shocks in her life to empathize with the identity challenges of the characters in her debut feature.
-
Q & A
Animal-Rescue Mine In Katrina's Emotional Aftermath
Michael Fox
Jan 7, 2010Geralyn Pezanoski s doc about the separation and occasional reunion of pets and owners in post-Katrina New Orleans beat the shelf-life odds.
-
Reviews
Thoughts On the Aughts: Best/Worst Trends
Susan Gerard
Dec 31, 2009While the U.S. moved from rebuilding decimated skyscrapers to the rebuilding of an entire economy, film moved from the multiplex to the mailbox to the mobile.
-
Story Structure
Best Practices For Naming Sequences
Karen Everett
Dec 30, 2009For handy access to your most valuable footage, here s a method of organizing sequences.
-
Reviews
After Sept. 11, 2001, A Decade Found Its Way
B. Ruby Rich
Dec 23, 2009On Sept. 13, 2001, I stood in a Toronto park and spoke to Canadian television: Movies wouldn't be the same. I was wrong.
-
In Production
Bay Area Narrative Filmmakers Thriving in Doc Capital
Michael Fox
Dec 23, 2009Michael Fox shows independent filmmakers who are thriving in the Bay Area.
-
In Production
Legal Eagle Eye Kristine Enea Zooms 'Off the Grid'
Michael Fox
Dec 8, 2009Kristine Enea's documentary shows The EcoCenter, a San Francisco environmental educational facility that treats and recycles wastewater and generates its own solar power.
-
Digital
Coming Around to 'Convergence'
Hannah Eaves
Dec 7, 2009The 6th Screen: Hannah Eaves compiles some questions about "convergence", the increasingly popular practice of combining television and computer usage.
-
Story Structure
Sequence Names
Karen Everett
Dec 1, 2009The Edit Room: Karen Everett shares tips on how to track multiple versions of Final Cut Pro projects and sequences.
-
In Production
Antonelli's 'Crossing Over' and Cooke's Soulful Genius
Michael Fox
Dec 1, 2009Marin County filmmaker John Antonelli talks about his documentary on influential late singer-songwriter Sam Cooke for PBS's "American Masters" series.
-
In Production
Marissa Aroy Unearths Forgotten California history
Michael Fox
Nov 3, 2009Aroy's film excavates the history and contributions of Filipino farmworkers in the Golden State since the 1920s.
-
Legal
A Challenge to Filmmakers
George Rush
Nov 3, 2009George Rush skips legal concerns and instead speaks to a larger issue: the lack of quality independent filmmaking today.
-
Festivals
SFFS's Debut Cinema by the Bay
Robert Avila
Oct 22, 2009A new, four-day showcase of local filmmaking doubles as a forum for the region's influence as subject and setting for filmmakers beyond the bay.
-
Digital
TechCrunch 50: Clicker and AnyClip
Hannah Eaves
Sep 28, 2009AnyClip and Clicker are standouts at TechCrunch's annual conference, where startups a chance to pitch to expert judges and investors.
-
Story Structure
Organizing your bins effectively
Karen Everett
Sep 22, 2009The Edit Room: Learning how to organize saves you time and money in the editing process; a walk-through just how to do it.
-
In Production
Hess, Janos and the Volunteers of America
Michael Fox
Aug 25, 2009With in-process Volunteer Nation: Stories of Service, veteran producer-directors Ben Hess and Dan Janos are mobilizing the millennials.
-
Digital
Free and Open: Video's Cambrian Explosion
Hannah Eaves
Jul 27, 2009The Sixth Screen: Veteran journalists and filmmakers alike are polishing up their resumes, contemplating the hospitality industry, and wondering: Who stole my career?
-
Documentary
The Real Deal
Fernanda Rossi
Jul 21, 2009Ask the Documentary Doctor: How do I choose the right crew for my story?
-
In Production
J.P. Allen and the Landscape of Love
Michael Fox
Jul 14, 2009J.P. Allen and Janis DeLucia Allen's latest imagining, Sex and Imagining, is a two-character piece thick with dialogue and psychological undercurrents.
-
Q & A
Kutner and Goldstein on 'The Snake'
Michael Fox
Jul 6, 2009Adam Goldstein and Eric Kutner discuss their debut, The Snake, an unapologetically impertinent, made-in-S.F, comedy that marks its creators as resourceful wiseguys.
-
Q & A
Richard Levien, from 'Immersion' to 'La Migra'
Jennifer Preissel
Jun 29, 2009New Zealand transplant Richard Levien, a longstanding fixture of the San Francisco indie film community, breaks out of the editing room with Immersion.
-
Digital
The Future of Video—In Our Hands?
Hannah Eaves
May 26, 2009The Sixth Screen: Eaves analyzes the future of video in developing countries, specifically the proliferation of mobile communication.
-
Reviews
'A Wake for Analog'
Jonathan Kiefer
May 21, 2009A Wake for Analog honors analog experimental films like Patrolling the Ether, Bassline Baseline and Zuse Strip.
-
Story Structure
Crafting an Elegant Essay Documentary
Karen Everett
May 4, 2009The Edit Room: How do you keep your audience engaged rather than putting them to sleep?
-
Festivals
Local Makers Line Up Next Shot after SFIFF
Michael Fox
May 4, 2009The 2009 SFIFF has been a launching pad for the numerous Bay Area filmmaker
-
Reviews
Film Society Awards: Ballard, Coppola, Redford and Toback
Susan Gerhard
May 1, 2009The San Francisco Film Society honored Francis Ford Coppola, Carroll Ballard, Robert Redford and James Toback. Coppola surprised the audience by turning over the Founder's Directing Award he received to longtime colleague Carroll Ballard.
-
Documentary
Repeating Yourself?
Fernanda Rossi
Apr 28, 2009Ask the Documentary Doctor: Fernanda Rossi advises on the distinction between repetition and reinforcement in documentary filmmaking.
-
In Production
SFIFF52: 'The Professionals' Unites Filmmakers
Michael Fox
Apr 28, 2009The Professionals an ambitious array of panels, case studies and discussions, makes its debut as a forum for encouraging Bay Area moviemakers to engage with guests and colleagues.
-
Reviews
SFIFF52: Jim Granato's "D tour"
Dan Cowles
Apr 19, 2009Local filmmaker Jim Granato, whose movie D tour follows the band Rogue Wave and its ailing drummer Pat Spurgeon, on tour and on dialysis, is competing for the San Francisco International Film Festival's Golden Gate Award in Documentary.
-
Digital
Augmented Reality at SXSWi
Hannah Eaves
Apr 14, 2009The 6th Screen: Hannah Eaves recommends Twitter, Meebo, Facebook, Ning and eNewsletters as film promotion tools.
-
Reviews
"Fans, Friends & Followers"—an excerpt
Scott Kirsner
Apr 8, 2009Fans, Friends & Followers, focuses on strategies artists can use to support their careers in the digital age.
-
Festivals
SFIFF52: Jennifer Maytorena Taylor and a 'New Muslim Cool'
Sura Wood
Apr 6, 2009Jennifer Maytorena Taylor's documentary, New Muslim Cool, focuses on Hamza Perez, a Catholic hip hop artist, who converted to Islam; whose life is now a crucible of disparate urban influences.
-
Festivals
SF International Film Festival Lineup
Susan Gerhard
Mar 31, 2009The two weeks of programs offers 151 films from 55 countries, awards and prices, and a wide array of San Francisco talent, from legendary names to the fledgling artists.
-
Festivals
Connecting Here and There at the 27th SFIAAFF
Matt Sussman
Mar 20, 2009This year, the festival feels like it has truly arrived as an internationally recognized platform for cross-Pacific cinematic exchange, in this disparate cross-section of films from home, abroad and places in between.
-
Festivals
Politics Get Personal in 'Project Kashmir'
Jonathan Kiefer
Mar 19, 2009Co-directors Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel, two American friends with family ties to opposite sides of the conflict, went to Kashmir together to see what they could learn–and what the rest of us could.
-
Festivals
Politics Get Personal in 'Project Kashmir'
Jonathan Kiefer
Mar 19, 2009Co-directors Senain Kheshgi and Geeta V. Patel, two American friends with family ties to opposite sides of the conflict, went to Kashmir together to see what they could learn–and what the rest of us could.
-
Festivals
SXSW: From the Producer's Chair
Holly Million
Mar 17, 2009Holly Million reviews some of the documentaries shown at this year's festival: It Came >From Kuchar, MIne and Motherland.
-
Documentary
Sound Advice
Fernanda Rossi
Mar 10, 2009Sound design: in a documentary can be a great ally in bringing real life to the screen, and the dilemma is not whether to use this wonderful story device but rather how and in what context.
-
Legal
'Medicine for Melancholy' and the Art of DIY Legal Agreements
George Rush
Mar 3, 2009For many narrative filmmakers, hiring a lawyer is either an afterthought or not a financial reality, but moving forward with a film without considering legal is a huge mistake.
-
Reviews
Strand Releasing Turns 20
Dennis Harvey
Feb 26, 2009Twenty years after its founding, Strand Releasing remains an active, irreplaceable and distinctive presence on the U.S. distribution scene.
-
First Person
Ten Commandments Before Diving into Digital Delivery
Larry Daressa
Feb 24, 2009First-Person: Larry Daressa provides helpful hints on distribution strategy.
-
First Person
Ten Commandments Before Diving into Digital Delivery
Larry Daressa
Feb 24, 2009First-Person: Larry Daressa provides helpful hints on distribution strategy.
-
In Production
Peled's Globalization Trilogy in India's Cotton Fields
Michael Fox
Feb 24, 2009The throughline of Micha Peled's film is a farmer in a village in Vibharba, in central India's cotton belt, over a farming season.
-
In Production
Leban and Szajko's Gay Marriage Doc
Michael Fox
Feb 18, 2009The tentatively titled Winter of Love uses Prop. 8 as a framework for a look at the increasing acceptance of gay marriage.
-
In Production
Ellen Lake's Miniatures Fit Right In
Michael Fox
Feb 11, 2009When we're finally all watching movies on the most expedient of platforms–our mobile phone–Ellen Lake will be at the head of the parade.
-
In Production
Ellen Lake's Miniatures Fit Right In
Michael Fox
Feb 11, 2009When we're finally all watching movies on the most expedient of platforms–our mobile phone–Ellen Lake will be at the head of the parade.
-
First Person
Funder as Supplicant
John R. Killacky
Jan 20, 2009First-Person: A program officer at the San Francisco Foundation has a sobering experience making a documentary.
-
Legal
Casting: Names and Numbers
George Rush
Jan 16, 2009Avoiding Disaster: George Rush writes on the conundrum of not getting money for a project without a known cast, and not getting a cast without a bunch of money.
-
Legal
Casting: Names and Numbers
George Rush
Jan 16, 2009Avoiding Disaster: George Rush writes on the conundrum of not getting money for a project without a known cast, and not getting a cast without a bunch of money.
-
In Production
'Tongues' Cracks the Language Barrier
Michael Fox
Jan 13, 2009The forthcoming film Speaking in Tongues follows four diverse local public-school students enrolled in language-immersion programs.
-
Q & A
Wendy Levy on the Politics of Participation
Susan Gerhard
Jan 12, 2009Levy offers thoughts on the program she's presenting at Sundance and what's being called the "New Documentary Movement."
-
News & Blogs
Unresolutions of 2009
Hannah Eaves
Jan 9, 2009Certain questions in 2008 endlessly plagued the film world, leading to outlandish predictions, flame-war mayhem and an outbreak of opinionated public speaking.
-
In Production
Elizabeth Pepin's 'Wasted!'
Michael Fox
Jan 6, 2009If you've been waiting for a punk-rock doc about sewage and wastewater treatment–admit it–it's in the pipeline and heading your way by year's end.
-
Q & A
Pamela Harris, GFEM, and Filmmaker Funding
Michael Fox
Dec 22, 2008Oakland's Pamela Harris and Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media are connecting media makers with financial resources.
-
Digital
Greenscreen Envy
Hannah Eaves
Dec 5, 2008The Sixth Screen: Senior Director of Marketing and Product Management and iFanboy producer and co-host Ron Richards talks about Revision3, the next generation of TV.
-
Funding
What Crisis? Fundraising During an Economic Meltdown
Holly Million
Dec 3, 2008Fear-Free Fundraising: Holly Million advises filmmakers on where to get funding when the going gets tough.
-
Documentary
Perfect Pitch
Fernanda Rossi
Nov 21, 2008Ask the Documentary Doctor: Fernanda Rossi weighs in on how many different pitches you really need for your documentary.
-
Reviews
Global Lens on Link TV
Judy Stone
Nov 20, 2008Global Film Initiative's Global Lens series offers a regular spot in your home theater for edgy world-cinema narratives don't often get a place at local multiplexes.
-
Digital
Basics of Web 3.0?
Hannah Eaves
Oct 31, 2008The Sixth Screen: If you're interested in the future of online technology, 'jaguar' is the evergreen example used to explain what's called The Semantic Web.
-
Festivals
Carnival of Nonfiction Filmmaking
Dennis Harvey
Oct 16, 2008The extreme, the strange, the silly and surreal all have big seats at the SF DocFest table.
-
Legal
Notes on Digital Distribution
George Rush
Oct 8, 2008Avoiding Disaster: George Rush offers tips on bridging the worlds of creativity and business.
-
Festivals
MVFF: Mulford and Cruz On Chile's Dark Past
Michael Fox
Oct 8, 2008Marilyn Mulford collaborated with Quique Cruz on the pensive, humanistic, and inspiring Archaeology of Memory: Villa Grimaldi.
-
Q & A
Jack Stevenson on 'The Superstars Next Door'
Matt Sussman
Oct 6, 2008Freelance curator and film fanatic Jack Stevenson brings grainy reels documenting live, nude girls to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
-
In Production
Straight and Not So Narrow 'Crooked Beauty' In Production
Michael Fox
Oct 1, 2008In 'Crooked Beauty,' mental health is re-imagined and redefined.
-
Digital
SWAG: Free Feature Films On the Web
Hannah Eaves
Sep 26, 2008The Sixth Screen: Here are some browser-based legal zones for free online feature film viewing pleasure. No installation required.
-
Festivals
7th SF DocFest Program
Susan Gerhard
Sep 25, 2008The seventh San Francisco International Documentary Film Festival has the potential to be every bit as raucous as the other festivals under the organization's umbrella.
-
Festivals
Mill Valley's 31st Program
Susan Gerhard
Sep 10, 2008This year's Mill Valley Film Festival shows healthy signs of life for the independent film business.
-
In Production
Scott Crocker's 'Ghost Bird' Phenomenon
Michael Fox
Sep 2, 2008Scott Crocker's documentary brings the truth behind the "Lord God" bird phenomenon out of the bushes.
-
News & Blogs
Second Stage of Film Arts Foundation's Legacy of Advocacy
Michael Fox
Aug 20, 2008Film Arts Foundation, a nonprofit organization formed by 15 independent filmmakers in 1976, joins forces with SFFS.
-
Q & A
Stephen Olsson and Link TV
Michael Fox
Aug 17, 2008SF360.org talks to the senior director of original programming at Link TV, which provides an antidote to the standard television news mix.
-
Digital
What's Fair is not Foul
Hannah Eaves
Jul 24, 2008The Sixth Screen: The first installment of a new, monthly column by filmmaker and journalist Hannah Eaves looks at just how "fair use" is being utilized.
-
Digital
What's Fair is not Foul
Hannah Eaves
Jul 24, 2008The Sixth Screen: The first installment of a new, monthly column by filmmaker and journalist Hannah Eaves looks at just how "fair use" is being utilized.
-
Reviews
Screen Test, San Jose
Sean Uyehara
Jun 11, 2008Exhibitions in San Jose feature art drawn from and inspired by online social networking sites, Youtube, video games and blogs.
-
Reviews
San Francisco Black Film Festival's 10th
Dennis Harvey
Jun 4, 2008In 2008 the San Francisco Black Film Festival marks its 10th anniversary with the most expansive program yet, flagging the theme "10 Years, 10 Days, 100 Films."
-
Festivals
SFIAF: 'Mordake' and Week Two -- Reviewed, Previewed
Robert Avila
May 28, 2008Composer Erling Wold's solo chamber opera enjoys a thrillingly intimate world premiere this week under the banner of the San Francisco International Arts Festival.
-
Festivals
In Other Words: States of Cinema, Music and Mind
Eve O'Neill
May 8, 2008"There are no movies without music," Kevin Kelly asserted last Saturday in his State of Cinema address.
-
Festivals
SF Indiefest at 10
Michael Fox
Feb 7, 2008Way back in 1998, Jeff Ross founded the San Francisco Independent Film Festival to showcase iconoclastic, grassroots moviemakers locked out of the standard channels of distribution. As the 10th SF Indiefest kicks off tonight, Ross and his rotating cast of programmers remain as idealistic as ever, but the indie landscape has largely changed for the worse.
-
Reviews
Five Great Skate Features
Justin Juul
Dec 7, 2007In honor of Gus Van Sant's new film, 'Paranoid Park,' five skate films that matter to the skate junkie, and three honorable mentions.
-
Reviews
Five Great Skate Features
Justin Juul
Dec 7, 2007In honor of Gus Van Sant's new film, 'Paranoid Park,' five skate films that matter to the skate junkie, and three honorable mentions.
-
Q & A
Christopher Coppola Wants You
Robert Avila
Dec 6, 2007Somewhere between iPhone and YouTube there’s a wee festival known as miniPAH. A more slender version of PAH-FEST, the touring weeklong digital film festival founded a year and a half ago by filmmaker Christopher Coppola, “miniPAH: San Francisco” happens this weekend at Coppola’s alma mater, San Francisco Art Institute, ahead of a full-fledged Bay Area PAH sometime next year.
-
Q & A
Christopher Coppola Wants You
Robert Avila
Dec 6, 2007Somewhere between iPhone and YouTube there’s a wee festival known as miniPAH. A more slender version of PAH-FEST, the touring weeklong digital film festival founded a year and a half ago by filmmaker Christopher Coppola, “miniPAH: San Francisco” happens this weekend at Coppola’s alma mater, San Francisco Art Institute, ahead of a full-fledged Bay Area PAH sometime next year.
-
Reviews
"Hannah Takes the Stairs"
Dennis Harvey
Nov 27, 2007A perfect example of the emerging genre of improv-based, digitally shot, minimally budgeted seriocomedies about twentysomethings stumbling through, you know, relationship stuff.
-
Q & A
Sean Uyehara Talks S.F. International Animation Festival
Eve O'Neil
Nov 7, 2007SFFS programmer Sean Uyehara gives some perspective on the shifting dimensions of animated filmmaking.
-
Q & A
Jamie Meltzer on "Welcome to Nollywood"
Michael Fox
Oct 8, 2007Jamie Meltzer talks about his new film on Nigeria, where the digital revolution enables entrepreneurs to churn out movies quickly and inexpensively.
-
Q & A
Nine Questions for Rob Nilsson
Dennis Harvey
Oct 5, 2007SF360.org caught up with the filmmaker, who has been extraordinarily prolific since abandoning celluloid for the lighter, cheaper, more flexible digital realm.
-
Festivals
Lucy Gray's Telluride
Lucy Gray's
Sep 12, 2007Lucy Gray reports from the 35th Telluride Film Festival.
-
Festivals
Digital Festival
Michael Fox
May 2, 2007Movies are shifting at mach speed from the theater to the home. The future is at hand.
-
Festivals
Digital Festival
Michael Fox
May 2, 2007Movies are shifting at mach speed from the theater to the home. The future is at hand.
-
Reviews
"Iraq in Fragments, "The Lives of Others"
Max Goldberg
Feb 13, 2007James Longley's Fragments stands out amongst the crowded field of Iraqumentaries, while Others pulls back the Iron Curtain to powerful effect.
-
Reviews
15 Minutes of YouTube
Justin Juul
Feb 2, 2007The List: A collection of individuals who caught my eye in an intense week of YouTube scouring. Most have gotten upwards of one million views.
-
Reviews
"Radical Closure" at the PFA
Robert Avila
Dec 7, 2006This series of cinematic responses to war, curated by Lebanese video artist Akram Zaatari, opens up possibilities for re-imagining the dehumanized landscape of violence.
-
Q & A
InDplay and The New Art of Film Distribution
Justin Juul
Nov 20, 2006The Redwood City-based startup InDplay is like an online dating service for the film industry.
-
Festivals
A Cinequest 35
Susan Gerhard
Nov 17, 2006Cinequest announces a plan to distribute indie films via DVD, the Internet, TV, and some traditional theatrical sales.
-
Festivals
A Cinequest 35
Susan Gerhard
Nov 17, 2006Cinequest announces a plan to distribute indie films via DVD, the Internet, TV, and some traditional theatrical sales.
-
News & Blogs
Case Studies in Indie Distribution at Digimart
Sean Uyehara
Nov 8, 2006The resounding refrain at Digimart 2006 was that the traditional model of independent film and video distribution was dying.
-
News & Blogs
Case Studies in Indie Distribution at Digimart
Sean Uyehara
Nov 8, 2006The resounding refrain at Digimart 2006 was that the traditional model of independent film and video distribution was dying.
-
News & Blogs
Netflix 101, a Dispatch from IFP's Filmmaker Conference
Eugene Hernandez/indieWIRE
Sep 22, 2006A panel discussion yields insights into the presentÑand futureÑof indie distribution.
-
Reviews
Another Other Cinema, Now on DVD
Johnny Ray Huston
Sep 20, 2006Craig Baldwin and Noel Lawrence bring their brand of smart, quirky, avant-garde and political programming into the home.
-
Q & A
TurnHere's Travel Videos
Susan Gerhard
Aug 18, 2006There's one resource on the Net where some of the best travel videos have congregated, the Emervyille company aptly named TurnHere.
-
News & Blogs
Morpho Power at SIGGRAPH
Sean Uyehara
Aug 16, 2006The Association for Computing Machinery Ôs 2006 conference and exhibition offered animation, new media art exhibits and the latest techniques in interactivity.
-
Reviews
All About Eva
Susan Gerhard
Aug 11, 2006The List: Ten faves from Eva Sollberger's YouTube series, The Deadbeat Club, which revisits the decade she spent working in the Bay Area film community.
-
Festivals
ZeroOne Through Ten
Susan Gerhard
Aug 4, 2006The List: ZeroOne San Jose Global Festival of Art on the Edge presents an array of = augmented realities, artificial intelligences, and interactive pieces.
-
Q & A
Marc Huestis and a Wrinkle in Time
Susan Gerhard
Jun 13, 2006Marc Huestis talks about his latest film,
, and the pros and cons of getting old.
-
Festivals
Addictive TV's VJ-style "Eye of the Pilot" at the Kabuki
Michael Fox
May 3, 2006An intimate group caught Addictive TV's VJ-style show of ÔEye of the Pilot' at the Kabuki, and stayed late for an enthusiastic Q&A.
-
Festivals
International REMIX
Susan Gerhard
Apr 19, 2006If you haven't yet found your repurpose in life, SFIFF's International Remix site might be of use.
-
In Production
Delicious 'All About Evil' In Production
Michael Fox goes behind the scenes on Peaches Christs' slice-'em-up.
Follow Us on Twitter
Become a Fan on Facebook© Copyright 2024 San Francisco Film Society