When you consider how flammable film stock was in the first half of the 20th century, and how popular smoking was at the same time, it's amazing that any movies survived at all. Or any movie theaters. By the time you read this, I will presumably be in Rochester, NY, where I will be attending … Continue reading A New Film Festival Showing Very Old (and Explosive) Prints
Category: Festivals
Yet Another Silent Film Festival
Finally, folks in the Northeast Bay Area won't have to drive across a bridge to watch silent films. The Empress Theatre Silent Film Festival runs this Friday through Sunday at the Empress Theatre in Vallejo. It's a modest festival, with only four programs spread across three days. The Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum sponsors this … Continue reading Yet Another Silent Film Festival
May Festivals: DocLands & CAAMFest
We have two film festivals coming up in May. Unfortunately, I don't have time to cover each of them properly, so I'll just give you a quick rundown. DocLands The Bay Area hosts almost as many documentary film festivals as it does Noir fests. This Marin County-based, four-day festival runs from May 3 through May … Continue reading May Festivals: DocLands & CAAMFest
Immerse yourself in Michelangelo Antonioni
Now that the big festival is winding down, I have time to tell you about a smaller one coming up. On Saturday, April 28, Cinema Italia San Francisco will take over the Castro for an Homage to Michelangelo Antonioni. This one-day film festival will screen five of his major works - three in 35mm; two … Continue reading Immerse yourself in Michelangelo Antonioni
Chinese “Angels” and an Alcoholic, Paraplegic Cartoonist: My Last Day at SFFILM Fest
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
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
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
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
International Shorts & Mismatched Music: Wednesday at SFFILM Fest
I hope you noticed that I didn't publish a San Francisco International Film Festival report yesterday. I took Tuesday off, so I had nothing to write about on Wednesday. But what did I see on Wednesday? Unlike every other day at the SFFILM Festival, I did not see a single new feature. Instead, I saw … Continue reading International Shorts & Mismatched Music: Wednesday at SFFILM Fest
Mr. Rogers, Identical Triplets, & movies with music: Monday at SFFilm Fest
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
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