I tend to put film festivals into three categories. First, you’ve got identity festivals, which focus on the many ethnic, religious, racial, and gender ways in which people group themselves (the Jewish Film Festival, Frameline, and so one). Second, you have genre festivals, which look at particular kinds of movies (Noir City, Silent Film Festival). And finally, there are plain old, generic film festivals, which don’t restrict themselves to kind of movie or type of audience (San Francisco International, Mill Valley).
But I’ve not sure whether SF IndieFest goes into the second category or the third. At first glance, it’s a genre festival, concentrating on independent films. But you’d be hard pressed to find much at a Bay Area generic film festival that doesn’t qualify as an independent film.
However you categorize it, the 2011 edition of SF IndieFest opens February 3rd for a 15-day run at the Roxie, with a wide assortment of movies not financed by the major studios (although some will be getting non-festival theatrical releases). IndieFest will present dramas, comedies, experimental films, movies about music, documentaries, horror/exploitation flicks, and at least one documentary about horror/exploitation flicks.
By the way, the folks who produce InfieFest also run two major genre festivals: DocFest and Hole in the Head–which concentrates on sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. That means that they could have run that documentary about horror/exploitation flicks, Machete Maidens Unleashed, in any of their festivals.
I haven’t seen that one, nor any other IndieFest film this year–although I hope to rectify that before the festival opens. Some of the more interesting titles include:
KABOOM: Judging from the description and trailer (click the link in the title), the festival’s opening program amps the teen sex comedy up to 10,000 watts. I’d probably dismiss it if it hadn’t been an official selection at Cannes. (If you don’t want to spend $25 for the opening night show, be patient. IFC plans to release KABOOM theatrically.)
The Trashmaster: Described on the IndiFest site as a "cross between Dirty Harry, Taxi Driver and Seven," this animated feature was created entirely from Grand Theft Auto IV video game images.
Worst in Show: A documentary on Petaluma’s Ugliest Dog Contest.
The Drummond Will: A black & white black comedy from England about two very different brothers who inherit a house, discover hidden cash, a get into all sorts of illegal and life-threatening trouble.
The Evangelist: An atheist adopts a 12-year-old religious fanatic.
We Are What We Are: Judging from the festival’s description, this does for cannibals what Ann Rice did for vampires.
NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS: Okay, I said "interesting titles," and this one certainly qualifies. I’m not sure if that makes it an interesting movie.
Bayflicks 