Category: SFFilm (San Francisco International Film Festival)

Miners in Georgia, miners in Iceland, and kids in LA: The First Full Day at SFFilm Fest

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 3 Comments

I saw three films on Thursday, the first full day of the San Francisco International Film Festival. The first was very good. The other two were deep disappointments. City of the Sun This breathtakingly beautiful documentary examines a small, dying mining town in Georgia (the country, not the state). The people work, struggle, and keep … Continue reading Miners in Georgia, miners in Iceland, and kids in LA: The First Full Day at SFFilm Fest

San Francisco Film Festival Preview, Part 3: Funny Nazis, a damaged rodeo rider, Hal Ashby, James Dean, and a pot-selling old man

~ Lincoln Spector

Here's my last batch of San Francisco International Film Festival mini-reviews before the festival actually gets underway. As usual, they're in order from must-see to must-avoid. A+ To Be or Not To Be (original, 1942 version) The Nazis conquered Poland with frightening speed. But they prove no match for Carol Lombard and Jack Benny in Ernst … Continue reading San Francisco Film Festival Preview, Part 3: Funny Nazis, a damaged rodeo rider, Hal Ashby, James Dean, and a pot-selling old man

San Francisco Film Festival Preview, Part 2: Racism, homophobia, war, and children with incarcerated parents

~ Lincoln Spector

Here's four more film you might want to see at the San Francisco International Film Festival: A The Miseducation of Cameron Post In the 1990s, two high-school girls get caught having sex. One of them (Chloe Grace Moretz), is sent to an ultra-Christian camp intended to cure teenagers of SSA (Same-Sex Attraction). Initially, she views … Continue reading San Francisco Film Festival Preview, Part 2: Racism, homophobia, war, and children with incarcerated parents

This year’s San Francisco International Film Festival announced

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 1 Comment

Get ready for a massive injection of cinema. The 61st San Francisco International Film Festival opens April 4 and closes two weeks later on April 17. And you know what that means? For the third year in a row, the SFilm Fest conflicts with Passover. You would think that someone would check a Jewish calendar. The … Continue reading This year’s San Francisco International Film Festival announced

New takes on John Ford, William Shakespeare, & brotherly love: Tuesday at SFFilm Festival

~ Lincoln Spector

Today (Wednesday) is the last day of the San Francisco International Film Festival. But yesterday, Tuesday, was my last day there. I saw three films Tuesday, all of them on their last SFFilm screening. None of them had filmmaker Q&As. Maliglutit (Searchers) I was looking forward to this rethinking of John Ford's classic western - … Continue reading New takes on John Ford, William Shakespeare, & brotherly love: Tuesday at SFFilm Festival

An Urban Vampire & Experimental Shorts: Monday at the SFFilm Festival

~ Lincoln Spector

As this year's San Francisco International Film Festival reaches toward its closing night, I'm getting worn out. The rain makes it worse. But the movies are still worth watching. The Transfiguration Michael O'Shea found a new twist to the vampire genre: avoiding the supernatural. The Transfiguration is a vampire story that could, in theory, happen. … Continue reading An Urban Vampire & Experimental Shorts: Monday at the SFFilm Festival