Category: Festivals

A space-age orphanage, cinematic sound, & trying to get pregnant: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival

~ Lincoln Spector

Here's what I saw on my first day at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. Filmmaker Q&As followed all three films. Journeys Beyond the Cosmodrome The festival is presenting this program as a feature preceded by a short. But these are really two very short documentary features. So, I'll give each one a quick review. … Continue reading A space-age orphanage, cinematic sound, & trying to get pregnant: Saturday at the Mill Valley Film Festival

Great films you won’t see at the Mill Valley Film Festival

~ Lincoln Spector

I play a very small part in programming the Mill Valley Film Festival. Every spring and early summer, I screen several obscure movies that will probably never see the inside of an American movie theater. Then I send in a report for each movie. Most of these films are bad beyond belief. Some of them … Continue reading Great films you won’t see at the Mill Valley Film Festival

Danny Trejo, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Rosalind Chao, Isabelle Huppert, & Plastic. My last Mill Valley Film Festival previews of the year

~ Lincoln Spector

Here are the last five films I'll be previewing for this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. Two documentaries, three narratives, and not a bad one in the bunch. As usual, they're in order of quality. A Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo This is one of the best documentaries about a movie star I've … Continue reading Danny Trejo, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Rosalind Chao, Isabelle Huppert, & Plastic. My last Mill Valley Film Festival previews of the year

Films you may want to catch at the Mill Valley Film

~ Lincoln Spector

The Filipino war on drugs, failed justice in rural Alabama, an aging filmmaker, and documentaries on one of the worst, and one of the best, men in recent American history. Here's my opinions on five films that will screen at this year's Mill Valley Film Festival. A Watch List The Philippines' outrageously inhuman war on … Continue reading Films you may want to catch at the Mill Valley Film

116 features at the Mill Valley Film Festival (and one of them will probably win Best Picture)

~ Lincoln Spector

Why does the Best Picture Oscar always go to a film that made its Bay Area premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival? I'll get to that. As one of the biggest film festivals in the area, Mill Valley attracts big names. This year, you can experience a Conversation with Olivia Wilde, meet Kristen Stewart … Continue reading 116 features at the Mill Valley Film Festival (and one of them will probably win Best Picture)

The Green Film Festival takes a step toward saving the world

~ Lincoln Spector

The Bay Area hosts about 60 film festivals a year. Many of them are about certain types of movies (silent, noir, documentaries). Others focus on particular kinds of people (Jews, Arabs, Asian Americans). But others, such as the Green Film Festival, have a message. They want you to leave the theater ready to make a … Continue reading The Green Film Festival takes a step toward saving the world

Niles Museum celebrates the Transcontinental Railroad with movies and trains

~ Lincoln Spector

I just discovered this mini-movie festival celebrating the Transcontinental Railroad 150 Anniversary. It's happening at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, starting tonight and running through Sunday. Some highlights: The History of Railroads in the Niles Canyon, Friday, 7:30 The event starts with Henry Baum, President of the Pacific Locomotive Association, explaining the history of … Continue reading Niles Museum celebrates the Transcontinental Railroad with movies and trains

Are donors censoring the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival?

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 2 Comments

A Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) activist claims that a powerful donor forced the Jewish Film Festival to ban JVP patriation. Is it true? I'm not sure. Let me try to unravel the story. About a week ago, as this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival was winding down, the Eastbay Express published an article … Continue reading Are donors censoring the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival?