There was a time when Noir City rarely showed movies made after the early 1960s. Not this year. The last two films screened at the festival are so new they were both shot digitally. And, of course, they were both screened off of DCPs, as well. Victoria This German thriller was shot in a single, … Continue reading The final day of this year’s Noir City
Category: Festivals
Another Saturday at Noir City
I haven't been able to visit Noir City during the week this year, but I did manage to see three of the four films that screened Saturday. Movies from 1970s America made up the matinee double bill. Films from the turn of the 21st century made up the final one. Here are the movies, in … Continue reading Another Saturday at Noir City
Indiefest preview
I've now screened another three films that will play at Indiefest. You'll find two more in my original Indiefest report. Here's what I thought about the new three: B+ Superpowerless The plot sounds like a promising farce: A superhero, suffering a mid-life crisis, loses his superpowers. But Duane Andersen turned it into a surprisingly effective … Continue reading Indiefest preview
Sunday at Noir City
Americans invented Film Noir, but the French named it. So it seems appropriate that on the first Sunday of this year's festival, Noir City presented a double bill of French crime thrillers. The two films have something else besides nationality between them. Both deal with gangsters who have young children. This always complicates things. Rififi … Continue reading Sunday at Noir City
Saturday at Noir City
I caught three of the four movies screened at Noir City Saturday. To varying degrees, I liked all of them. I missed all but the last 15 minutes of Kansas City Confidential, and not only because I've already seen it. I was marching in the streets of Oakland before the lure of noir got to … Continue reading Saturday at Noir City
IndieFest brings films you’ll probably never see again
IndieFest is a difficult film festival to categorize. It doesn't focus on an identifiable group of people, such as the Jewish Film Festival or Frameline. It doesn't stick to one genre, such as noir or horror. And it doesn't get the potential art house hits that San Francisco International and Mill Valley enjoy. Instead, IndieFest … Continue reading IndieFest brings films you’ll probably never see again
Film Festivals of 2016
Just how many film festivals grace the Bay Area over a year? At the beginning of 2016, I decided to find out. Every time a new festival opened in the Bay Area, I added it to a list. And now that it's clear that we're not going to see any other film festivals this year, … Continue reading Film Festivals of 2016
2017’s first film festivals
I'm pretty sure the Bay Area won't see any more film festivals this year. December is generally a festival-free month. But come January and February, we'll see plenty of festivals. Here are four that have already announced their line-ups: For Your Consideration January 6 - 12 Rafael Not every subtitled movie can qualify for the … Continue reading 2017’s first film festivals
Doc Stories festival opens with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
Quick note: Yes, I've been changing Bayflicks' design a lot lately. Hopefully this one will last. Growing up with famous parents can't be easy--especially if your father left home for Elizabeth Taylor, and your relentlessly upbeat mother insisted that you follow in her footsteps. And then, decades later, a bunch of documentarians invade your privacy … Continue reading Doc Stories festival opens with Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
Mill Valley Film Festival and Oscar Predictions
If past is prologue, hundreds of Mill Valley Film Festival attendants have now seen this year's Best Picture Oscar winner. In every year since 2010, that coveted award went to a film that had its Bay Area premiere at Marin's big festival. Whatever it will be, I haven't yet seen this year's winner. Although I've … Continue reading Mill Valley Film Festival and Oscar Predictions
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