Today, it begins! The San Francisco International Film Festival(SFIFF) runs from today, April 21st through Thursday, May 5th. We’ll continue to bring you spotlights of amazing films at the festival, and cover special events and awards. But allow us to give you one last preview of the program with spotlights on two more features and three excellent short film programs. Full program available here.
Phantom Boy
(France/Belgium, 2015, 84 min, Global Visions)
From the filmmaking team that brought us 2010’s A Cat in Paris comes another fun, beautifully drawn adventure, Phantom Boy. In the film, a young cancer patient with a unique power to engage in out-of-body excursions teams up with a cop to stop a deranged gangster from taking over New York City. Constantly hilarious, always engaging, and totally charming, this film is an instant crowd-pleaser and should be on the top of everyone’s must-see festival list.
Screenings:
- Sunday, April 24rd, 1:00pm, Alamo Drafthouse
Tickets available here.
Chevalier
(Greece, 2015, 104 min, Global Visions)
Chevalier is a satirical look at male competitiveness. Six friends aboard a spear fishing boat come up with a game called “best in general”, a point-based contest to decide who among them is, well, the best in general. As they all compete in the game without much in terms of rules or guidelines, each of their flaws and insecurities rise to the surface. Chevalier picks apart the pointless effort that human beings put into comparing ourselves to each other, and highlights the honesty and humbleness that enables real connection.
Screenings:
- Saturday, April 23rd, 8:00pm, Alamo Drafthouse
- Sunday, April 24th, 8:15pm, BAMPFA
Tickets available here.
GGA: Shorts 1
(94 minutes)
This collection of six touching shorts from across the globe includes documentaries and narrative films. From an emotional portrait of an elderly Louisiana bayou couple and their experience with Hurricane Katrina, to the folks of a small town in Arkansas dealing with the effects of new LGBT laws on their traditional Passion Play-centered culture, the Shorts 1 program gets up close and personal with individuals (real and fictional) from all walks of life.
Shorts: The Boatman, The Dream of Bottom, In Attla’s Tracks, Peace in the Valley, Seide, Someone is Happy Somewhere.
Screenings:
- Sunday, April 24rd, 6:45pm, Roxie Theatre
- Thursday, May 5th, 5:30pm, Roxie Theatre
Tickets available here.
GGA: Shorts 2
(101 minutes)
The Shorts 2 program contains seven wonderful short films that continue the exploration of the various corners of the world that the Shorts 1 program kicked off. Among the intimate glimpses of real life moments like prepping for a Florida prom and partnering up for a gay Square dancing club, there are also fascinating cinematic journeys into a satirical hypnotist experience, as well as a somber look at a tiny town (population of 7) in Alberta. These incredible shorts are as emotionally resonant as they are eclectic, yet somehow they fit together as one large look at the world.
Shorts: Extremis, Night Without Distance, Partners, Passing Orion, The Send-Off, Stutterer, When You Awake
Screenings:
- Saturday, April 23rd, 6:00pm, Roxie Theatre
- Saturday, April 30th, 12:30pm, Roxie Theatre
Tickets available here.
GGA: Animated Shorts
(70 minutes)
The Animated Shorts program is one of the best collection of animated shorts at SFIFF in years. Bob Dylan Hates Me is a hilarious hand drawn account of a filmmaker’s numerous encounters with the music legend. Glove is a transcendental look at the cosmos through the lens of a lost glove in space. Life Smartphone is a quick side-splitting take on our mobile phone obsessed culture. And, The Orchestra is an absolutely delightful tale of lonely retirement home tenants in a world where pint-sized versions of each person assemble a small orchestra that follows their person around. Trust me, this is another must see program of SFIFF59.
Shorts: All Rot, Bob Dylan Hates Me, Deer Flower, Edmond, Glove, Life Smartphone, Manoman, The Orchestra, Splotch, Track
Screenings:
- Saturday, April 23rd, 9:30pm, Roxie Theatre
- Tuesday, May 3rd, 9:00pm, Roxie Theatre
Tickets available here.
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