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Fascinating Films From Sonoma, Virtually by Jay Randy Gordon, The MARINsider
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The iconic 'Sonomawood' sign that greets you as you drive into the Sonoma Square. photo courtesy: SIFF
AFTER WATCHING THE RECENT GOLDEN
Globes and Grammys, it became evident to me that Covid-19 has temporarily changed the entertainment event landscape. Nevertheless, the 24th Sonoma International Film Festival, which features over 110 streamed examples of new independent cinema from around the world, plus some live drive-ins, and runs March 24-28th, has plenty of creative energy and star power to bridge the Covid gap. See their site here.
“An advantage of a virtual film festival is one can see far more films—and can see them any time over the five-day period,” the festival’s artistic director Kevin W. McNeely told me. Tall, cool and gregarious, McNeeley has been at the helm of SIFF curation for over a dozen years.
“SIFF will take you around the world and expose you to different cultures, customs, languages and lifestyles,” he added. Indeed, there are films from Russia, France, Germany, Spain, Poland, England, Ireland, Mexico and beyond, plus over 20 premieres, with subjects ranging from social justice and the environment to culinary delights and gripping drama. There are also multiple shorts programs.
(from lf-rt) Program Director Steve Shor, Beth Schnitzer (SpritzSF), Artistic Director Kevin W. McNeely, Blaine Transue and Raghu Shivaram (SpritzSF). photo: J. R. Gordon
In fact, this year is a special ramp-up to SIFF’s 25th anniversary next year, with the spectacular opening night presentation of “Six Minutes to Midnight”, directed by Andy Goddard and featuring comedian, crossdresser, and consummate actor and writer Eddie Izzard taking on his most serious role. The film is set during WWII, trailer
The closing film, meanwhile, is “The Comeback Trail” starring Robert De Niro, Zach Braff and Tommy Lee Jones. Set in Los Angeles in the ‘70s, two movie producers who owe money to a mobster, played by Morgan Freeman, set up their aging movie star client for an untimely death and an insurance scam.
Although those films will be viewable in the theater and on streaming services, film festivals are critical for films and filmmakers to get screenings and recognition. One excellent example of this is “Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me”, the new project from Abby Ginzberg, a member of Berkeley's ad hoc documentary collective in the Fantasy Building’s Saul Zaentz Media Center, which cineSOURCE has covered for over a decade.
“I was impressed by this documentary,” I was told by Steve Shor, the SIFF’s program director, who has been with the festival for 19 years and program director for ten. An industry veteran, he also advises the Newport Beach Film Festival. “Barbara Lee's background, experiences and training make her a wonderful legislator," as well as film subject.
The poster for 'Truth to Power: Barbara Lee Speaks for Me'. photo courtesy: A. Ginzberg
Of note, almost one-fifth of the films are making their Premieres with at least 50% made by, for or about women.
A single mother who raised her children on food stamps, Lee is the highest-ranking African American woman in Congress and the only representative to vote against the ill-fated, conspiracy-driven Iraq War of 2003. The film also stars politicians Cory Booker, the late John Lewis and AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), CNN’s—and Oakland’s—Van Jones, and the San Francisco actor and activist-supreme Danny Glover. See the trailer or website.
I am a fan of pre-1950s history and sports, so I am especially looking forward to “Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story” directed by Nate Adams and produced by Adam Carolla. Ribbs is the Jackie Robinson of auto racing, who shattered the color barrier in the all-white sport. Referred to as "uppity" behind his back by mechanics and other racers, he overcame death threats, unwarranted suspensions and engine sabotage to beat the haters and become the first Black driver to win a Trans-Am race and race in the Indy 500, in 1991.
"This true story uncovers how race and prejudice hindered the promising career of one of the first African American Nascar and Formula 1 drivers,” Shor said. See the trailer.
Another film that touched my interests was “Adventures of A Mathematician” about a Polish-Jewish math whiz who moved to the U.S. in the 1930s. Directed by Thor Klein and beautifully shot on location, it tells the warmhearted story of Stanislav Ulam played by Philippe Tlokinski. The film deals with his difficult losses of family and friends, while he helps create the hydrogen bomb and the first computer, giving birth to modern era, see trailer.
'Uppity: The Willy T Ribbs Story'' striking poster. photo courtesy: N. Adams
“Just like ‘Hidden Figures’ and ‘The Imitation Game’, this film tells the real story of the development of the H-bomb,” Shor told me. “The production values, acting and subject matter bring to life history that shouldn’t be forgotten.”
In addition to the virtual festival, SIFF is hosting three live drive-ins: opening night, March 24, and Friday and Saturday evenings, March 26-27, at the Sonoma Skypark, 21870 Eighth Street East. Friday’s show will feature Russia’s “Spacewalker”, and Saturday’s will have the closing night feature “The Comeback Trail”.
During the five-day event, SIFF is also offering online cooking demonstrations, virtual wine tastings, filmmaker Q&As and panel discussions on Zoom. All films are eligible for SIFF Audience Awards, from the Stolman Award for Best Feature to the A3 Award for Best Documentary, voted online by viewers and announced on March 28th.
People with full passes have access to the “”Devour!cooking series, featuring chefs Jacques Pépin, Martin Ruiz Salvador and others, produced by longtime SIFF collaborators Michael Howell and Lia Rinaldo, who also do the perennially popular SIFF Chefs & Shorts dinner. There will also be other cooking shows and events like the SIFF wine tastings series with virtual tastings from wineries Anaba, Gloria Ferrer, Lorenza, Meadowcroft, Muscardini, Wine Access and Women Owned Wineries.
Sonoma's classical drive ins feature prominently in this year's festival. photo courtesy: SIFF
Opening and closing night titles are $15 per screening, all other films are $12 or if they are shorts, $5, or the shorts category show for $12, and drive-in tickets are $75/per vehicle. SIFF pass holders have access to all titles at no extra charge as part of their festival pass.
You can also follow SIFF on social media:
FB: @sonomafilmfestival
Twitter: @SonomaFilmFest
Instagram: @SonomaFilmFest.
Jay “Randy” Gordon, The MARINsider, is a marketing expert, film writer and author of 'BusiBUZZ: Business Buzzwords for Survivin’ and Thrivin’ in The Big City' and can be reached .