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Better Than Ever: The International by Tom Mayer
Festival Director Ted Hope addresses the assembled press masses at the top of the Fairmont. photo: D. Blair
SPRING IS UPON US AND WITH IT THE
San Francisco International Film Festival. One of the top ten in world, one of only three to host the International Federation of Film Critics Award, and now in its 56th iteration, it will run from April 25 to May 9 at the Sundance Kabuki, New People and Castro, in San Francisco, and Berkeley's Pacific Film Archive. Indeed, the SFIFF has become much more interesting than in past years, in my opinion, due to a broader palette of films.
"The SF Film Society is looking to broaden its horizons, and approach films and filmmaking across all platforms and all social media, which has been done by only a few festivals so far," noted the Executive Director Ted Hope at the press conference last month. Hope is the well-known indie producer—from "The Ice Storm" (1997) to "Thumbsucker" (2005)—who came on board last year.
SFIFF "has learned a lot over the past years on how to appeal to a broader audience while maintaining the quality of the programming," according to Director of Programming Rachel Rosen. Go to their site for more info and tickets.
Their tenth annual State of Cinema Address will be delivered at the Kabuki on April 27 by one of the world's most celebrated cinema figures, Steven Soderbergh, from "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" (1989) to the masterful "Che" (2008). This is the banner event in the Festival's Live & Onstage program which also features live music, multimedia presentations and audience participation.
Another stellar event in that vein is the presentation of the Founder's Directing Award to Philip Kaufman (May 5, 7:30pm, Castro), which will be accompanied by a screening of his "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Kaufman met Anaïs Nin in Chicago in 1962 and they spent the day together, during which she encouraged him to become a director. Two years later, his mystical comedy" Goldstein" took the Prix de la Nouvelle Critique at Cannes.
Philip Kaufman, one of the titans of Northern California cinema, at a film festival interview last year. photo: Kymberli Brady
Kaufman is responsible for numerous indelible cinematic moments, from Lena Olin and her unbearably light bowler to the chilling freeze-frame-finale of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" or the breaking of the sound barrier in "The Right Stuff". From the adventures of astronauts to those of erotic intellectuals, including Nin herself in "Henry & June" (1992), the Marquis de Sade in "Quills" (2000) and some wild and crazy Czechs ("The Unbearable Lightness of Being", 1984) as well as more populist fare, from westerns to gangland sagas and biopics, with just the right tone for each, Kaufman is an auteur director of the highest rank.
The Film Society will also award its first George Gund III Award to Ray Dolby, the inventor of numerous recording technologies and the founder of local powerhouse Dolby Laboratories, at the Film Society Awards Night on May 7 at the famed Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco. This new award, given in tribute to the Film Society's longtime chairman, who passed away earlier this year, honors the contribution to the art of cinema of an outstanding member of the film community.
Dolby will join Kaufman and Katie and Todd Traina, the soon-to-be-announced recipients of the Peter J. Owens Award, for excellence in acting, as chairs of this year's Awards gala which raises funds for the Film Society's year-round programs in exhibition, education and filmmaker services.
SFIFF will award $70,000 in total prizes this year. Films from 19 countries are up for the New Directors Prize ($15,000), to be given to a first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility while The Golden Gate Award documentary feature winner and the Bay Area documentary feature winner will receive $20,000 and 15,000 respectively, also announced at the May 7th Awards Night.
Meanwhile, the 2013 Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting, funded by local media mogul Maurice Kanbar, who believes that films start with words, goes to Eric Roth, author of "Forrest Gump" (1994), Munich (2005) and many more.
A scene from 'Before Midnight', the festival's closing night film, by Richard Linklater. photo: courtesy SFIFF
"It is a truly unique talent that can craft real life and history into the stuff of drama," Hope explained. "Eric Roth shows us the heroic in the everyday, and reveals our common reality to be truly heroic. His writing allows us to reclaim history and help us understand its relevance anew. In each case he delivers us a front row seat, and the experience is as impactful and emotional as if we lived these events ourselves. We are proud to name him as the newest recipient of the Kanbar Award."
Roth will also be honored at "An Evening with Eric Roth" at the Sundance Kabuki, May 8, 8:30 pm. An onstage interview and a selection of clips from his notable career will be followed by a screening of his "The Insider" (Michael Mann, 1999).
When tobacco executive-turned-whistleblower Jeffrey Wigand (played by Russell Crowe) tries to tell his story to "60 Minutes" producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino), the mysterious strangers, anonymous death threats and all-powerful corporations turn his life into a real-life thriller in Mann's suspenseful drama, a modern classic nominated for seven Academy Awards.
Other festival highlights include an afternoon with Finnish director Peter von Bagh, who will recieve the Mel Novikoff Award, and "Are We There Yet?", wherein Rick Prelinger, of Prelinger Archives, presents a compendium of home-made travel movies—audience participation is encouraged.
This year's festival also brings back another audience favorite: the pairings of classic silent films and contemporary musicians. On May 7, 8pm at the Castro, Paul Leni's classic 1924 "Waxworks" will be accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Mike Patton (Faith No More) and percussionists Scott Amendola, Matthias Bossi, and William Winant.
Other then that the festival is truly a star-studded and stellar line-up, as befits the oldest in the US and largest in the area, with tons of fantastic films—truly unique showcase for both art of cinema and San Francisco itself.
Scene from the opening night film, 'What Maisie Knew', by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. photo: courtesy SFIFF
Opening Night
"What Maisie Knew"
Thursday, April 25, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre
Co-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel and actor Onata Aprile expected
Scott McGehee and David Siegel's "What Maisie Knew" adapts the Henry James novel about the effects of a marriage through the eyes of a couple's six-year-old daughter (played by newcomer Onata Aprile). Shuffling between her rock-star mother (Julianne Moore) and art-dealer father (Steve Coogan), or palmed off on parental stand-ins (Alexander Skarsgård and Joanna Vanderham), young Maisie comes face to face with the world of false grown-ups. The film features a stunning performance by Moore as a mother whose career as a rock persona is spinning out of control.
The Opening Night celebration continues at the Temple Nightclub (540 Harrison Street) at 9:00 pm with a lavish party featuring hors d'oeuvres from local restaurants, cocktails, and, of course, dancing.
Centerpiece
"Inequality For All"
Saturday, May 4, 6:30 pm, Sundance Kabuki Cinemas
Director Jacob Kornbluth and subject Robert Reich expected
In this "Inside Job" style-documentary for the economy, the Sundance Award-winning "Inequality For All" introduces former Secretary of Labor (and current UC Berkeley professor) Robert Reich as a humorous guide, exploring the causes and consequences of the widening income gap in America and what it means for the future of our nation. Reich connects the dots for viewers by providing a deeper understanding of what's at stake.
At 8:30 pm guests will party at Roe (651 Howard Street), San Francisco's premier boutique nightclub and lounge destination. They will indulge in cocktails, delicious hors d'oeuvres, and the latest house music.
Jacob Kornbluth, director of 'Inequality for All'. photo: courtesy SFIFF
Closing Night
"Before Midnight"
Thursday, May 9, 7:00 pm, Castro Theatre
Director Richard Linklater expected
They're still the same gorgeous twosome who met on a train in Linklater's "Before Sunrise" (1995), but now, 20 years later, Jesse and Celine (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) are approaching middle age. "Before Midnight", with a humorous screenplay cowritten by Linklater and his two lead actors, is that rare follow-up -- a sequel to a sequel -- that delivers the charm and of the predecessor but humor.
"Twenty Feet From Stardom"
Friday, April 26 at 9pm, Kabuki and Sunday, April 28 at 3:45pm-- A new documentary directed by Morgan Neville which was a big hit at Sundance. The film features Patti Austin, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Gloria Jones, Claudia Lennear, and many others, in a documentary about famous backup singers and their struggle to find their way in the music industry. Also featuring interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler, Sting, and other music industry leaders.
"Much Ado About Nothing"
Saturday, April 27 at 6pm, Kabuki and Monday, April 29 at 3:30pm at New People Cinema -- Beautifully filmed in black-and-white by Joss Whedon "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel", "Firefly", and "Dollhouse") who also adapted the screenplay, and edited the film, this is a stunning film version of the famous play by Shakespeare.
"Frances Ha"
Thursday, May 2 at 6:30pm, Kabuki and Friday, May 3 at 4pm at the Kabuki
A black-and-white retro look gives a spin to this comedy about female friends (Greta Gerwig and Mickey Sumner) working out their romances, careers, and creative dreams.
The Festival has announced the films in competition for the New Directors Prize and the Golden Gate Award nominees for documentary feature.
Official Selections for New Director's Award
"The Cleaner" (Adrián Saba, Peru)
As a mysterious epidemic eviscerates Lima's adult population -- but spares its children -- a solitary middle-aged forensic worker discovers an orphaned boy at one of his cleanup sites and decides to shelter the traumatized youth until he can find a relative to take him. As time passes, a subtle transformation takes hold of both man and child in this gently haunted and affecting study of social alienation and redemption.
"Habi the Foreigner" (María Florencia Álvarez, Argentina/Brazil) - North American Premiere
Highlighted by an impressive and performance by Martina Juncandella, first-time director María Florencia Álvarez's film traces a 20-year-old woman's spontaneous attempt to create a new identity for herself as a Lebanese orphan in Buenos Aires. Habi the Foreigner is a beguiling coming-of-age story detailing the feeling of being an outsider in your own land.
"Memories Look at Me" (Song Fang, China)
In this feature debut, Song Fang directs and plays herself as she pays a visit to her parents at their home in Nanjing. Intimate and contemplative, Memories Look at Me muses on life, death and tradition while touching on the essence of family life with a mixture of melancholy and serenity.
"Our Homeland" (Yang Yonghi, Japan)
Based on the director's own experience, this powerful drama tells the story of a family torn between Japan and North Korea. Rie, an ethnic Korean, lives with her family in Tokyo. The arrival of the family's son, repatriated 25 years earlier to North Korea, forces the family to navigate difficult political and emotional waters.
"Present Tense" (Belmin Söylemez, Turkey)
A recent divorcée named Mina takes a job as fortune-teller, reading coffee grounds in a cafe, but longs to move to the U.S. Using her own personal experiences and frustrated dreams to inform her work, she offers psychological readings for her customers and develops a loyal following.
"La Sirga" (William Vega, Colombia/France/Mexico)
Uprooted from her village by the armed conflict in Colombia, young Alicia tries to start a new life in La Sirga, a ramshackle inn on the shores of a great lake in the Andes highlands. The house belongs to her uncle Oscar, an old hermit. There, on a murky beach, she will try to settle down until her fears and the threat of war resurface again.
"The Strange Little Cat" (Ramon Zürcher, Germany) - North American Premiere
Initiated in a seminar taught by Béla Tarr and inspired by Kafka's Metamorphosis, this startling debut feature takes place within the apartment of a family where relatives gather to prepare dinner, repair a washing machine and talk. With its quirky movement, sound and words, the film imbues the mundane with an odd sense.
"Tall as the Baobab Tree" (Jeremy Teicher, USA/Senegal) - U.S. Premiere
Working with local communities and non-professional actors playing roles that mirror their own lives, director Teicher tells the moving story of a teenage girl who hatches a plan to rescue her sister from an arranged marriage. The film is also the first full-length feature in the Pulaar language of Senegal.
"They'll Come Back" (Marcelo Lordello, Brazil)
A potent exploration of class and adolescence, "They'll Come Back" tells the story of Cris, a 12-year-old who -- after being left on the side of the road as punishment for her and her brother's constant bickering -- embarks on a journey that will open her eyes to a world she never knew as she tries to find her way home.
"Youth" (Justine Malle, France)
A nuanced portrait of identity coming into focus and a young woman willfully emerging from the shadow of a strong parent, the semi-autobiographical debut feature by the late, great Louis Malle's middle daughter follows an inexperienced college student (Esther Garrel, daughter of Philippe and sister of Louis) whose sexual awakening coincides with her filmmaker father's terminal diagnosis.
Also, the New Directors section of SFIFF56 includes 19 out-of-competition films:
Official Selections Golden Gate Documentary Awards
"After Tiller" (Martha Shane and Lana Wilson, USA)
After the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas in 2009, there are now only four doctors left in the country who provide third-trimester abortions for women. After Tiller moves between the stories of these doctors, all of whom were close colleagues of Dr. Tiller and are fighting to keep this service available in the wake of his death.
"Before You Know It" (P. J. Raval, USA)
Before You Know It explores the fascinating, but until now, rarely seen world of aging gay men. This provocative and poignant documentary details the lives of three different and remarkable individuals, the joys and hardships they experience, the difficulties of aging and being overlooked and also the support and uplift they find in their particular communities.
"Chimeras" (Mika Mattila, Finland) - U.S. Premiere
This revelatory and visually striking documentary follows a pair of political pop artists -- the hugely successful middle-aged painter and sculptor Wang Guangyi and the gifted young photographer Liu Gang -- as they grapple with their place and purpose in a new China of pervasive materialism and Western influence.
"Cutie and the Boxer" (Zachary Heinzerling, USA)
After 39 years of marriage, painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko, have weathered many storms of creative conflict. Noriko endeavors to support her fiery partner while also endeavoring to find space for her own artistic efforts. Capturing them both, at work and at play, the result is a skillfully crafted portrait of art and long-term companionship.
"God Loves Uganda" (Roger Ross Williams, USA/Uganda)
A powerful exploration of the evangelical campaign to change African culture with values imported from America's Christian Right, the film follows American and Ugandan religious leaders fighting "sexual immorality" and missionaries trying to convince Ugandans to follow Biblical law.
"Inori" (Pedro González-Rubio, Japan)
In the small mountain community of Kannogawa in Japan, the laws of nature reshape the human blueprint of what used to be a lively town. While younger generations have gone to the cities, the few people who remain perform the everyday activities with a brave perspective on their history and the cycles of life.
"The Kill Team" (Dan Krauss, USA)
In this chilling documentary, Bay Area-based Dan Krauss ("The Death of Kevin Carter of the Bang Bang Team" , Golden Gate Award winner, SFIFF 2005) explores the deeply disturbing story of U.S. soldiers, stationed in Afghanistan in 2009, who were convicted of murdering innocent civilians. Their motives, and the culture that enabled their crimes, are as complex as they are nightmarish.
"Let the Fire Burn" (Jason Osder, USA)
In 1985, the Philadelphia Police Department dropped two pounds of military explosives on the house belonging to the radical black liberation group known as MOVE. Constructed entirely of archival materials and judicious intertitles, the film cannily juxtaposes startling images from the bombing, the resulting fire -- left to burn for over an hour -- and their aftermath portrays a tragic injustice.
"Rent a Family Inc." (Kaspar Astrup Schröder, Denmark) - U.S. Premiere
Filmmaker Kaspar Astrup Schröder's ("The Invention of Dr. Nakamats", SFIFF 2009) alternately fetching, absorbing and offbeat documentary revolves around a 44-year-old Japanese family man who owns and operates a professional stand-in business that rents out fake relatives, spouses, friends and parents to a rapidly growing Japanese customer base "desperate...to cover up a secret."
"A River Changes Course" (Kalyanee Mam, Cambodia/USA)
Bay Area filmmaker Kalyanee Mam presents an intimate and moving portrait of the vanishing world of rural farmers and fishermen in Cambodia. Focusing on three families in cinéma vérité style, Mam reveals how the encroaching modern world is destroying the rich cultures of the past and forcing the young to seek work in factories or plantations.
"The Search for Emak Bakia" (Oskar Alegria, Spain)
In 1926, avant garde artist Man Ray shot a short "surreatist" film titled Emak Bakia, a Basque expression that means "Leave me alone." Intrigued by the fanciful conundrums and coincidences of Ray and his art, filmmaker Oskar Alegría ignores Ray's advice and sets out to plumb the mysteries of "Emak Bakia", leading to an unforgettable journey of whimsical discoveries and charming surprises.
"Sofia's Last Ambulance" (Ilian Metev, Germany/Bulgaria/Croatia)
On the front lines of a degraded emergency-care system in Sofia, Bulgaria, an overextended paramedic crew hurtles frantically from one call to the next in a dilapidated ambulance. Filmed primarily through the lenses of three dashboard-mounted cameras, "Sofia's Last Ambulance" unfolds in a series of unflinching, real-time vignettes shot over the course of two years.