Festival: Hot Docs

Jan 13, 2012

Hot Docs – Canadian International Documentary Festival (April 26–May 6, 2012) is a competitive event seeking Canadian and international documentaries of all lengths (feature length: 60 min. or longer; mid-length: 30 to 59 min.; short: under 30 min.) and subject matter. ELIGIBILITY: Submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2011; cannot have been screened publicly prior to January 1, 2011; must be Toronto premieres; must be in English, subtitled in English; must be exhibited in one of the following screening formats: 35mm film, DigiBeta (NTSC or PAL) and HDCAM. Entry fees: $33.90 CDN for short films; $67.80 CDN (before December 2, 2011) or $118.65 CDN (before January 13, 2012) for mid and feature length films. AWARDS: Hot Docs features two juried competition programs and several noncompetitive programs. DEADLINE: December 2, 2011 (early); January 13, 2012 (late). WEBSITE: hotdocs.ca/.

Opportunities: Rough Cuts

Nov 1, 2011

Rough Cuts is a series of work-in-progress documentary screenings that are produced at a variety of locations throughout San Francisco. The next event (November 14, 2011; 7:30 p.m.) features one rough cut of a feature-length documentary and then a conversation about the film. The post-screening discussion is designed to give the filmmaker a better, more objective sense of what is working and not working with the film, with particular attention paid to improving the film's structure and narrative clarity. ELIGIBILITY: Rough Cuts is currently accepting submissions for the next event. If you are editing a documentary that is over 40 minutes long and are seeking feedback, they encourage you to submit. Principal photography should have been completed, and filmmakers tare encouraged to submit films that are in the later stages of post-production. AWARDS: Invaluable feedback and constructive criticism. DEADLINE: November 1, 2011. Submissions must arrive by 5:00 p.m. WEBSITE: sfroughcuts.com/index.html.

NY/SF International Children's Film Festival

Oct 21, 2011

The San Francisco Film Society joins the New York International Children’s Film Festival to present a three-day kid-ready fest of animated and non-animated shorts and features from around the world. The brief fest kicks off with a child-friendly opening night party on Friday, and for offers another chance to enjoy Alex Law's sweet Hong Kong Film Days entry, 'Echoes of the Rainbow.' More info sffs.org.

Broadly Comedic ‘My Afternoons with Margueritte’ a Harmless Indulgence

Dennis Harvey
Sep 26, 2011

Sentimental French film is no top-shelf vehicle, but Depardieu savors it as if it were the rarest vintage Bordeaux.

Broadly Comedic ‘My Afternoons with Margueritte’ a Harmless Indulgence

Dennis Harvey
Sep 26, 2011

Sentimental French film is no top-shelf vehicle, but Depardieu savors it as if it were the rarest vintage Bordeaux.

Broadly Comedic ‘My Afternoons with Margueritte’ a Harmless Indulgence

Dennis Harvey
Sep 26, 2011

Sentimental French film is no top-shelf vehicle, but Depardieu savors it as if it were the rarest vintage Bordeaux.

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen

Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011

Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen

Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011

Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.

SFFS's Hong Kong Cinema Series Brings Fan Fare to New Screen

Adam Hartzell
Sep 22, 2011

Audience-engaging stories in a variety of genres highlight SFFS's inaugural Hong Kong Cinema weekend.

'Puzzle'

Sep 9, 2011

Week two of San Francisco Film Society | New People Cinema features Argentinian Natalia Smirnoff’s first feature, a delicate character portrait in which a middle-aged housewife, cherished by her husband and two sons but nevertheless taken for granted, discovers an aptitude for jigsaw puzzles. More at sffs.org.

Telluride’s 38th Festival Underway in Colorado

Jackson Scarlett
Sep 2, 2011

Berkeley-programmed Festival is a favorite for cinephiles; features Caetano Veloso as 2011 Guest Director.

Telluride’s 38th Festival Underway in Colorado

Jackson Scarlett
Sep 2, 2011

Berkeley-programmed Festival is a favorite for cinephiles; features Caetano Veloso as 2011 Guest Director.

Telluride’s 38th Festival Underway in Colorado

Jackson Scarlett
Sep 2, 2011

Berkeley-programmed Festival is a favorite for cinephiles; features Caetano Veloso as 2011 Guest Director.

Funding: The Roy W. Dean LA August Grant

Aug 30, 2011

The Roy W. Dean Film and Writing Grants fund shorts, documentaries and low budget independent features. ELIGIBILITY: New film and video projects (including works-in-progress) that are unique and benefit the society. Student filmmakers, independent producers or independent production companies are all welcome. AWARDS: Winner gets a variety of awards including scholarships and cash prizes for different production fields. DEADLINE: August 30, 2011. WEBSITE: fromtheheartproductions.com/grant-lavideo.shtml.

Cinematographer Cardiff's Eye Prized in 'Cameraman' Doc

Dennis Harvey
Jul 29, 2011

'Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff' is a lovely portrait of an innovator and consummate craftsman.

Cinematographer Cardiff's Eye Prized in 'Cameraman' Doc

Dennis Harvey
Jul 29, 2011

'Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff' is a lovely portrait of an innovator and consummate craftsman.

Cinematographer Cardiff's Eye Prized in 'Cameraman' Doc

Dennis Harvey
Jul 29, 2011

'Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff' is a lovely portrait of an innovator and consummate craftsman.

ITVS's Indies Showcase

Jul 27, 2011

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Independent Television Service brings out an online festival, displaying 20 ITVS-supported docs between now and September 23. Representing only the tip of the iceberg of the locally based organization's vast film library, the festival features gems like 'Daughter from Danang,' 'King Corn' and 'The English Surgeon,' and screens the 20 films for three days each, for free. More info and scheduling at itvs.org.

Fassbinder's Funky Futurism Speaks to the Moment

Dennis Harvey
Jul 26, 2011

Fassbinder's retro-chic, thought-provoking 'World on a Wire' finds the 'future' is now.

Fassbinder's Funky Futurism Speaks to the Moment

Dennis Harvey
Jul 26, 2011

Fassbinder's retro-chic, thought-provoking 'World on a Wire' finds the 'future' is now.

Fassbinder's Funky Futurism Speaks to the Moment

Dennis Harvey
Jul 26, 2011

Fassbinder's retro-chic, thought-provoking 'World on a Wire' finds the 'future' is now.

Fassbinder's Funky Futurism Speaks to the Moment

Dennis Harvey
Jul 26, 2011

Fassbinder's retro-chic, thought-provoking 'World on a Wire' finds the 'future' is now.

Fassbinder's Funky Futurism Speaks to the Moment

Dennis Harvey
Jul 26, 2011

Fassbinder's retro-chic, thought-provoking 'World on a Wire' finds the 'future' is now.

'Diva'

Jul 21, 2011

SF Museum of Modern Art's Opera on Film series screens Jean-Jacques Beineix's under-appreciated 'Diva' on Thursday. The Caesar Award-winning romance/thriller hybrid deftly handles a complex, opera-centric plot littered with brilliant pop-art inspired chase scenes and features a number of standout performances, including those by Jeunet regular Dominique Pinon and real-life opera singer Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez. More info sfmoma.org.

Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’

Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011

Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.

Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’

Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011

Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.

Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’

Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011

Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.

Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’

Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011

Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.

Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’

Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011

Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.

Essential SF: ‘North Beach,’ ‘Medicine For Melancholy’

Michael Fox
Jul 20, 2011

Two Bay Area location-based features that speak to the moment are poised to stand the test of time.

Essential SF: 'Holy Ghost People,' 'Samsara'

Michael Fox
Jul 13, 2011

SF filmmakers Peter Adair and Ellen Bruno created classics on religious intensity.

Essential SF: 'Holy Ghost People,' 'Samsara'

Michael Fox
Jul 13, 2011

SF filmmakers Peter Adair and Ellen Bruno created classics on religious intensity.

Essential SF: 'Holy Ghost People,' 'Samsara'

Michael Fox
Jul 13, 2011

SF filmmakers Peter Adair and Ellen Bruno created classics on religious intensity.

'Cultures of Resistance'

Jun 30, 2011

Award-winning 2010 doc 'Cultures of Resistance' captures the ways artists, musicians and other cultural producers create political change through art, from Iran to China to other points worldwide. The event features a live interview with director Iara Lee via Skype after screening; ticket sales benefit clean water efforts for children in Gaza. Plays at Berkeley City College. More at mecaforpeace.org.

Hong Takes New Tack with 'Oki's Movie'

Adam Hartzell
Jun 24, 2011

Hong Sang-soo's latest leaves us with an awkward ambivalence that resonates long after the film is finished.

Hong Takes New Tack with 'Oki's Movie'

Adam Hartzell
Jun 24, 2011

Hong Sang-soo's latest leaves us with an awkward ambivalence that resonates long after the film is finished.

Hong Takes New Tack with 'Oki's Movie'

Adam Hartzell
Jun 24, 2011

Hong Sang-soo's latest leaves us with an awkward ambivalence that resonates long after the film is finished.

'Wings of Desire'

Jun 19, 2011

Wim Wenders' gorgeous time capsule 'Wings of Desire,' later remade as 'City of Angels,' features striking views of Berlin from the air and an electrifying musical performance by Nick Cave. Wenders regular, master thesp Bruno Ganz stars. Plays at Red Vic, more info Redvic.com

'These Amazing Shadows'

Jun 19, 2011

Directors Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton inspect the treasures held in the Library of Congress' revered National Film Registry and consider their lasting impact on the American experience. The locally made doc features insightful interviews with prominent celebrities and critics. Both filmmakers will be present for Q&A after screening at Smith Rafael Film Center. More at cafilm.org.

'Sweetgrass' and Live Sheep

Jun 19, 2011

Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Ilisa Barbash's beautiful 'Sweetgrass' plays during a special event at the Oakland Museum, 1:00 pm, and features a live appearance by the starring species: sheep, who will be sheared by farmer Joe Sanchez, as part of Felt. More at museumca.org.

Frameline35 Opens, Features Wildly Diverse Program

Dennis Harvey
Jun 16, 2011

The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival delivers internationally as well as locally made films of every identity and genre stripe.

Frameline35 Opens, Features Wildly Diverse Program

Dennis Harvey
Jun 16, 2011

The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival delivers internationally as well as locally made films of every identity and genre stripe.

Frameline35 Opens, Features Wildly Diverse Program

Dennis Harvey
Jun 16, 2011

The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival delivers internationally as well as locally made films of every identity and genre stripe.

Another Hole in the Head Film Festival

Jun 16, 2011

SF IndieFest's annual Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, which features 16 entertaining, inexplicable days of contemporary, comedic, sci-fi and dark fantasy horror films, continues for another week. The event is hosted by Roxie Theater. More at sfindie.com.

Another Hole in the Head Film Festival

Jun 16, 2011

SF IndieFest's annual Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, which features 16 entertaining, inexplicable days of contemporary, comedic, sci-fi and dark fantasy horror films, continues for another week. The event is hosted by Roxie Theater. More at sfindie.com.

Another Hole in the Head Film Festival

Jun 16, 2011

SF IndieFest's annual Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, which features 16 entertaining, inexplicable days of contemporary, comedic, sci-fi and dark fantasy horror films, continues for another week. The event is hosted by Roxie Theater. More at sfindie.com.

Frameline35 Opens, Features Wildly Diverse Program

Dennis Harvey
Jun 16, 2011

The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival delivers internationally as well as locally made films of every identity and genre stripe.

Frameline35 Opens, Features Wildly Diverse Program

Dennis Harvey
Jun 16, 2011

The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival delivers internationally as well as locally made films of every identity and genre stripe.

Frameline35 Opens, Features Wildly Diverse Program

Dennis Harvey
Jun 16, 2011

The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival delivers internationally as well as locally made films of every identity and genre stripe.

Dutch Director's Obsession Leads to Bay Area

Michael Fox
Jun 15, 2011

One film was not enough to quench Frans Weisz’s fascination with Nazi-era artist Charlotte Salomon.

Dutch Director's Obsession Leads to Bay Area

Michael Fox
Jun 15, 2011

One film was not enough to quench Frans Weisz’s fascination with Nazi-era artist Charlotte Salomon.

Dutch Director's Obsession Leads to Bay Area

Michael Fox
Jun 15, 2011

One film was not enough to quench Frans Weisz’s fascination with Nazi-era artist Charlotte Salomon.

Soap-Operatic 'Bride Flight' Is an Entertaining Ride

Dennis Harvey
Jun 10, 2011

An historical-romantic novel in screen form, 'Bride Flight' offers all the pleasures (some guilty ones) of a film made half a century ago.

Soap-Operatic 'Bride Flight' Is an Entertaining Ride

Dennis Harvey
Jun 10, 2011

An historical-romantic novel in screen form, 'Bride Flight' offers all the pleasures (some guilty ones) of a film made half a century ago.

Soap-Operatic 'Bride Flight' Is an Entertaining Ride

Dennis Harvey
Jun 10, 2011

An historical-romantic novel in screen form, 'Bride Flight' offers all the pleasures (some guilty ones) of a film made half a century ago.

Cult of the Kuchars

Jun 10, 2011

Throughout the month of June, Pacific Film Archive features a half century of alternately feverish, dark, confessional, parodic work from filmmaker brothers George and Mike Kuchar, starting with their 1965 feature, ‘Sins of the Fleshapoids,’ at which Mike Kuchar appears in person. More at bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Arthur Penn, a Liberal Helping

Jun 10, 2011

Arthur Penn is the focus of a monthlong series at Pacific Film Archive, beginning with 1958’s Gore Vidal-written revisionist Western, ‘The Left Handed Gun,’ which features Paul Newman. More at bampfa.berkeley.edu.

‘The Best & The Brightest’

Jun 2, 2011

Josh Shelov’s comedy ‘The Best & The Brightest’ plays at Roxie Theater before its wide release this summer. The film features Neil Patrick Harris and Bonnie Somerville as yuppies from New York fighting to get their daughter into an elitist private kindergarten. More at roxie.com.

The Castro Remembers Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011

May 27, 2011

Castro Theatre pays tribute to the Dame Elizabeth Taylor with six days of benefit double features, beginning with 1958’s ‘Cat On A Hot Tin Roof,’ in which Taylor performs alongside Paul Newman, and 1959’s ‘Suddenly, Last Summer,’ also featuring Katherine Hepburn. More at castrotheatre.com.

YBCA Revisits Vintage Erotica

Dennis Harvey
May 19, 2011

YBCA uncorks another era's eros.

YBCA Revisits Vintage Erotica

Dennis Harvey
May 19, 2011

YBCA uncorks another era's eros.

YBCA Revisits Vintage Erotica

Dennis Harvey
May 19, 2011

YBCA uncorks another era's eros.

I Wake Up Dreaming 2011: The Legendary and the Lost

May 19, 2011

Roxie Theater brings in two weeks of rare film noir in its I Wake Up Dreaming 2011: The Legendary and the Lost program. A full 14 double features, including ‘The Web’ and ‘711 Ocean Drive,’ are presented in 35mm prints. More at roxie.com.

I Wake Up Dreaming 2011: The Legendary and the Lost

May 19, 2011

Roxie Theater brings in two weeks of rare film noir in its I Wake Up Dreaming 2011: The Legendary and the Lost program. A full 14 double features, including ‘The Web’ and ‘711 Ocean Drive,’ are presented in 35mm prints. More at roxie.com.

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre

Karen Everett
May 17, 2011

Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre

Karen Everett
May 17, 2011

Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre

Karen Everett
May 17, 2011

Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.

Legacy Film Festival on Aging

May 13, 2011

Viz Cinema at New People hosts the Legacy Film Festival on Aging, offering three days of shorts and features from around the world that deal with the difficulties and appreciation of growing older. The program begins with ‘Ruth Awasa: Roots of an Artist,’ a documentary about the famous artist, with director Bob Toy and Ruth’s children in attendance for a Q&A following the screening. More at newpeopleworld.com.

SFIFF54 Closing Night

May 5, 2011

Castro Theatre hosts the final evening of SFIFF54, which features Mathieu Amalric’s ‘On Tour,’ a film that tells the story of a has-been French TV producer who stages his comeback with burlesque performers. A party follows at The Factory. More at fest11.sffs.org.

‘Bullitt’ and ‘Freebie and the Bean’ Double Feature

Apr 15, 2011

Castro Theatre hosts a double feature of cop films set in San Francisco, beginning with Peter Yates’ 1968 ‘Bullitt,’ which features Steve McQueen, and Richard Rush’s 1974 ‘Freebie and the Bean,’ featuring James Caan and Alan Arkin. More at castrotheatre.com.

‘Some Days are Better Than Others’

Apr 15, 2011

Roxie Theater presents ‘Some Days are Better Than Others,’ a debut feature-length film by Matt McCormick that explores the mutual struggles of hope shared amongst a group of eclectic characters. The film features Carrie Brownstein (Sleater-Kinney) as well as James Mercer (The Shins). More at roxie.com.

Getting Behind 'Bill Cunningham'

Susan Gerhard
Apr 8, 2011

Richard Press and Philip Gefter pay tribute to a worker's devotion in making 'Bill Cunningham New York.'

Getting Behind 'Bill Cunningham'

Susan Gerhard
Apr 8, 2011

Richard Press and Philip Gefter pay tribute to a worker's devotion in making 'Bill Cunningham New York.'

Getting Behind 'Bill Cunningham'

Susan Gerhard
Apr 8, 2011

Richard Press and Philip Gefter pay tribute to a worker's devotion in making 'Bill Cunningham New York.'

Fearless: Independent Chinese Documentaries

Apr 7, 2011

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosts and dGenerate Films and Fandor present ‘Fearless: Independent Chinese Documentaries,’ which features six independent Chinese political docs; continuing this week with 'Tape' (April 7), 'Ghost Town' (April 10) and '1428' (pictured, April 14). More at ybca.org.

SFFS Announces 2011 SF International Film Festival Titles, Events

Susan Gerhard
Mar 29, 2011

SF International's 54th wide-ranging program is announced.

SFFS Announces 2011 SF International Film Festival Titles, Events

Susan Gerhard
Mar 29, 2011

SF International's 54th wide-ranging program is announced.

SFFS Announces 2011 SF International Film Festival Titles, Events

Susan Gerhard
Mar 29, 2011

SF International's 54th wide-ranging program is announced.

Sing Along 'The Wizard of Oz'

Mar 25, 2011

The Sing Along ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ featuring an interactive experience with song and goody bags, plays for seven days at the Castro Theatre. Laurie Bushman, Joe Wicht and David Hawkins host. More at castrotheatre.com.

Talent Emerges at SXSW 2011

Julia Barbosa
Mar 22, 2011

Issues, philosophies spark SXSW's 2011 films.

The Future Messes with Texas at SXSW

Sara Dosa
Mar 21, 2011

New technology and futuristic themes featured prominently at South by Southwest this year.

The Future Messes with Texas at SXSW

Sara Dosa
Mar 21, 2011

New technology and futuristic themes featured prominently at South by Southwest this year.

The Future Messes with Texas at SXSW

Sara Dosa
Mar 21, 2011

New technology and futuristic themes featured prominently at South by Southwest this year.

‘You Won’t Miss Me’

Mar 18, 2011

Ry Russo-Young’s 2009 Gotham Independent Film Award winner and Sundance Film Festival Selection, ‘You Won’t Miss Me,’ plays for one week at Roxie Theater. The film features Stella Schnabel, who plays a 23 year-old just released from a psychiatric hospital. More at roxie.com.

Wolos’s ‘Trattoria’ Serves Up Spicy Comedy

Michael Fox
Mar 9, 2011

Jason Wolos builds a drama about family and food with a few key ingredients.

Wolos’s ‘Trattoria’ Serves Up Spicy Comedy

Michael Fox
Mar 9, 2011

Jason Wolos builds a drama about family and food with a few key ingredients.

Wolos’s ‘Trattoria’ Serves Up Spicy Comedy

Michael Fox
Mar 9, 2011

Jason Wolos builds a drama about family and food with a few key ingredients.

'We Were Here'

Feb 25, 2011

Castro Theatre hosts seven days of ‘We Were Here,’ David Weissman's documentary examining the initial arrival of AIDS in San Francisco and its subsequent influence the community. Opening night features a VIP reception prior to and a Q&A with director David Weissman following the screening. More at castrotheatre.com.

San Francisco Silent Film Festival Winter Event

Feb 12, 2011

The San Francisco Silent Film Festival's Winter Event, a one-day affair to showcase silent films, returns to the Castro. Features include Charlie Chaplin shorts, Marcel L’Herbier’s 1928 ‘L’Argent’ and King Vidor’s 1926 ‘La Boheme,' each accompanied with live music. More at silentfilm.org and castrotheatre.com.

SF Indiefest

Feb 3, 2011

Roxie Theater hosts the 13th SF Indiefest, which presents 15 raucous days of both feature and short independent films. Opening Night features Gregg Araki’s ‘Kaboom,’ with an afterparty at CELLspace and live music. More at sfindie.com.

Final Week of Noir City

Jan 25, 2011

The final week of Noir City plays at Castro Theatre. Two Film Noir features play nightly through January 30, ending with 1952’s ‘Angel Face’ and 1948’s ‘The Hunted.’ More at castrotheatre.com.

Temporary Insanity Takes Hold at Noir City

Max Goldberg
Jan 21, 2011

Noir City 9's "madness" theme means a few more gothic titles and a fresh context to appreciate noir’s signature motifs.

Temporary Insanity Takes Hold at Noir City

Max Goldberg
Jan 21, 2011

Noir City 9's "madness" theme means a few more gothic titles and a fresh context to appreciate noir’s signature motifs.

Temporary Insanity Takes Hold at Noir City

Max Goldberg
Jan 21, 2011

Noir City 9's "madness" theme means a few more gothic titles and a fresh context to appreciate noir’s signature motifs.

Peter Weir Presents 'The Way Back'

Jan 18, 2011

An advance screening of Peter Weir’s new film, ‘The Way Back’, which features Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell, plays at the Smith Rafael Film Center, with Weir presenting and discussing the film. More at cafilm.org.

Peter Weir Presents 'The Way Back'

Jan 18, 2011

An advance screening of Peter Weir’s new film, ‘The Way Back’, which features Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris and Colin Farrell, plays at the Smith Rafael Film Center, with Weir presenting and discussing the film. More at cafilm.org.

German Gems Film Festival

Jan 14, 2011

Castro Theatre hosts the German Gems Film Festival, a three day event showcasing recent German features, shorts and documentaries. It begins on Friday with ‘Mahler On The Couch,' a feature directed by father and son team Percy and Felix Adlon, with an Opening Night after party following. More at castrotheatre.com.

Hitchcock Double Features

Jan 8, 2011

The Castro Theatre hosts six days of double features from the unsurpassed master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The series starts with two of the finest films from Hitchcock’s late British period, ‘The Lady Vanishes’ and ‘The 39 Steps.’ More at castrotheatre.com.

Destroy All Movies!!!

Nov 19, 2010

This Roxie Theater double feature rejoices in ‘80s punk cinema with ‘Surf II,’ a sequel to a film that was never made, and the outrageous story of a young geek who seeks to destroy surfers by turning them into zombies, plus the classic ‘Times Square,’ which tells of The Sleaze Sisters, two insane asylum runaways who become heroes of New York’s disenchanted youth and features music by Talking Heads and Roxy Music. Presented by editors of the book ‘Destroy All Movies!!!: The Complete Guide to Punks on Film’ and Alamo Drafthouse programmers Zack Carlson and Bryan Connolly. More at roxie.com.

San Francisco International Animation Festival

Nov 11, 2010

Animated stories from around the world gather at Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema for the fifth SFIAF. Six wide-ranging shorts programs as well as features like Brent Green’s ‘Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then’ and Sunao Katabuchi’s ‘Mai Mai Miracle’ take the screen. Four diverse animators interpret folk rock band The Decemberists’ 2009 concept album in ‘Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized,’ which opens the festival. Opening Night party follows the screening at La Mar Cebichería Peruana at Pier One and One-Half on the Embarcadero. More at sffs.org.

Essential SF: Rick Prelinger

Dennis Harvey
Nov 2, 2010

Rick Prelinger’s efforts at preserving ephemeral films have made him indispensable to the cinema of San Francisco—and the world.

Essential SF: Rick Prelinger

Dennis Harvey
Nov 2, 2010

Rick Prelinger’s efforts at preserving ephemeral films have made him indispensable to the cinema of San Francisco—and the world.

'Left in the Dark' Photographer and Essayists in Person

Oct 30, 2010

Celebrations of photographer R.A. McBride’s and Julie Lindow's elegiac ‘Left in the Dark: Portraits of San Francisco Movie Theatres,' which features photographs cinemas of the past and present matched with scholarly essays on local industry themes, continue. Pacific Film Archive hosts a slide show presentation by McBride and readings by writers including Lindow, Katherine Petrin, Melinda Stone. More at bampfa.berkeley.edu.

Marquee Names Light Up French Cinema Now

Dennis Harvey
Oct 28, 2010

The latest finds from France's national cinema play in an SFFS showcase.

Marquee Names Light Up French Cinema Now

Dennis Harvey
Oct 28, 2010

The latest finds from France's national cinema play in an SFFS showcase.

Marquee Names Light Up French Cinema Now

Dennis Harvey
Oct 28, 2010

The latest finds from France's national cinema play in an SFFS showcase.

United Nations Association Film Festival

Oct 27, 2010

Population, migration and globalization are the themes of the 13th annual United Nations Association Film Festival. The Palo Alto-based festival's features include 'Bhutto,' 'Gasland' and 'The Last Elephants in Thailand' this year. The festival runs until October 31. More at unaff.org.

United Nations Association Film Festival

Oct 27, 2010

Population, migration and globalization are the themes of the 13th annual United Nations Association Film Festival. The Palo Alto-based festival's features include 'Bhutto,' 'Gasland' and 'The Last Elephants in Thailand' this year. The festival runs until October 31. More at unaff.org.

Berlin & Beyond Provides Genius Genre Treatments

Max Goldberg
Oct 22, 2010

A pair of expert heist films top Berlin & Beyond.

Berlin & Beyond Provides Genius Genre Treatments

Max Goldberg
Oct 22, 2010

A pair of expert heist films top Berlin & Beyond.

Berlin & Beyond Provides Genius Genre Treatments

Max Goldberg
Oct 22, 2010

A pair of expert heist films top Berlin & Beyond.

Essential SF: 'Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,' 'Paulina,' 'First Person Plural'

Michael Fox
Oct 6, 2010

The Bay Area's best first-person documentaries take us through a lens, darkly.

Essential SF: 'Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,' 'Paulina,' 'First Person Plural'

Michael Fox
Oct 6, 2010

The Bay Area's best first-person documentaries take us through a lens, darkly.

Essential SF: 'Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,' 'Paulina,' 'First Person Plural'

Michael Fox
Oct 6, 2010

The Bay Area's best first-person documentaries take us through a lens, darkly.

Mill Valley's 33rd Launches

Sura Wood
Oct 5, 2010

Mill Valley brings an eclectic collection of indies and world cinema to audiences.

Mill Valley's 33rd Launches

Sura Wood
Oct 5, 2010

Mill Valley brings an eclectic collection of indies and world cinema to audiences.

Mill Valley's 33rd Launches

Sura Wood
Oct 5, 2010

Mill Valley brings an eclectic collection of indies and world cinema to audiences.

'Fresh'

Oct 1, 2010

MacArthur "genius" grant recipient (2008) Will Allen is featured in this documentary about the building a healthier American food system, which also features 'Omnivore's Dilemma' author Michael Pollan. Director Ana Joanes will be present for an opening night Q&A at the San Francisco premiere of the film at the Red Vic Movie House.

NY/SF International Children's Film Festival

Sep 24, 2010

San Francisco Film Society and the New York International Children's Film Festival offer three days of films for kids, teens and their families, from 'Turtle—the Incredible Journey' (pictured) to Santosh Sivan's Kashmir story, 'Tahaan,' to shorts and animated films, kicking off Friday, September 24, with a kid-friendly opening night party at the Punch Line Comedy Club.

SF Irish Film Festival

Sep 23, 2010

The San Francisco Irish Film Festival offers Roxie audiences three days of contemporary Irish cinema, including features, documentaries and short films paired with free pints of Irish cider. Closing night film 'His & Hers' won the Cinematography Award at Sundance 2010.

Altman Versus the World

Dennis Harvey
Sep 20, 2010

A series at the Roxie mines the fault lines in Robert Altman's varied oeuvre.

Altman Versus the World

Dennis Harvey
Sep 20, 2010

A series at the Roxie mines the fault lines in Robert Altman's varied oeuvre.

Altman Versus the World

Dennis Harvey
Sep 20, 2010

A series at the Roxie mines the fault lines in Robert Altman's varied oeuvre.

Innovative Characters, Concepts Inform New California Website

Adam Hartzell
Sep 13, 2010

A new film/photography website offers compelling characters, bold artistry and innovative storylines.

Innovative Characters, Concepts Inform New California Website

Adam Hartzell
Sep 13, 2010

A new film/photography website offers compelling characters, bold artistry and innovative storylines.

Innovative Characters, Concepts Inform New California Website

Adam Hartzell
Sep 13, 2010

A new film/photography website offers compelling characters, bold artistry and innovative storylines.

Going McCarey's Way

Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010

A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.

Going McCarey's Way

Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010

A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.

Going McCarey's Way

Dennis Harvey
Sep 2, 2010

A Mechanics' Institute series appreciates Leo McCarey's genius with comedy.

'Sweet' Beat Drives Fruchtmans’ Rwanda Doc

Michael Fox
Sep 1, 2010

Lisa Fruchtman moves from feature-film editing to documentary film directing with a hopeful story out of Rwanda.

'Sweet' Beat Drives Fruchtmans’ Rwanda Doc

Michael Fox
Sep 1, 2010

Lisa Fruchtman moves from feature-film editing to documentary film directing with a hopeful story out of Rwanda.

'Sweet' Beat Drives Fruchtmans’ Rwanda Doc

Michael Fox
Sep 1, 2010

Lisa Fruchtman moves from feature-film editing to documentary film directing with a hopeful story out of Rwanda.

What is Noir?

Aug 20, 2010

The pairing of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' and 'The Creeping Unknown'–the first of many double features with a "decidedly bent perspective on the human condition"– kicks off the Roxie's genre-busting series Not Necessarily Noir.

Noirish New Lavine Series Hits the Roxie

Sura Wood
Aug 19, 2010

Elliot Lavine speaks of noir, noirishness, and the series of potent, paranoid, and often genre-busting classics he brings to the Roxie.

Noirish New Lavine Series Hits the Roxie

Sura Wood
Aug 19, 2010

Elliot Lavine speaks of noir, noirishness, and the series of potent, paranoid, and often genre-busting classics he brings to the Roxie.

Noirish New Lavine Series Hits the Roxie

Sura Wood
Aug 19, 2010

Elliot Lavine speaks of noir, noirishness, and the series of potent, paranoid, and often genre-busting classics he brings to the Roxie.

Essential SF: 'Berkeley in the Sixties,' 'Brother Outsider,' 'Weather Underground'

Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2010

Three Bay Area documentaries correct the historical record.

Essential SF: 'Berkeley in the Sixties,' 'Brother Outsider,' 'Weather Underground'

Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2010

Three Bay Area documentaries correct the historical record.

Essential SF: 'Times of Harvey Milk,' 'Crumb,' 'Cockettes'

Michael Fox
Jul 23, 2010

Three films document essential chunks of San Francisco's tragic and mythic past, told in empathetic but non-hagiographic testimony.

Essential SF: 'Times of Harvey Milk,' 'Crumb,' 'Cockettes'

Michael Fox
Jul 23, 2010

Three films document essential chunks of San Francisco's tragic and mythic past, told in empathetic but non-hagiographic testimony.

Lisa Cholodenko Makes High Art of Family Hijinx

Dennis Harvey
Jul 16, 2010

A festival and awards-buzz favorite since its January Sundance premiere, The Kids Are All Right has real depth and drama yet is largely comedic in tone.

Lisa Cholodenko Makes High Art of Family Hijinx

Dennis Harvey
Jul 16, 2010

A festival and awards-buzz favorite since its January Sundance premiere, The Kids Are All Right has real depth and drama yet is largely comedic in tone.

Lisa Cholodenko Makes High Art of Family Hijinx

Dennis Harvey
Jul 16, 2010

A festival and awards-buzz favorite since its January Sundance premiere, The Kids Are All Right has real depth and drama yet is largely comedic in tone.

Frameline34, a Festival Refreshed

Matt Sussman
Jun 25, 2010

Critical consensus on Frameline34 marks it a good year. The audience wanted something different, and the festival has largely obliged.

Jordan's Magic Moments with Ondine

Dennis Harvey
Jun 8, 2010

Ondine finds Neil Jordan back on personal terra firma with a story (his own, in conception and screenplay) that sits exactly on the thin line separating reality and fantasy.

Merchant-Ivory: A Look Back

Dennis Harvey
May 27, 2010

A literary adaptation filled with first-class actors in sumptuous settings, City doesn't fall too far from the familiar Merchant-Ivory tree.

SFIFF53: Deft Dussollier In 'Micmacs,' 'Wild Grass'

Dennis Harvey
Apr 21, 2010

How many foreign stars do U.S. moviegoers know? Not many, alas. My favorite living French actor, André Dussollier, appears prominently in two high-profile festival films.

Can-Can Do: Silent Shooting at the Victoria

Jane Riccobono
Apr 13, 2010

The Victoria Theater is shut up tight, with no sign of life. After a few raps on the door, a woman peeks out and leads me inside.

Unresolved Conflict in 'American Radical,' 'Promised Lands'

Dennis Harvey
Mar 25, 2010

YBCA s month-long, six-part Human Rights and Film series closes with two documentaries on the Arab-Israeli conflict made 35 years apart.

Karim Ahmad on ITVS's Forward-Thinking FUTURESTATES

Adam Hartzell
Mar 21, 2010

Think 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.

Herzog's Unexpected 'My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done'

Dennis Harvey
Feb 19, 2010

With its comfortable suburban setting, flashback structure and mystery-suspense framework, My Son, My Son is, by Herzogian standards, almost mainstream-conventional. I said almost.

As Oscars Approach, Winners Still Up in the Air

Dennis Harvey
Feb 16, 2010

Last month's nominations announcement was anticipated with unusual interest, largely because the Academy reverted to ten Best Picture nominees, a practice abandoned in 1943.

Words from Sundance Staffers: Jon Ho

Hilary Hart
Jan 28, 2010

Hilary Hart, who annually holds down the late-night shift at the Egyptian at Sundance, offers interviews with fellow workers at the festival.

Darkness Of Noir City On Castro Screen

Dennis Harvey
Jan 20, 2010

In late January, many tune their radar to the snowy, showy glare of Sundance. With Noir City here, the stay-at-homes are the luckier ones.

It's 'Playtime' with Jacques Tati in New Series

Dennis Harvey
Jan 13, 2010

You could make a case for Tati as the last great silent comedian even if he didn't begin making features until two decades into the sound era.

3D Reloaded: Where Does 3D Go From Here?

Sean Uyehara
Dec 27, 2009

The release of Avatar puts a fitting capstone on a frenzied campaign by studios to reintroduce stereoscopic 3-D to audiences in 2009.

Bay Area Narrative Filmmakers Thriving in Doc Capital

Michael Fox
Dec 23, 2009

Michael Fox shows independent filmmakers who are thriving in the Bay Area.

Bay Area Narrative Filmmakers Thriving in Doc Capital

Michael Fox
Dec 23, 2009

Michael Fox shows independent filmmakers who are thriving in the Bay Area.

New Social Issue Dramas from Rainin Grant-Winners

Michael Fox
Nov 24, 2009

The scoop on the projects of the inaugural class for the SFFS/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants, which support lively, intelligent social-issue narrative films.

Russell Merritt at the SF International Animation Festival

Sura Wood
Nov 9, 2009

A conversation on Walt Disney's Alice Comedies with a lively raconteur and Professor of Film Studies at UC Berkeley.

SFFS's Debut Cinema by the Bay

Robert Avila
Oct 22, 2009

A 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.

Dave Eggers, Spike Jonze and 'Wild Things'

Michael Read
Oct 19, 2009

Where the Wild Things Are is directed by Spike Jonze from a screenplay by Jonze and Bay Area–based writer Dave Eggers, based on the classic 1963 picture book by Maurice Sendak.

The Importance of Supporting Characters

Lisa Rosenberg
Oct 13, 2009

Beyond Words: The people who back up the main character are often key sources of revelation, unmasking aspects of personality, motivation and backstory.

Mill Valley Film Festival's 32nd

Dennis Harvey
Oct 9, 2009

The program offers a surprisingly potent mainstream industry presence, with tributes to A-list types more frequently seen at the multiplex than at the art house.

Mill Valley Film Festival's 32nd

Dennis Harvey
Oct 9, 2009

The program offers a surprisingly potent mainstream industry presence, with tributes to A-list types more frequently seen at the multiplex than at the art house.

A Fat Line Between Love and Hate

David Munro
Oct 6, 2009

First Person: How can people respond in diametric and, at times, vitriolic opposition to the same film? Mine.

Montalbano's "The Recondite Heart"

Michael Fox
Sep 29, 2009

East Bay filmmaker Miles Montalbano is in preproduction on dark coming-of-age story The Recondite Heart, his followup to his lauded debut, Revolution Summer.

Roy Andersson on "You, the Living"

Erik Augustin Palm
Sep 25, 2009

A study in contrasts, Everyman and intellectual, Roy Andersson speaks about his career and new film, You, the Living.

Franny Armstrong's S.O.S. to the World

Sean Uyehara
Sep 19, 2009

Franny Armstrong talks about the moral imperative of her films, the importance of Hopenhagen, and the unexpected magnitude of her success.

Toronto International Film Festival 2009

B. Ruby Rich
Sep 19, 2009

The Toronto International Film Festival has always allowed a generosity of pursuits to co-exist, rewarding the adventurous and satiating the lazy, all without judgment.

Writing a Kick-Ass Funding Proposal

Holly Million
Sep 14, 2009

Fear-Free Fundraising: Notes on assembling the basic ingredients for a great foundation funding proposal.

Lee, Schamus and Woodstock

Dennis Harvey
Aug 27, 2009

The release of Woodstock provides an opportunity to look back on Ang Lee and Schamus's very impressive, diverse screen resume.

Josef von Sternberg Gem

Dennis Harvey
Aug 12, 2009

Josef von Sternberg's The Salvation Hunters caused a small sensation within the industry when it appeared, and is visually assured time capsule of urban poverty.

J.P. Allen and the Landscape of Love

Michael Fox
Jul 14, 2009

J.P. Allen and Janis DeLucia Allen's latest imagining, Sex and Imagining, is a two-character piece thick with dialogue and psychological undercurrents.

'The Greatest Year in Film' at the Castro

Dennis Harvey
Jul 2, 2009

A series at the Castro marks 1939 as the high-water mark of cinema.

Suspense, Stillness and Beauty in 'Three Monkeys'

Dennis Harvey
Jun 26, 2009

Turkey may be lonely, but it is indeed beautiful in Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Three Monkeys.

Kubrick and Altman's Fear, Desire, and Delinquency

Dennis Harvey
May 8, 2009

The Roxie present Fear and Desire and Delinquents by Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman

Local Makers Line Up Next Shot after SFIFF

Michael Fox
May 4, 2009

The 2009 SFIFF has been a launching pad for the numerous Bay Area filmmaker

SFIFF52: "Lightness of Being" – Eight Wry Films

Dennis Harvey
Apr 24, 2009

The eight films in the San Francisco International Film Festival's Lightness of Being spotlight are Laila's Birthday, Small Crime, Mid-August Lunch, Every Little Step, (Untitled), In the Loop, Our Beloved Month of August and Still Walking.

Troell in Fine Form with 'Everlasting Moments'

Dennis Harvey
Mar 12, 2009

Troell keeps everything emotionally intimate in this lovely film full of grace moments, that chronicles the early 20th-century travails of the Larsson family. 

Strand Releasing Turns 20

Dennis Harvey
Feb 26, 2009

Twenty years after its founding, Strand Releasing remains an active, irreplaceable and distinctive presence on the U.S. distribution scene.

Ten Commandments Before Diving into Digital Delivery

Larry Daressa
Feb 24, 2009

First-Person: Larry Daressa provides helpful hints on distribution strategy.

Lightening Your Fundraising Load

Holly Million
Feb 13, 2009

Fear-Free Fundraising: Holly Million suggests ways to make approaching individual donors that much easier.

Terence Davies' 'Of Time and the City' is Poetic, Personal

Dennis Harvey
Feb 10, 2009

Davies' latest film recalls his earlier autobiographical narratives, but is also unlike anything he has done before, being nonfiction.

SF Indiefest 2009

Dennis Harvey
Feb 5, 2009

With a roster that sprawls from horror to softcore to verite-style drama and documentary, the only constant is that you won't be bored.

SF Cinematheque: New Year, New Direction

Susan Gerhard
Feb 2, 2009

SF360.org joined in on a conversation about Cinematheque's past and present when Steven Jenkins lunched with Jonathan Marlow at Caffe Centro.

Social Justice Filmmaking Grants Announced

Susan Gerhard
Jan 28, 2009

Grants totaling $3 million for narrative feature films made in the Bay Area will be distributed by the SFFS and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation.

Funder as Supplicant

John R. Killacky
Jan 20, 2009

First-Person: A program officer at the San Francisco Foundation has a sobering experience making a documentary.

Casting: Names and Numbers

George Rush
Jan 16, 2009

Avoiding 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.

Casting: Names and Numbers

George Rush
Jan 16, 2009

Avoiding 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.

Wim Wenders: Berlin & Beyond

Dennis Harvey
Jan 15, 2009

Wenders, one of the stellar directors of "New German Cinema," is this year's honoree at the 14th annual Berlin & Beyond festival.

'Tongues' Cracks the Language Barrier

Michael Fox
Jan 13, 2009

The forthcoming film Speaking in Tongues follows four diverse local public-school students enrolled in language-immersion programs.

Autobio-Animation and the Horrors of War

Dennis Harvey
Jan 6, 2009

Waltz with Bashir is another animated feature that embraces a more grown-up story and audience than anything in the long history of "cartoons."

The Year in Film 2008: Oscar Odds

Dennis Harvey
Jan 2, 2009

Instead of breaking it down strictly category-by-category, Dennis Harvey meanders through some principal heat-seeking prestige films and their various chances.

Tom E. Brown on 'Pushing Dead' and Stayin' Alive

Michael Fox
Dec 23, 2008

Tom E. Brown talks about producing and funding Pushing Dead, a film about an HIV-positive writer forced to give up his daily drug regimen.

Pamela Harris, GFEM, and Filmmaker Funding

Michael Fox
Dec 22, 2008

Oakland's Pamela Harris and Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media are connecting media makers with financial resources.

Case Studies in Screenwriting: Pam Gray

Lisa Rosenberg
Dec 19, 2008

Sebastopol-based screenwriter Pamela Gray's approach to screenwriting is the literary equivalent of the slow food movement.

Sundance Harvests an Eclectic Crop of Local Films

Michael Fox
Dec 11, 2008

Bay Area filmmakers represented at Sundance.

Québec Film Week's Unprovincial Pleasures

Dennis Harvey
Dec 10, 2008

Québec's thriving regional cinema is showcased in San Francisco Film Society's latest mini-festival addition to the annual Bay Area movie calendar.

Something Wild: Martha Colburn's Collage Animations

Max Goldberg
Dec 1, 2008

Martha Colburn's recent shorts plunge the interstices of Americana for a hidden history of fanaticism and double-faced hypocrisies.

Crossing Borders with 'Fraulein'

Dennis Harvey
Oct 21, 2008

A director who lives in both Switzerland and New York leads a Swiss-German coproduction about two women from former Yugoslavian territories who meet in Zurich.

Carnival of Nonfiction Filmmaking

Dennis Harvey
Oct 16, 2008

The extreme, the strange, the silly and surreal all have big seats at the SF DocFest table.

A Talk With Arab Film Festival's Executive Director

Michael Fox
Oct 13, 2008

We sat down with Michel Shehadeh, who joined the festival earlier this year, for a wide-ranging interview on Arab film.

Notes on Digital Distribution

George Rush
Oct 8, 2008

Avoiding Disaster: George Rush offers tips on bridging the worlds of creativity and business.

SFFS's Inaugural French Cinema Now

Max Goldberg
Oct 7, 2008

The SFFS has added a Gallic counterpart to its long-running New Italian Cinema series.

Jack Stevenson on 'The Superstars Next Door'

Matt Sussman
Oct 6, 2008

Freelance curator and film fanatic Jack Stevenson brings grainy reels documenting live, nude girls to the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

Mill Valley Film Festival's Maher Moment

Dennis Harvey
Oct 2, 2008

Religulous is a desperately awaited and already vehemently decried film by Bill Maher and director Larry Charles.

Yiyun Li, The Voice of 'A Thousand'

Judy Stone
Sep 30, 2008

The title story of her Hemingway/Pen Award-winning collection of short stories, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers, has been adapted by Wayne Wang.

James Savoca's 'Around June' Casts Spell Around Potrero Hill

Michael Fox
Sep 28, 2008

It used to be standard for San Francisco to be portrayed in movies as a magical, mythical, and slightly mysterious catalyst for transformation.

James Savoca's 'Around June' Casts Spell Around Potrero Hill

Michael Fox
Sep 28, 2008

It used to be standard for San Francisco to be portrayed in movies as a magical, mythical, and slightly mysterious catalyst for transformation.

Vida Ghahremani: Star is Reborn in Wayne Wang's Latest

Judy Stone
Sep 24, 2008

When Vida Ghahremani became a movie star at 16 in the Shah's Iran, she felt as if she were in prison.

Curators at Bay Area Now 5

Sean Uyehara
Sep 11, 2008

YBCA's triennial exhibition has developed a deserved reputation for presenting an energetic survey of current Bay Area artistic practice.

Mill Valley's 31st Program

Susan Gerhard
Sep 10, 2008

This year's Mill Valley Film Festival shows healthy signs of life for the independent film business.

Inside the Telluride Film Festival

Hilary Hart
Aug 29, 2008

A Telluride veteran gives a festival overview, and explains why film lovers and filmmakers travel to a remote corner of Colorado on blind faith.

Rob Nilsson on Himself

Rob Nilsson
Aug 27, 2008

SF360.org asked this veteran indie auteur for his thoughts, which he gamely and intelligently offers here.

Canyon Cinema's Dominic Angerame

Erika Young
Aug 4, 2008

A conversation with the executive director of an experimental/avant-garde film distribution company, who both runs a profitable business and creates dynamic art.

A Week at Flaherty

Chi-hui Yang
Jul 18, 2008

On curating the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar, a social Petri dish that annually brings together a different programmer, a captive and engaged audience, and filmmakers.

The Mystical and Everyday in 'A Listener's Tale'

Max Goldberg
Jul 15, 2008

A Listener's Tale is a lovely if unclassifiable mixture of ethnography and poetic reverie which screened at last winter's Rotterdam Film Festival.

Critic's Notebook: Hole Head, Week One

Dennis Harvey
Jun 17, 2008

Dennis Harvey covers the first week of low-budget geeks, weirdos and gore on display at the Another Hole in the Head Festival.

The List: Michael Lumpkin Looks Back

Dennis Harvey
Jun 13, 2008

Michael Lumpkin's mini-retrospective of features that highlight some personal favorites that made waves at the Frameline Festival (and sometimes in the larger cinematic world).

SFFS Screen at Sundance Kabuki

Robert Avila
Jun 12, 2008

The SF Film Society is optimistic that its year-round screen at the Sundance Kabuki will contribute to the spectrum of films in Bay Area theaters.

San Francisco Black Film Festival's 10th

Dennis Harvey
Jun 4, 2008

In 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."

Contemporary Jewish Museum's DAWN

Miriam Wolf
May 30, 2008

Looking for something meaningful to do Sunday at 2 a.m.? Try the all-night Dawn festival.

Review: "Postal"

Dennis Harvey
May 27, 2008

It may not be easy being Uwe Boll, but it must be fun. He's a boundlessly energetic fanboy-turned-maker who thinks large.

SF International's Golden Gate Awards: Alive and Cooking

Susan Gerhard
May 8, 2008

Food scents and film sensibilities mingled in a pungent party atmosphere at the California Culinary Academy.

Asia Argento, In Full Flower

Dennis Harvey
Apr 23, 2008

Motherhood has supposedly had a slowing-down effect on Asia Argento, though at present evidence points rather wildly to the contrary. Not only does she star in this week’s San Francisco International Film Festival official opener, Catherine Breillat’s costume intrigue The Last Mistress, she also figures heavily in two other SFIFF features. Both are programmed in the culty "Late Show" section: Go Go Tales, Abel Ferrara’s most acclaimed film in years, and The Mother of Tears, a latest horror opus directed by her own fan-idolized gorehound dad Dario Argento. A couple weeks ago yet another vehicle opened commercially, Olivier Assayas’ Boarding Gate, which is entirely dominated by her feverish and highly physical performance.



Conventional logic might suggest all this visibility means it’s "breakthrough" time for Asia Argento, that moment when an actor goes from being a familiar face to a marquee name that can singlehandedly draw folks into the multiplex, or at least the arthouse. (In Europe she’s already quite well-known.) But as her project choices among other things bear out, Argento probably isn’t very interested in becoming a "star" in the conventional sense. In fact, she seems the girl most likely to run from any such fate.

SF Int'l announces its 51st program and year-round screen

Susan Gerhard
Apr 1, 2008

The SFIFF announced its 2008 program and the June 13 launch of its year-round programming on one screen at the Sundance Kabuki

"Paranoid Park"

Dennis Harvey
Mar 11, 2008

Just when Gus Van Sant seemed on the verge of turning into just another Hollywood selloutÑhe did a total about-face. His four features since have been true art films

Review: "Taxi to the Dark Side"

Dennis Harvey
Feb 5, 2008

Praise any god you like for Alex Gibney, who has quietly risen from stellar PBS series to a run of exceptional theatrical-release docs.

Location Scouting at Sundance

Susan Gerhard
Jan 30, 2008

Susan Gerhard reflects on Sundance's program with particular attention to sense of place.

Paradjanov and Godard on DVD

Michael Fox
Jan 29, 2008

Michael Fox reviews the release of a Sergei Paradjanov DVD boxed set and the arrival of a Jean-Luc Godard box spotlighting his underrated mid-'80s work.

Art Stars of Sundance

Glen Helfand
Jan 25, 2008

At Sundance 2008, a swath of features, docs, installations, and projected art shared similar socio-political concerns, which they grappled with via well-honed aesthetic filters.

Cassandra's Dreamer, Woody Allen

Dennis Harvey
Jan 17, 2008

Even when just stringing gags together in his early comedies, Woody raised the level of the game, making humor intellectual and the intellectual humorous.

Five Great Skate Features

Justin Juul
Dec 7, 2007

In honor of Gus Van Sant's new film, 'Paranoid Park,' five skate films that matter to the skate junkie, and three honorable mentions.

The 11th Arab Film Festival

Robert Avila
Oct 18, 2007

The Arab Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is featuring not just 80 movies from 13 countries, but is also including screenings in LA, a first for a Bay Area-based fest.

Your Al Gore, and More

Susan Gerhard
Oct 12, 2007

The List: SF360.org has compiled a short list of environmental filmmakers we hope will one day find a Peace Prize coming their way, too.

Nine Questions for Rob Nilsson

Dennis Harvey
Oct 5, 2007

SF360.org caught up with the filmmaker, who has been extraordinarily prolific since abandoning celluloid for the lighter, cheaper, more flexible digital realm.

Mill Valley Film Festival at 30

Dennis Harvey
Oct 4, 2007

The Mill Valley Film Festival turns 30 years young this year, sporting none of the girth and wobbly ankles suffered by other way-out-west fests that began life in 1978.

"Revolution Summer"

Michael Fox
Aug 30, 2007

Miles Matthew Montalbano's evocative and empathetic portrait of Bush-era dissatisfaction among the post-collegiate set.

"This is England;" "Rocket Science"

Dennis Harvey and Anthony Kaufman
Aug 7, 2007

SF360.org reviews Shane Meadows' finest directorial effort yet and an offbeat coming-of-age comic-drama.

Marc Huestis on the Runway

Michael Guillen
Jul 30, 2007

SF360.org talks to Marc Huestis, who exhibits a playful flair to his showmanship, putting the "imp" back in impresario.

In the ring with Jewish boxers at SFJFF

Nancy Fishman
Jul 19, 2007

The List: San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is showing five great films that showcase the moxie and smart fighting style of Jewish boxers, both old and new.

Hal Hartley, Not So simple

Robert Avila
May 13, 2007

Changes in Hal Hartley's geography and work styles have put distance between his early films and also given the director a chance to experiment with form.

Hal Hartley, Not So Simple: Part II

Robert Avila
May 7, 2007

The Unbelievable Truth helped jumpstart the independent film movement in the U.S. in 1989, followed by eight more Hartley features in the next decade.

Dead Channels : The San Francisco Festival of Fantastic Film

Dennis Harvey
Apr 19, 2007

Taste a bit of the vintage grindhouse experience at the last of Dead Channels' Month of Sleazy Sundays triple bill of under-the-radar movies.

Reviews: "Police Beat"; "The Page Turner"

Dennis Harvey
Apr 3, 2007

It's taken over two years for Police Beat to go from one of the most praised films at Sundance to a theatre near you.

S.F. International Asian American Announces '07 Program

Susan Gerhard
Feb 14, 2007

This year's 125 films follow the fest's growth from 13 films in 1982 in the wake of Wayne Wang's Chan is Missing.

Food, Funding

Susan Gerhard
Feb 7, 2007

"Not eating your friends after they have died is a relatively new invention."

A Superdance and a Superbowl

Susan Gerhard
Jan 31, 2007

Wrapping up Sundance Ô07, with the NFL's big game as the best metaphor to describe the annual festival.

Indiefest Lineup Announcement

Miljenko Skoknic
Jan 19, 2007

SF IndieFest's founder/director Jeff Ross announced the ninth edition of the Bay Area's indie showcase festival

InDplay and The New Art of Film Distribution

Justin Juul
Nov 20, 2006

The Redwood City-based startup InDplay is like an online dating service for the film industry.

A Marc Huestis Presents 20

Susan Gerhard
Nov 10, 2006

The List: The impresario Ôs remarkable 11 years of A-to-Z-list celebrity-repurposing projects. 

Reopening "Pandora's Box"

Dennis Harvey
Nov 7, 2006



Many stars are forgotten for a while, then “rediscovered” and newly appreciated by a later generation. But the case of Louise Brooks is somewhat unique — she was, really, only a “star” in retrospect. Her Hollywood profile was headed that-a-way when she foolishly (according to the industry) abandoned it to make a couple European movies. When she returned, her moment had passed.



A paltry if promising career and early dead-end-at the time, it constituted barely a blip on the radar. Yet those European films grew in stature over ensuing years, and with that the gradual realization that Brooks had been one of the great screen presences, however briefly. Her striking look — porcelain skin, alert features, sleek jet-black flapper bob — and naturalistic acting haven’t dated at all.



As a result, it seems there’s more interest in her with each passing year. The latest evidence is critic and historian Peter Cowie’s new book “Louise Brooks: Lulu Forever,“ published in time to commemorate the centenary of her birth. He’ll be signing copies and presenting a special commemorative film program at the Balboa this Sunday. The evening promises a rarely screened feature, a short and trailers showcasing Brooks, as well as “special guests, door prizes and more.” (Cowie will also appear the prior night at the Smith Rafael Film Center to screen a new 35mm print of her best-known vehicle “Pandora’s Box.”)



Why the fuss? Why, indeed, is there such a thing as The Louise Brooks Society (which is co-presenting this event with The Booksmith)? The explanation is all on-screen, in any role where she wasn’t entirely wasted.



Kansas-born Brooks started out as a dancer, first in touring troupes and then in Broadway revues. This led to Hollywood in 1925, where bit parts led steadily to larger ones, finally female leads in two good 1928 Paramount releases: Howard Hawks’ rollicking “A Girl in Every Port” and William Wellman’s more delicate “Beggars of Life.”



She hadn’t set the world on fire yet, but was certainly expected to graduate from starlet to star. Paramount was not pleased, however, when she chose — just as “talking pictures” were becoming the rage — to end her contract and accept a silent-film offer in Germany. This was G.W. Pabst’s “Pandora’s Box,” drawn from Franz Wedekind’s play “Lulu,” and with beguiling lack of affectation she played that titular seducer/destroyer of both men and women, herself finally destroyed by Jack the Ripper. Perhaps even better (if less shocking) than that famous classic was a second Pabst movie, “Diary of a Lost Girl,” in which her victimized innocent is indelibly touching. She also starred as an exploited beauty-contest winner in a French film, 1930’s “Prix de Beaute.” These are all wonderful movies in which she was superb. But for a long time they were little seen outside their home countries — particularly in the U.S., where silent cinema was already stone-cold-dead.



Returning to Hollywood, Brooks was now — at age 24 — a has-been. She unwisely turned a couple good offers and accepted a handful of humiliatingly poor ones, including bit parts. Those few who remembered her considered her “difficult” and past expiration date. Her last movie role was a nondescript heroine in a nondescript 1938 “Z” western, “Overland Stage Raiders” — one of a zillion such that John Wayne starred in before becoming an “A”-list star.



Found living in seclusion in the mid-‘50s, Brooks was surprised and delighted that latterday film buffs not only remembered but worshipped her. She returned the favor by writing very intelligently about her own movies and the art form in general (mostly famously in the essay collection “Lulu in Hollywood,” which is still in print). She admitted sabotaging her own career as readily as she enjoyed her new iconic status in retirement, dying at a no doubt satisfied age 80 in 1985 — secure in the knowledge that her legend would continue to grow.



[“Pandora’s Box” plays Sat., Nov. 11, at 7 pm, Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 4th St., San Rafael. $6.25-9.50. (415) 454-1222. “Celebrating Louise Brooks: An Evening of Rare Films,” issues Sun., Nov. 12, at 7:30 pm, Balboa Theatre, 2630 Balboa, SF. $6-8.50. (415) 221-8184.]

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