Category: SF International Film Festival

SFIFF Spotlights #2: Thérèse / Chaika / Blackfish

Our coverage of the 56th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) continues with a spotlight on three more festival films.  Check out the SFIFF website for more info and tickets:  http://festival.sffs.org/

Thérèse
(France 2012 105 min; French with English subtitles)

Audrey Tautou as Thérèse.
Audrey Tautou as Thérèse

Cast against type, Audrey Tautou suppresses her inner gamine to mope her way through Thérèse as the title character in French director Claude Miller’s final film. “Marriage will save me from the disorder in my head,” melancholy Thérèse says as she marries for status, not love, in 1920s rural France. Rebellious and unhappy, Thérèse makes decisions with serious consequences for her family. Francophiles will relish the lush cinematography, gorgeous period costumes, and Tautou’s muted performance.

Next showing:
Will open in limited release nationwide on August 23, 2013.

 

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The Spinning Platters Guide to the San Francisco International Film Festival 2012

This year’s edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival will transpire in theaters around the city from April 19 to May 3. Last year’s SFIFF marked the Bay Area premieres of such critically acclaimed hits as Beginners, Another Earth, and The Future. This year’s reliably diverse lineup looks just as promising, featuring new work from actors like Shirley MacLaine, Jack Black, Diane Kruger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Greta Gerwig, John Krasinski, Freida Pinto, Emily Blunt, Val Kilmer, Lili Taylor, James Franco, Susan Sarandon, and Common, filmmakers like Richard Linklater, Michael Winterbottom, Lynn Shelton, Andrea Arnold, Lena Dunham, and little-known local winemaker Francis Ford Coppola, and documentaries on subjects ranging from Diana Vreeland and Marina Abramovic to ACT UP and the epidemic of sexual violence against women in the military. The festival will also feature several events, notably tributes to Kenneth Branagh and Judy Davis (both of whom will attend), a Midnight Mass tribute to the late Ken Russell featuring a Peaches Christ-hosted screening of Tommy, and perhaps most awesomely, a program of Buster Keaton short films with live musical accompaniment by Merrill Garbus and her tUnE-yArDs crew.

After the jump, we break down the 20 films we’re most excited to see this year into three categories: World Cinema, New Directors, and Documentaries. All film descriptions are courtesy of the San Francisco Film Society.

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Spinning Platters Guide to the San Francisco International Film Festival 2011

The 54th annual San Francisco International Film Festival kicks off this Thursday, April 21, bringing with it two weeks of jam-packed film programming until its conclusion on May 5. Special guests and honorees this year include Oliver Stone, Matthew Barney, Zoe Saldana, Clifton Collins Jr., and Christine Vachon. The festival will also feature a live performance of the film scores of Claire Denis by Tindersticks.

For full information, check out the official festival website. But first, look after the jump for our top 15 movies to see this year at the SFIFF.

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SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10

Oh Captain Nemo, you know how to bring the crazy!

Although I knew nothing about the silent film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I had high expectations for this evening, all of which were piled on Stephin Merritt’s shoulders.  His amazing ability to craft the perfect quirky pop song seemed well suited to the project: creating a live score to a silent film.  This is a mainstay of the San Francisco International Film Festival, after last year’s The Lost World with Dengue Fever, and I’m very happy it is.  It is a great opportunity for a songwriter/composer to showcase his song-craft and experiment, but composing almost 2 hours of music that will enhance someone else’s work? It’s a tall order for even the most talented and interesting songwriter. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Stephin Merritt at Castro Theater, 5/4/10”

The Music Room SF International Film Festival

Of all the movies playing at the San Francisco International Film Festival Jalsaghar (The Music Room) was what I wanted to see most.

An Indian film from 1958 that has been recently restored is not your usual popcorn popping movie. It’s more of a privilege to see and everything about my experience was just that. Continue reading “The Music Room SF International Film Festival”

SFIFF in Review: Roger Ebert, James Schamus, and Other Highlights

The 53rd annual San Francisco International Film Festival concluded last night, thus ending this year’s edition of one of our fair cities’ most enduring and enriching cinematic traditions. After the jump, I’ll recap some of the festival’s highlights, ranging from Serge Gainsbourg lookalikes and Tilda Swinton speaking Italian, to James Schamus dismissing Brokeback Mountain enthusiasts and Jason Reitman teaching Terry Zwigoff how to be a douchebag.

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SFIFF Film Review: “Pianomania”

Stefan Knupfer featured in the documentary Pianomania, co-directed by Lilian Franck and Robert Cibis

As a child I was only allowed to listen to soft rock and classical music. Though I should have probably called CPS, I did not know any better. I do still however love both forms of music. This is probably why I thought Pianomania ruled. The music was absolutely enchanting. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: “Pianomania””

SFIFF Film Review: “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky”

Anna Mouglalis and Mads Mikkelsen are quite believable as this iconoclastic pair

“Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky” twists the worlds of fashion, art, music and society together.  It screams about the new-ness inherent in the early 20th century: in music, in fashion, and in people’s relationships.  The film depicts the couple’s passionate affair along with what is billed (by the film) as each of their greatest works:  Stravinsky’s ballet “The Rite of Sping” or “Le Sacre du Printemps” and Coco Chanel’s iconic fragrance Chanel No. 5.  In this day and age where music and fashion are so intertwined the film successfully takes you into the world of 1920’s Paris where this was far from the truth.  Coco Chanel is the unlikely patron here, bringing Igor Stravinsky into her world with money, and with that relationship forged, the pair change each other’s art and direction. Continue reading “SFIFF Film Review: “Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky””

SFIFF Film Review: “Rejoice and Shout”

Rejoice and Shout, the latest music documentary from director Don McGlynn (The Howlin’ Wolf Story, Somewhere Over The Rainbow: Harold Arlen, and many more) is the most thoroughly researched and exhaustive film about African-American gospel music ever committed to film. In telling the story of gospel in America, it simultaneously mirrors the entire narrative of the African-American experience, beginning with slavery and ending with the election of the nation’s first black president. It is an ambitious undertaking, and for the most part, it is successful.

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A Music Nerd’s Guide To The San Francisco International Film Festival

As a world class city, we get some pretty impressive events. Often times, these events tend to pile on top of each other, such as Fauxchella overlapping with the San Francisco International Film Festival. Of course, piling into clubs night after night can seriously wear on even the most enthused music fan, and sometimes it’s pleasant to sit in a seat in an air conditioned theater. That’s where we can serve you. There are plenty of ways to enjoy your time as a music nerd at the SF International Film Festival, and this is your guide. Ticket information can be found here.

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