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  • Deadlines

    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.

  • Home

    Arab Spring Arrives in a Festival-Packed Fall

    Susan Gerhard
    Oct 10, 2011

    Arab Film Festival Executive Director Michel Shehadeh speaks to building an all-encompassing international space.

  • October 14, 2011

    Arab Spring Arrives in a Festival-Packed Fall

    Susan Gerhard
    Oct 10, 2011

    Arab Film Festival Executive Director Michel Shehadeh speaks to building an all-encompassing international space.

  • Q & A

    Arab Spring Arrives in a Festival-Packed Fall

    Susan Gerhard
    Oct 10, 2011

    Arab Film Festival Executive Director Michel Shehadeh speaks to building an all-encompassing international space.

  • Home

    Kuchar, Belson Bid Adieu

    Michael Fox
    Sep 8, 2011

    San Francisco loses two of its cinema icons, pioneering 'camp humorist' George Kuchar and seminal experimental filmmaker Jordan Belson. George Kuchar, the beloved San Francisco filmmaker, teacher, mentor and friend, died Tuesday night, September 6, at the age of 69. He passed away at Coming Home Hospice in the Castro, where he resided for the last month. Kuchar had been diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago, but the sad news was not conveyed beyond a circle of close friends until recently. Kuchar and his twin brother, Mike, began making movies in their teens in their Bronx neighborhood in the late ’50s. Inspired by the florid emotions of Hollywood melodramas, they made 8mm narratives that were funny...

  • September 8 2011

    Kuchar, Belson Bid Adieu

    Michael Fox
    Sep 8, 2011

    San Francisco loses two of its cinema icons, pioneering 'camp humorist' George Kuchar and seminal experimental filmmaker Jordan Belson. George Kuchar, the beloved San Francisco filmmaker, teacher, mentor and friend, died Tuesday night, September 6, at the age of 69. He passed away at Coming Home Hospice in the Castro, where he resided for the last month. Kuchar had been diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago, but the sad news was not conveyed beyond a circle of close friends until recently. Kuchar and his twin brother, Mike, began making movies in their teens in their Bronx neighborhood in the late ’50s. Inspired by the florid emotions of Hollywood melodramas, they made 8mm narratives that were funny...

  • News & Blogs

    SFFS Announces Winners of Spring 2011 SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants

    Aug 15, 2011

    The San Francisco Film Society and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation today announced the five winners and two honorable mentions of the fifth round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants. The grants are awarded twice annually to filmmakers for narrative feature films with social justice themes that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. Between 2009 and 2013 the SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants will award nearly $2.5 million, including a total of $788,000 already awarded in the first five grant rounds.

    Carlton Evans and Matthew Lessner (Ross), $50,000 for screenwriting; Aurora Guerrero (Mosquita y Mari), $88,000 for postproduction; Adam Keker (National Park), $35,000 for screenwriting; Timothy Kelly (The Cherokee Word for Water), $75,000 for production; Benh Zeitlin (Beasts of a Southern Wild), $55,000 for postproduction. Honorable Mentions went to: John Dilly (Rubbish), development and Ian Olds (The Western Habit), screenwriting. More at sffs.org.

  • Home

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

    Michael Fox
    Jul 13, 2011

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

  • In Depth

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

    Michael Fox
    Jul 13, 2011

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

  • July 14, 2011

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

    Michael Fox
    Jul 13, 2011

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

  • Festivals

    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.

  • Home

    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.

  • June 16, 2011

    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.

  • Festivals

    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.

  • Home

    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.

  • June 16, 2011

    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.

  • Home

    'Meek's Cutoff' a Minimalist Masterpiece

    Michael Read
    May 7, 2011

    Kelly Reichardt creates a moving meditation on open space with 'Meek's Cutoff.'

  • May 12, 2011

    'Meek's Cutoff' a Minimalist Masterpiece

    Michael Read
    May 7, 2011

    Kelly Reichardt creates a moving meditation on open space with 'Meek's Cutoff.'

  • Reviews

    'Meek's Cutoff' a Minimalist Masterpiece

    Michael Read
    May 7, 2011

    Kelly Reichardt creates a moving meditation on open space with 'Meek's Cutoff.'

  • april 22 2011

    Production Values: Debbie Brubaker

    Adrianne Anderson
    Apr 19, 2011

    A veteran producer talks about the art, craft and industry behind her work.

  • First Person

    Production Values: Debbie Brubaker

    Adrianne Anderson
    Apr 19, 2011

    A veteran producer talks about the art, craft and industry behind her work.

  • Home

    Production Values: Debbie Brubaker

    Adrianne Anderson
    Apr 19, 2011

    A veteran producer talks about the art, craft and industry behind her work.

  • April 14, 2011

    The Art of the Steal

    George Rush
    Apr 12, 2011

    Whether in the foreground or background of your narrative feature, pieces of art require copyright consideration.

  • Home

    The Art of the Steal

    George Rush
    Apr 12, 2011

    Whether in the foreground or background of your narrative feature, pieces of art require copyright consideration.

  • Legal

    The Art of the Steal

    George Rush
    Apr 12, 2011

    Whether in the foreground or background of your narrative feature, pieces of art require copyright consideration.

  • April 14, 2011

    The Art of the Steal

    George Rush
    Apr 12, 2011

    Whether in the foreground or background of your narrative feature, pieces of art require copyright consideration.

  • Home

    The Art of the Steal

    George Rush
    Apr 12, 2011

    Whether in the foreground or background of your narrative feature, pieces of art require copyright consideration.

  • Legal

    The Art of the Steal

    George Rush
    Apr 12, 2011

    Whether in the foreground or background of your narrative feature, pieces of art require copyright consideration.

  • Home

    Jay Rosenblatt Talks ‘Darkness’

    Max Goldberg
    Mar 24, 2011

    Rosenblatt’s meditative essay on the difficult subject of suicide finds its way to HBO. Narrative films may occasionally conjure the shock of a suicide—last year’s The Father of My Children is a fine example—but it’s the nature of character dramas to keep pace with the living rather than meditate in the shadow of loss. In his most recent lyrical essay-film, The Darkness of Day, local filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt creates such a meditative space, intertwining different stories and perspectives of suicide: near and far, first-person and third, male and female, young and old, anonymous and notable. Rosenblatt cues the multiple narratives to a poetic stream of found...

  • March 24, 2011

    Jay Rosenblatt Talks ‘Darkness’

    Max Goldberg
    Mar 24, 2011

    Rosenblatt’s meditative essay on the difficult subject of suicide finds its way to HBO. Narrative films may occasionally conjure the shock of a suicide—last year’s The Father of My Children is a fine example—but it’s the nature of character dramas to keep pace with the living rather than meditate in the shadow of loss. In his most recent lyrical essay-film, The Darkness of Day, local filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt creates such a meditative space, intertwining different stories and perspectives of suicide: near and far, first-person and third, male and female, young and old, anonymous and notable. Rosenblatt cues the multiple narratives to a poetic stream of found...

  • First Person

    Filmmakers Bring Stories to New Platforms

    Erica Marcus
    Mar 22, 2011

    The Media that Matters Conference showcased innovative formats and powerful storytelling.

  • Home

    Filmmakers Bring Stories to New Platforms

    Erica Marcus
    Mar 22, 2011

    The Media that Matters Conference showcased innovative formats and powerful storytelling.

  • March 24, 2011

    Filmmakers Bring Stories to New Platforms

    Erica Marcus
    Mar 22, 2011

    The Media that Matters Conference showcased innovative formats and powerful storytelling.

  • Festivals

    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.

  • Home

    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.

  • March 24, 2011

    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.

  • Home

    Kiarostami’s Enigmatic ‘Copy’ Fascinates

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 18, 2011

    Kiarostami’s ‘Certified Copy’ is a puzzling provocation that gets better with multiple viewings.

  • March 24, 2011

    Kiarostami’s Enigmatic ‘Copy’ Fascinates

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 18, 2011

    Kiarostami’s ‘Certified Copy’ is a puzzling provocation that gets better with multiple viewings.

  • Reviews

    Kiarostami’s Enigmatic ‘Copy’ Fascinates

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 18, 2011

    Kiarostami’s ‘Certified Copy’ is a puzzling provocation that gets better with multiple viewings.

  • Home

    SFIAAFF'S Closer Goh Nakamura Talks Music, Movies

    Adam Hartzell
    Mar 14, 2011

    'Surrogate Valentine's' Goh Nakamura offers his fans some sugar as his starring role closes SFIAAFF 2011.

  • March 17, 2011

    SFIAAFF'S Closer Goh Nakamura Talks Music, Movies

    Adam Hartzell
    Mar 14, 2011

    'Surrogate Valentine's' Goh Nakamura offers his fans some sugar as his starring role closes SFIAAFF 2011.

  • Q & A

    SFIAAFF'S Closer Goh Nakamura Talks Music, Movies

    Adam Hartzell
    Mar 14, 2011

    'Surrogate Valentine's' Goh Nakamura offers his fans some sugar as his starring role closes SFIAAFF 2011.

  • March 8, 2011

    Film and Video Makers at Cal

    Mar 10, 2011

    Pacific Film Archive hosts ‘Film and Video Makers at Cal,’ which offers an array of short narratives, documentaries and music videos by UC Berkeley student filmmakers. More at bampfa.berkeley.edu.

  • Home

    SFIAFF Director Primed for Debut

    Michael Fox
    Mar 7, 2011

    Masashi Niwano, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival's new director, speaks about bringing new worlds to this world cinema event.

  • March 10, 2011

    SFIAFF Director Primed for Debut

    Michael Fox
    Mar 7, 2011

    Masashi Niwano, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival's new director, speaks about bringing new worlds to this world cinema event.

  • Q & A

    SFIAFF Director Primed for Debut

    Michael Fox
    Mar 7, 2011

    Masashi Niwano, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival's new director, speaks about bringing new worlds to this world cinema event.

  • Home

    'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 4, 2011

    Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'

  • March 10, 2011

    'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 4, 2011

    Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'

  • March 3, 2011

    'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 4, 2011

    Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'

  • Reviews

    'Boonmee's' Magic Lights Up SFFS Screen

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 4, 2011

    Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns to the jungle, and full-on magic realism, with 'Uncle Boonmee.'

  • News & Blogs

    SFIFF54 Announces Documentaries in Golden Gate Awards, Films in New Directors Competition

    Mar 4, 2011

    Press release: The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 - May 5) today announced its documentaries in competition for the Golden Gate Awards and films in competition for the New Directors Prize. The International will award close to $100,000 in total prizes this year. Sixty thousand dollars will be awarded to winners in three categories: investigative documentary feature ($25,000), documentary feature ($20,000) and Bay Area documentary feature ($15,000). The New Directors Prize of $15,000 is given to a narrative first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility and deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. Seventeen countries contributed to the production of the 11 films in this year's competition. Click through for titles or visit sffs.org.

  • Home

    Poetry in Motion: Working in Action

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Mar 1, 2011

    Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.

  • March 3, 2011

    Poetry in Motion: Working in Action

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Mar 1, 2011

    Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.

  • Screenwriting

    Poetry in Motion: Working in Action

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Mar 1, 2011

    Build an action picture with a poor script? At your own risk.

  • News & Blogs

    SF Indiefest Announces Audience Award Winners

    Feb 23, 2011

    Press Release: The Audience Award winners for the 13th San Francisco Independent Film Festival include ‘Kaboom,’ named as Best Narrative Feature, ‘Bathing and the Single Girl’ for Best Narrative Short, ‘Free Radicals’ for Best Documentary, ‘Burning Wigs of Sedition’ for Best Music Video and ‘Mars’ for Best Animated Film. More at sfindie.com.

  • January 25, 2011

    African Film Festival 2011

    Jan 27, 2011

    Pacific Film Archive Theater hosts the African Film Festival 2011, presenting popular documentary and narrative films from eight African countries. The festival begins with Remi Vaughan-Richards’ 2010 ‘One Small Step.’

  • Home

    Costa's 'Ne change rien' Captures Singer's Dreaminess, Rigor

    Sara Dosa
    Jan 20, 2011

    A Portuguese filmmaker builds a rich visual landscape from French singer Jeanne Balibar's vocal practice.

  • January 20, 2011

    Costa's 'Ne change rien' Captures Singer's Dreaminess, Rigor

    Sara Dosa
    Jan 20, 2011

    A Portuguese filmmaker builds a rich visual landscape from French singer Jeanne Balibar's vocal practice.

  • Reviews

    Costa's 'Ne change rien' Captures Singer's Dreaminess, Rigor

    Sara Dosa
    Jan 20, 2011

    A Portuguese filmmaker builds a rich visual landscape from French singer Jeanne Balibar's vocal practice.

  • December 14, 2010

    'All Good Things'

    Dec 17, 2010

    Director Andrew Jarecki revisits disquieting themes from his celebrated documentary ‘Capturing the Friedmans’ in his debut narrative feature, ‘All Good Things,’ which boasts riveting performances from actors Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst. More at landmarktheatres.com.

  • News & Blogs

    SFFS/KRF Announce Fall 2010 Grant Recipients

    Dec 6, 2010

    Press release: The San Francisco Film Society and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation today announced the five winners of the fourth round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants: Debbie Brubaker, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Christopher Mason Johnson, Mike Ott and Morgan Wise. The grants are given twice annually to filmmakers for narrative feature films with social justice themes that will have significant economic or professional impact on the Bay Area filmmaking community. More at sffs.org.

  • December 2, 2010

    Writing Screenplays Is not Painting by Numbers

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Nov 30, 2010

    When structuring a screenplay, sometimes you need to leave the "advice" behind.

  • Home

    Writing Screenplays Is not Painting by Numbers

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Nov 30, 2010

    When structuring a screenplay, sometimes you need to leave the "advice" behind.

  • Screenwriting

    Writing Screenplays Is not Painting by Numbers

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Nov 30, 2010

    When structuring a screenplay, sometimes you need to leave the "advice" behind.

  • Festivals

    Berlin & Beyond Provides Genius Genre Treatments

    Max Goldberg
    Oct 22, 2010

    A pair of expert heist films top Berlin & Beyond.

  • Home

    Berlin & Beyond Provides Genius Genre Treatments

    Max Goldberg
    Oct 22, 2010

    A pair of expert heist films top Berlin & Beyond.

  • October 28, 2010

    Berlin & Beyond Provides Genius Genre Treatments

    Max Goldberg
    Oct 22, 2010

    A pair of expert heist films top Berlin & Beyond.

  • Home

    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.

  • In Depth

    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.

  • October 7, 2010

    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.

  • Home

    'Howl' Revisits Key Literary Chapter in SF History

    Susan Gerhard
    Sep 23, 2010

    Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman offer insight into the making of 'Howl,' a movie about a poem and a time.

  • September 23, 2010

    'Howl' Revisits Key Literary Chapter in SF History

    Susan Gerhard
    Sep 23, 2010

    Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman offer insight into the making of 'Howl,' a movie about a poem and a time.

  • Home

    The Price of Fame

    George Rush
    Aug 31, 2010

    When filming a public figure, the rights to privacy as well as publicity need to be considered.

  • Legal

    The Price of Fame

    George Rush
    Aug 31, 2010

    When filming a public figure, the rights to privacy as well as publicity need to be considered.

  • September 2, 2010

    The Price of Fame

    George Rush
    Aug 31, 2010

    When filming a public figure, the rights to privacy as well as publicity need to be considered.

  • August 24, 2010

    The Factory Year-End Screening

    Aug 24, 2010

    Oakland's youth video-production collective The Factory showcases more than a dozen documentary, narrative, and experimental films made by students at the Pacific Film Archive on August 24. A panel discussion with student filmmakers follows.

  • Home

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

    Michael Fox
    Jul 28, 2010

    Three Bay Area documentaries correct the historical record.

  • In Depth

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

    Michael Fox
    Jul 28, 2010

    Three Bay Area documentaries correct the historical record.

  • Home

    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.

  • In Depth

    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.

  • Home

    'Wild Grass' Finds Resnais Still Growing

    Dennis Harvey
    Jul 9, 2010

    Resnais remains elusive and detached, his films beautiful abstracts of intellectual rather than emotional impact.

  • Reviews

    'Wild Grass' Finds Resnais Still Growing

    Dennis Harvey
    Jul 9, 2010

    Resnais remains elusive and detached, his films beautiful abstracts of intellectual rather than emotional impact.

  • Home

    Crafting Motifs in Documentary Films

    Karen Everett
    Jul 6, 2010

    Choosing and implementing the right motif can help convey a narrative documentary's theme.

    Now…what exactly is a motif? And why would you want to edit one into a documentary film?
    During one of my recent group coaching calls, we addressed these questions. . . .

  • Festivals

    Storylines of Silverdocs 2010

    Sara Dosa
    Jul 1, 2010

    Storytelling took center stage at the U.S.'s pre-eminent documentary film festival, Silverdocs, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

  • Home

    Storylines of Silverdocs 2010

    Sara Dosa
    Jul 1, 2010

    Storytelling took center stage at the U.S.'s pre-eminent documentary film festival, Silverdocs, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.

  • Festivals

    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.

  • Festivals

    Frameline34 Focuses on Warhol and Worlds of LGBT Cinema

    Dennis Harvey
    Jun 17, 2010

    Frameline34 takes a fresh look at Andy Warhol's world while offering a view to the world of international LGBT cinema 2010.

  • Story Structure

    Thinking Like a Screenwriter for your Documentary

    Karen Everett
    May 31, 2010

    Moving past genre distinctions may help some filmmakers find the best dramatic arc and the most powerful truths.

  • Funding

    A Short Guide to Funding Short Narratives

    Holly Million
    May 11, 2010

    If you re making a short narrative, foundations give you no respect. Financiers turn a cold shoulder. Government grantors snort. And festivals slot your film Sunday at midnight.

  • Festivals

    SFIFF53: Golden Gate Awards and Juried Prizes/Grants Announced

    Susan Gerhard
    May 5, 2010

    Cash prizes totaling nearly $300,000 for filmmakers highlighted the San Francisco International Film Festival s Golden Gate Awards Wednesday night.

  • Q & A

    'Utopia' in San Francisco

    Susan Gerhard
    Apr 18, 2010

    I found Sam Green deep in preparation, but he found time to walk me through the greatest dreams and worst nightmares of the 20th century.

  • In Production

    Rajendra Serber's Confident Steps into Film

    Michael Fox
    Apr 13, 2010

    From Michael Powell to Carlos Saura to Sally Potter, a stratum of directors has progressively reimagined the relationship between dance and film.

  • Reviews

    Streetfilms' Two-Wheeled Revolution

    Adam Hartzell
    Mar 31, 2010

    Pedestrians have always propelled cinema narratives, but the bicycle has rarely had a starring role.

  • Reviews

    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.

  • Festivals

    SF International Asian American Film Festival's Archival Tour

    Adam Hartzell
    Mar 19, 2010

    A theme that emerged in this year s SFIAFF was the importance of archives in the film world.

  • Legal

    Public, Private: A Need-to-Know Guide

    George Rush
    Feb 23, 2010

    People are fascinated by the lives of others. But can someone make a doc, biopic, historical or narrative film about a famous person without their permission?

  • Reviews

    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.

  • Q & A

    Sam Green's 'Utopia' at Sundance

    Susan Gerhard
    Jan 31, 2010

    I found Sam Green deep in preparation, but he found time to walk me through the greatest dreams and worst nightmares of the 20th century.

  • Documentary

    Talking Heads to Storytellers

    Fernanda Rossi
    Jan 27, 2010

    You might fare better in today's market with a character-driven story, the Doc Doctor advises.

  • In Production

    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.

  • In Production

    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.

  • Reviews

    Soulful "35 Shots of Rum" Gently Intoxicating

    Dennis Harvey
    Dec 17, 2009

    Claire Denis proves her unpredictability and versatility as a director with the 2008 release 35 Shots of Rum.

  • Reviews

    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.

  • Festivals

    New Italian Cinema's Fact, Fiction, Fascination

    Dennis Harvey
    Nov 12, 2009

    The 13th New Italian Cinema festival finds the political and personal mixing more frequently than you'd find in any assortment of U.S. narrative films.

  • Q & A

    Robert Mailer Anderson on Mendo Madness of 'Pig Hunt'

    Dennis Harvey
    Oct 26, 2009

    After ripping it up at various genre fests, the Bay Area indie horror flick settles in for a theatrical run at the Red Vic.

  • Q & A

    'Sorry, Thanks' Lavishes Love on the Mission

    Michael Fox
    Oct 24, 2009

    From the steep slope of 22nd Street down to La Taqueria, from the Attic to Boogaloos, this droll feature showcases the Mission to glowing advantage.

  • Reviews

    The Turn-off Sex Cinema of Koji Wakamatsu

    Dennis Harvey
    Oct 16, 2009

    Probably no one pushed the artistic carte blanche of "pink" films further—at least into the realm of serious political engagement—than the Japanese auteur.

  • Reviews

    Tangerine Dreams: Cinematheque de Tanger's Morocco Showcase

    Simona Schneider
    Oct 1, 2009

    Tangier has created an identity as a great fount of stories and light, complete with an independent cinema that opened in 2007.

  • Reviews

    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.

  • Screenwriting

    Understanding Backstory

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Aug 25, 2009

    Behind any narrative for the screen is the story that came before it—the life that shaped the central character, who arrives fully formed as your story opens

  • In Production

    Dina Ciraulo's 'Opal'

    Michael Fox
    Aug 11, 2009

    Dina Ciraulo's debut feature reconsiders the curious case of nature writer Opal Whiteley, who burst to prominence—and controversy— in the 1920s.

  • Story Structure

    How a Story Consultant Saved Me

    Karen Everett
    Aug 4, 2009

    The Edit Room: I knew the right thing to do was to turn the project over to an editor. The problem was that I didn't have the $45,000 a good editor would require.

  • Reviews

    'Howl' is Poetry in Post

    Michael Fox
    Jul 28, 2009

    Academy Award-winning documentary filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman combine live-action period drama and animation in retelling of Ginsburg's Howl

  • Funding

    Are Your "Friends" Worthless?

    Holly Million
    Jul 13, 2009

    Fear-Free Fundraising: Are Your "Friends" Worthless?

  • Q & A

    Richard Levien, from 'Immersion' to 'La Migra'

    Jennifer Preissel
    Jun 29, 2009

    New Zealand transplant Richard Levien, a longstanding fixture of the San Francisco indie film community, breaks out of the editing room with Immersion.

  • Q & A

    Cronenwett's 'Maggots and Men' at Frameline

    Michael Fox
    Jun 20, 2009

    A case could be made that Cary Cronenwett's Maggots and Men isn't just the most unique work in Frameline33, but of any festival all year.

  • Festivals

    SFIFF52: Golden Gate Awards Uncorked, SFFS/KRF Grant Winner Announced

    Susan Gerhard
    May 7, 2009

    SFIFF handed out approximately $100,000 and announced the winner San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grant during its Golden Gate Awards.

  • Legal

    Risky (Film) Business - What (Not) to Do

    George Rush
    Apr 21, 2009

    Avoiding Disaster: George Rush advises on how to secure funding for your film and protect yourself along the way.

  • In Production

    SFIFF52: New Narrative Trend for Bay Area Cinema

    Michael Fox
    Apr 21, 2009

    Four independent narratives - La Mission, My Suicide, Everything Strange and New and (Untitled) - are adding to the Bay Area's repertoire, historically regarded as a breeding ground for documentary filmmakers.

  • Reviews

    SFIFF52: Jim Granato's "D tour"

    Dan Cowles
    Apr 19, 2009

    Local 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.

  • Reviews

    Bahrani Earns Ebert's Praise for "Goodbye Solo"

    Dennis Harvey
    Apr 17, 2009

    Ramin Bahrani's Goodbye Solo prompted Roger Ebert to pronounce him "the new great American directorâ" a couple weeks ago. The film is definitely the writer-helmer's most accessible work to date, one that might very well provide him with an arthouse breakthrough.

  • Reviews

    William Kentridge at SFMOMA

    Robert Avila
    Mar 25, 2009

    The films of William Kentridge make up a significant and absorbing part of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art enthralling survey of recent work by the acclaimed South African artist

  • Story Structure

    How to Rate Your Doc's Story Potential

    Karen Everett
    Mar 24, 2009

    A mini-tutorial on story structure: in a character-driven documentary there are a few simple questions you have to answer in order to vet your story potential.

  • Legal

    'Medicine for Melancholy' and the Art of DIY Legal Agreements

    George Rush
    Mar 3, 2009

    For 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.

  • News & Blogs

    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.

  • Legal

    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.

  • Reviews

    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."

  • News & Blogs

    Sundance Harvests an Eclectic Crop of Local Films

    Michael Fox
    Dec 11, 2008

    Bay Area filmmakers represented at Sundance.

  • Reviews

    Global Lens on Link TV

    Judy Stone
    Nov 20, 2008

    Global 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.

  • Reviews

    Soviet-Critical 'Cargo 200' at YBCA

    Matt Sussman
    Nov 11, 2008

    The controversial Cargo 200, a take-down of the Soviet era, makes its U.S. theatrical debut at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

  • Digital

    The Dimensions of Dialogue

    Lisa Rosenberg
    Oct 24, 2008

    Beyond Words: Skillful dialogue on film can achieve a structural dimension that shapes the narrative as surely as plot does.

  • Reviews

    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.

  • Legal

    Notes on Digital Distribution

    George Rush
    Oct 8, 2008

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

  • Reviews

    SFMOMA's "Nonwestern Westerns" Series

    Dennis Harvey
    Mar 26, 2008

    A series of films at SFMOMA present an outsiders take on the outmoded American staple, the Western.

  • Festivals

    SFIAAFF's winners

    Susan Gerhard
    Mar 21, 2008

    Two top winners at the SFIAAFF focused on breakadancing, an art form taken up with vengeance by Asians, with Koran teams a particularly dominant force.

  • Reviews

    "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

  • Festivals

    The San Francisco Irish Film Festival

    Eve O'Neill
    Mar 4, 2008

    San Francisco Irish Film Festival begins this Wednesday at the Roxie with a slate of narratives and documentaries imbued with Ireland's particularly unique sense of time and place

  • Reviews

    "Warts & All: The Films of Danny Plotnick"

    Michael Fox
    Mar 3, 2008

    Warts & All: The Films of Danny Plotnick: 10 short comic narratives are exemplars of an unpolished, unpretentious school of moviemaking that aims at every moment to be audience-friendly.

  • Q & A

    Jessica Yu, "Protagonist"

    indieWIRE
    Dec 10, 2007

    Yu's latest doc centers on four rather damaged individuals, applying the dramatic structure of Greek playwright Euripedes to contemporary life.

  • Q & A

    Q&A with "Holly" Filmmakers

    Jennifer Young
    Dec 5, 2007

    "I suddenly found myself surrounded by a group of 15 little [Cambodian] girls aggressively soliciting me for prostitution," Guy Jacobson told a MVFF audience.

  • Reviews

    Jumping the Shark

    Doug Young
    Nov 2, 2007

    The List: While Rob Stewart's film is winning awards around the world, he offered his thoughts on the five films that have done the most damage to sharks' reputation.

  • Q & A

    Aaron Woolf Seeding Doubt in "King Corn"

    Jonathan Marlow
    Oct 29, 2007

    Woolf shares insights drawn from his disparate experiences as a filmmaker in Peru, a fisherman in Alaska, and a restauranteur in New York.

  • Reviews

    "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.

  • Reviews

    "Private Property;" "One to Another"

    Dennis Harvey and Michael Koresky/indieWIRE
    Jul 31, 2007

    A non-rich family is torn apart by money matters, and young actors lie atop, next to, and around each other with youthful, sexual abandon.

  • Q & A

    'Joshua's' George Ratliff

    indieWIRE
    Jul 11, 2007

    George Ratliff talks about his first feature narrative Joshua, described by Sundance as a "horror story disguised as a sophisticated family drama."

  • Q & A

    'Joshua's' George Ratliff

    indieWIRE
    Jul 11, 2007

    George Ratliff talks about his first feature narrative Joshua, described by Sundance as a "horror story disguised as a sophisticated family drama."

  • Q & A

    A Rob Nilsson 10

    Staff
    Apr 27, 2007

    The List: An Amerindie helmer well before the term was invented, Nilsson names 10 films which deeply affected him.

  • News & Blogs

    Remembering Jim Lyons: 1960 - 2007

    Staff
    Apr 18, 2007

    The editor and actor, known for his frequent work with Todd Haynes, died in New York. His friends share their thoughts.

  • Q & A

    Mike White's Alter Egos

    Michael Fox
    Apr 14, 2007

    White's heroes and heroines are content with their mundane lives until some uninvited intruder or unforeseen event exposes their frustration and complacency.

  • Q & A

    Weerasethakul Talks Hospitals, Aerobics, and a Boy From Mars

    Johnny Ray Huston
    Apr 9, 2007

    One of Apichatpong Weerasethakul Ôs goals as a filmmaker is to simply show what he likes, and what he likes to see.

  • Reviews

    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.

  • Q & A

    Phillip Haas on "The Situation"

    Michael Fox
    Mar 26, 2007

    An interview with documentary and narrative filmmaker Philip Haas upon the release of his latest film, The Situation.

  • Q & A

    Phillip Haas on "The Situation"

    Michael Fox
    Mar 26, 2007

    An interview with documentary and narrative filmmaker Philip Haas upon the release of his latest film, The Situation.

  • Reviews

    Reviews: "Black Snake Moan"; "Cinemachismo"

    Michael Guillen
    Feb 27, 2007

    risks ridiculousness in chasing down unpolished redemption, while de la Mora delivers essential reading in Mexican film, gender studies, and theories of queer spectatorship.

  • Q & A

    Michael Arndt, Little Mr. Sunshine

    Michael Guillen
    Feb 23, 2007

    The Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine made a Cody's San Francisco bookstore appearance promoting the publication of the shooting script.

  • Q & A

    Von Donnersmarck's Oscar-nominated "The Lives of Others"

    Miljenko Skoknic
    Feb 12, 2007

    Von Donnersmarck talks about his Lola-winning and Oscar-nominated debut during a visit to San Francisco.

  • Reviews

    "Absolute Wilson"; "Army of Shadows"

    Robert Avila
    Jan 9, 2007

    A documentary provides an in-depth description of Robert Wilson's life and art. Melville's spy story on a Resistance cell in Nazi-occupied French challenges our idea of heroism.

  • Reviews

    Nathaniel Dorsky's Secret World

    Michael Fox
    Dec 5, 2006

    Song and Solitude, is a twilight sojourn to a secret world much like our own, rendered with profound patience and a hint of wistfulness.

  • Q & A

    "Man Push Cart" Director's New York-by-Way-of-Pakistan Story

    Brian Brooks/indieWIRE
    Dec 4, 2006

    Ramin Bahrani's debut feature follows a solitary, quiet immigrant struggling to make a go of it in New York City.

  • Reviews

    Teshigahara at The Castro

    Dennis Harvey
    Nov 23, 2006

    Filmmaking was just one among many creative outlets for Japanese multimedia artist Hiroshi Teshigahara.

  • Festivals

    A Cinequest 35

    Susan Gerhard
    Nov 17, 2006

    Cinequest announces a plan to distribute indie films via DVD, the Internet, TV, and some traditional theatrical sales.

  • Reviews

    Found: 'Marie Antoinette' in Paris

    Max Goldberg
    Oct 18, 2006

    After weeks of Western Europe, what better way for the young cineaste to crash the City of Light than a trip to the silver screen?

  • Q & A

    John Cameron Mitchell's long "Shortbus" ride

    Susan Gerhard
    Oct 2, 2006

    John Cameron Mitchell's latest film: A bright, sexually explicit ensemble piece featuring American friends and acquaintances who might have made good primetime TV.

  • Q & A

    Opening "Red Doors" in Asian American Family

    Susan Gerhard
    Sep 19, 2006

    Filmmaker Georgia Lee discusses her narrative feature with family member Frances Chang.

  • Q & A

    Opening "Red Doors" in Asian American Family

    Susan Gerhard
    Sep 19, 2006

    Filmmaker Georgia Lee discusses her narrative feature with family member Frances Chang.

  • Q & A

    Laura Poitras" "My Country, My Country"

    indieWIRE
    Aug 28, 2006

    Director Laura Poitras’ traveled to Iraq for her latest film, “My Country, My Country.”

  • Reviews

    Sweet "Quinceañera" vs. MTV's greedy "My Super Sweet 16"

    Johnny Ray Huston
    Aug 15, 2006

    Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland's exploration of a teen's rite of passage is the warmhearted opposite of MTV's glorification of wasteful and selfish spending.

  • Q & A

    Night Listening with Patrick Stettner

    indieWIRE
    Aug 14, 2006

    The director of The Business of Strangers talks about his second feature, starring Robin Williams.

  • Q & A

    Keith Fulton and "Brothers of the Head"

    indieWIRE
    Aug 8, 2006

    The co-director talks about his provocative fictional documentary about conjoined twins groomed for rock Ôn' roll stardom.

  • Reviews

    Francois Ozon, Mortal

    B. Ruby Rich
    Aug 2, 2006

    Ozon's Time to Leave demonstrates how central he's become to European cinema, and reminds us that he's among gay world cinema's most accomplished writer/directors.

  • Q & A

    Amos Gitai's Reality

    Michael Fox
    Aug 1, 2006

    The veteran Israeli filmmaker, in town for the Jewish Film Festival, talks about radical art and Free Zone.

  • Festivals

    The San Francisco Black Film Festival

    Cheryl Eddy
    Jun 12, 2006

    Highlights of San Francisco Black Film Festival's eighth annual edition.

  • Q & A

    New Executive Director of S.F. Cinematheque on Experimental Film

    Michael Fox
    May 29, 2006

    Newly appointed S.F. Cinematheque executive director Caroline Savage discusses the state of experimental film.

  • Festivals

    Frameline's 30th San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival

    Susan Gerhard
    May 23, 2006

    The 2006 program for the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival features an eclectic mix of genres and narrative types.

  • Q & A

    Terry Zwigoff, "Confidential" and Uncensored

    Michael Fox
    May 8, 2006

    San Francisco filmmaker Terry Zwigoff, a former curmudgeon softened by success, discusses Art School Confidential.

  • Festivals

    Words on work with Michael Glawogger

    Michael Fox
    May 1, 2006

    A conversation with director Michael Glawogger on his film, Workingman's Death, which screens at the 2006 SFIFF.

  • Festivals

    Graham Leggat, SFIFF Executive Director, Indexed

    Susan Gerhard
    Apr 21, 2006

    "I got a call out of the blue," Graham Leggat says, explaining how he left the Film Society of Lincoln Center for the left coast.

  • Q & A

    "Full Grown Men" On the Road

    Michael Fox
    Apr 17, 2006

    David Munro and Xandra Castleton speak about making their indie Full Grown Men and taking it to the Tribeca Film Festival.

  • Deadlines

    Funding: Oppenheimer Cine Rental New Filmmaker Equipment Grant Program

    The Oppenheimer Cine Rental New Filmmaker Equipment Grant Program supports new filmmakers in producing their first serious film project. The grant awards the use of Grant Program Arriflex 16SR2 camera package to senior and graduate thesis students and to independent filmmakers for a scheduled period of time. ELIGIBILITY: Students, media arts center members and unaffiliated independents are encouraged to apply. Proposed projects may be of any noncommercial nature: dramatic, narrative, documentary, experimental, etc. (Commercial projects, music videos and PSAs will not be considered.) DEADLINE: Ongoing. WEBSITE: oppenheimercinerental.com/grant.html.


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