Here's my last batch of Mill Valley Film Festival previews. As usual, their listed from best to worst. A- The Florida Project Cheap motels, filled with desperate people, abound on the edge of Disney World. Sean Baker's touching film concentrates on children staying in these motels - especially Moonie (Brooklynn Kimberly Prince), a little girl … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival Preview, Part 3
Category: Festivals
Mill Valley Film Festival preview, Part 2
Here are five more films that will screen at the Mill Valley Film Festival: A The Light of the Moon A young woman tries to heal emotionally after a rape. She rejects therapy. She lies about the bruises on her face. She tells the truth to her loving and attentive boyfriend, but she rejects much … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival preview, Part 2
Mill Valley Film Festival preview, Part 1
The Mill Valley Film Festival doesn't just screen new movies that haven't yet played in the Bay Area. It includes a few classics, as well. So, I'm splitting this report between classic and new films. Oddly, five of the six films below have some connection to the 1960s and '70s. The outlier, however, is the … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival preview, Part 1
Mill Valley Festival reaches 40 next month with 204 films, & one of them will probably win Best Picture
The Bay Area hosts a ridiculous number of film festivals, but two of them stand above the others: San Francisco International in the spring and Mill Valley in the fall. These are the festivals where you can see the newest independent films before they get a regular theatrical release. More importantly, you can see many … Continue reading Mill Valley Festival reaches 40 next month with 204 films, & one of them will probably win Best Picture
Harmonia: Genesis and classical music in my last Jewish Film Fest screening
Today (Sunday) is the last day of this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. But I'm not attending the Festival today. Therefore, the one movie I saw yesterday closed out the Festival for me. Luckily, it was a really good film. A- Harmonia This wonderful musical drama places the Biblical story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Ishmael, … Continue reading Harmonia: Genesis and classical music in my last Jewish Film Fest screening
Unhappy marriages: Thursday night at the Jewish Film Festival
Thursday night, I caught two movies at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. One was very good. One was very bad. No filmmakers attended their films at the Albany Twin that night. That's normal after the Festival moves from San Francisco to the East Bay. A- Personal Affairs This surprisingly sad comedy looks at a quietly dysfunctional … Continue reading Unhappy marriages: Thursday night at the Jewish Film Festival
Jewish Film Festival: Planetarium isn’t much to look up to
I caught an 8:45 SF Jewish Film Festival screening of Planetarium Tuesday night. Unfortunately, the movie wasn't worth watching. The story was absurd, and worse, its execution was dull and boring. Only one of the three main characters was at all interesting, and we never really got to know her. The film follows the adventures of … Continue reading Jewish Film Festival: Planetarium isn’t much to look up to
Survivor documentaries: Sunday at the Jewish Film Fest
Attending the SanFrancisco Jewish Film Festival in the East Bay is an entirely different social experience than going to any other festival...at least it is for me. When I go to most festivals, I socialize with other cinephiles - people I've come to know and befriend because we all love cinema. But at the Jewish … Continue reading Survivor documentaries: Sunday at the Jewish Film Fest
I’m Okay at the Jewish Film Fest in Albany
As the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival moves to the East Bay, it becomes much more convenient for me. The Albany Twin theater is less than a mile from my home. Friday afternoon, my wife and I attended our first Jewish Film Festival event in walking distance, a screening of the German documentary, I'm Okay. … Continue reading I’m Okay at the Jewish Film Fest in Albany
An Inconvenient Screening of an Important Sequel
I saw An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Monday night at a San Francisco Jewish Film Festival screening at the Castro. It's a powerful and important film. But for the average ticket holder, much of the event was a mess. The big attraction: Al Gore live on stage. And yes, he was wonderful. But the … Continue reading An Inconvenient Screening of an Important Sequel
Bayflicks 