This last weekend, the Niles Essanay Silent Film hosted The Broncho Billy & Friends Silent Film Festival. It was virtual, of course. And since it was virtual, the festival was made up of streaming videos and Zoom conferences. There were three separate videos about Essanay's work in Chicago - including one with David Shepard. Les … Continue reading Broncho Billy & the Movie-Going Experience
Category: Festivals
The 2021 SF Jewish Film Festival
For the second year in a row, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is basically a streaming event. But this year, there'll be two days in the Bay Area's best movie palace, The Castro. The festival runs from July 22 to August 1. On July 24 and 25, the Castro will screen seven films - … Continue reading The 2021 SF Jewish Film Festival
The Cerrito opens with a classic fest
When was the last time you watched a beloved classic the way it should be seen? And by that, I mean in a theater with a large screen and an audience. I don't think I've had that experience since 2019. The Cerrito celebrates its reopening this Friday with the Cerrito Classics Festival. Here are the … Continue reading The Cerrito opens with a classic fest
Berlin & Beyond previews: Sisters Apart | Cocoon | Walchensee Forever
The Berlin & Beyond Film Festival opens May 25 and closes May 30. Here are three of the 25 films being shown through streaming, at a drive-in, and - believe it or not - in an actual hard-top movie theater. A- Sisters Apart Opening night! The fog of war feels thick when Rojda, a soldier … Continue reading Berlin & Beyond previews: Sisters Apart | Cocoon | Walchensee Forever
Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
I just discovered a small, hopefully frightening film festival happening over this weekend. I've also got some information about the upcoming Berlin & Beyond festival later this month. As I write this, I haven't yet seen a single film in either of these festivals. Horror over Zoom Over the last weekend, SF IndieFest scared us … Continue reading Weird, German, or both: Two different festivals coming up
My last day at SFFilm: Muppets, a southern family, and virtual vs. real festivals
Last night hosted the SFFilm Festival's closing film. And yet, it's still officially running, virtually, of course, until tonight. So, here's what I think about the last two films I watched at this festival. But I'm closing my coverage of SFFilm 2021 with a comparison between real and virtual festivals. The last movies Here are … Continue reading My last day at SFFilm: Muppets, a southern family, and virtual vs. real festivals
SFFilm Thursday & Friday
Well, I thought I was going to ignore SFFilm on Thursday, but that didn't happen. Over the last two days, I watched three films and followed a discussion about one of my favorite films of the festival. The movies B Naked Singularity You need to suspend a lot of disbelief to enjoy this movie, but … Continue reading SFFilm Thursday & Friday
SFFilm Wednesday: COVID in China & sexism in Saudi Arabia
Here are two films worth seeing. You can stream them through SFFilm until late night Sunday. And if you miss them at the festival, I'm pretty sure they'll be available elsewhere in the near future. A In the Same Breath Be prepared to be angry and to cry, as you watch people lose their loved … Continue reading SFFilm Wednesday: COVID in China & sexism in Saudi Arabia
SFFilm Tuesday: A broken family & a man on a mission
I saw two very different documentaries Tuesday at the (virtual) SFFilm Festival. One is exceptional. The other was, well, not bad. Remember that you can stream any of these films up until Sunday. A Radiograph of a Family It takes a while to get emotionally involved in Firouzeh Khosrovani's story of her parents' marriage, but … Continue reading SFFilm Tuesday: A broken family & a man on a mission
SFFilm Monday: All about rough terrain
I watched only one film Monday, and it was a disappointment. But I also covered a discussion about difficult locations - even if some of them weren't really that difficult. D+ The Whaler Boy I suspected the Russian government greenlit this movie to scare adolescents from watching American porn. Teenaged Leshka lives in a whaling … Continue reading SFFilm Monday: All about rough terrain
