Month: April 2018

Chinese “Angels” and an Alcoholic, Paraplegic Cartoonist: My Last Day at SFFILM Fest

~ Lincoln Spector

Technically, the San Francisco International Film Festival is still going on. Today and Tuesday, you can catch movies you missed, but only at the Roxie and the Victoria. But last night was the official Closing Night, which sort of makes everything after that a bit anti-climactic. Here's what I saw on my last day at … Continue reading Chinese “Angels” and an Alcoholic, Paraplegic Cartoonist: My Last Day at SFFILM Fest

A Great Scholar and a Very Bad Mom: Saturday at SFFILM Festival

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 3 Comments

Like many film festivals, SFFILM creates a different trailer every year, which screens at the beginning of each show. Most years, I'm deeply bored of the trailer well before the end of the festival. Not this year. A snappy, exciting montage set to an infectious beat, this year's trailer is short and fun, and has … Continue reading A Great Scholar and a Very Bad Mom: Saturday at SFFILM Festival

2 Judges (both women) and a reluctant Buddhist: Friday at SFFILM Festival

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 1 Comment

I should explain why some of my reviews are constricted to 75 words or less. Every festival that shows new films sends a Hold Review List to press covering the event. The movies on this list either have an American distributor or are negotiating with one. The distributers don't want long reviews published too soon, … Continue reading 2 Judges (both women) and a reluctant Buddhist: Friday at SFFILM Festival

Revolution in Serbia & Exploitation in America: My Thursday at SFFILM Festival

~ Lincoln Spector

I saw two films yesterday at the San Francisco International Film Festival, also known as the SFFILM Festival. Both were worth seeing. The Other Side of Everything I'm generally suspicious of documentaries about the filmmaker…or the filmmaker's family. But this one worked. Srbijanka Turajlic, the director's mother and the subject of the film, is a … Continue reading Revolution in Serbia & Exploitation in America: My Thursday at SFFILM Festival

What’s Screening: April 13 – 19

~ Lincoln Spector

Women by Bergman and Altman, Eisenstein's love letter to Stalin, Jack Nicholson's first starring role, the movie that made Christopher Nolan famous, and the last few days of the SFFILM Festival. Festivals The San Francisco International Film Festival, the only festival running this week, continues through Tuesday, which is kind of weird, because the closing … Continue reading What’s Screening: April 13 – 19

Mr. Rogers, Identical Triplets, & movies with music: Monday at SFFilm Fest

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 2 Comments

Unlike Sunday, there was no overall theme between the movies I saw Monday at the San Francisco International Film Festival, also known as the SFFILM Festival. Won't You Be My Neighbor? I kept my review of this film to a maximum of 75 words on the Festival's request. Ordained minister Fred Rogers - with his … Continue reading Mr. Rogers, Identical Triplets, & movies with music: Monday at SFFilm Fest

A Hard-Working African & a Dying Photographer: Saturday at SFFILM Festival

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 1 Comment

Finally, a day without rain. Even better, a day with two very films. Makala I kept my review of this film to a maximum of 75 words on the Festival's request. Whatever others say, this is not a documentary. But it's a very good film. Makala lives with his family in an isolated hut. But … Continue reading A Hard-Working African & a Dying Photographer: Saturday at SFFILM Festival