Bay Area movie fans: catch these 4 festivals
Three high-profile film festivals highlight an extra-busy Bay Area movie week and weekend. Here’s a look.
California Independent Film Festival: For an eclectic array of indie movies and classics from around the globe, the California Independent Film Festival in Orinda simply can’t be beat. Film buff and director of programming Efi Lubliner stocks the program running Thursday through Nov. 17 with numerous fun selections, including such fan favorites as a “Grease” sing-along at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 that will bring to the stage director Randal Kleiser, who’s being presented with CAIFF Golden Slate Award, and actor Barry Pearl, who played Doody, in person; a free 10 a.m. Nov. 12 screening of the animated award-winner “Cats Don’t Dance”; a screening of Stanley Kramer’s comedy classic “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12, at which the fest’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Barrie Chase; and a 4 p.m. Nov. 14 screening of the ghoulish classic that has an everlasting bite to it, “Nosferatu,” with a live musical score by Patti Leidecker.
The opening and closing night films are enticing as well.
India’s raved about submission for the upcoming Academy Awards — “Last Film Show” — follows a young boy in a small village discovering and falling in love with the movies. An opening reception kicks the fest off at 6 p.m., with opening remarks at 7 p.m., followed by the film at 7:30 p.m.
And if you love historical epics, gallop on over to Orinda for the lavish closing night selection “Bet on Revenge.” It’s set in mid-1800s Hungary and follows a Lothario named Erno (the handsome Ervin Nagy) who has a change of heart when he comes across a horse named Kincsem. A 6 p.m. reception is followed by a 7 p.m. screening. Director Gabor Herendi will be on Zoom for a Q&A afterward.
Details: All screenings take place at Orinda Theater; most screenings $12, opening reception and screening, $20; festival pass $150-$250; www.caiff.org.
Arab Film Festival: The 26th edition of this acclaimed event is a movie connoisseur’s dream. Over a span of 10 days, the Arab Film and Media Institute showcases 60 films, 22 of which are directed by women.
A welcome recent development is that this under-recognized gem of a fest branches out into the East Bay — to the comfy New Parkway Theater in Oakland. Never fear anyone living in and around San Francisco, screenings will be held at the Roxie and the Castro.
The opening night selection is one of my favorite 2022 films,“The Blue Caftan,” Morocco’s entry for the 23rd Academy Awards is a beautiful, sensitively rendered love story about three good people — married couple Halim (Saleh Bakri) and Mina (Lubna Azabal), who own an old-school caftan shop in Morocco, and a new apprentice Youssef (Ayoub Missioui) — and a dying person’s last wish. Youssef and Halim are attracted to each other but temper their impulse to act on it. Halim instead continues to release his passion at a steam bath where he engages in closed-door, random sexual hookups with men. Maryam Touzani’s poignant drama is sensual rather than explicit and serves as a parable on Morocco’s suffocating attitudes toward homosexuality. Stirringly shot, compassionately told and filled with caring characters, “The Blue Caftan” marks the festival’s commitment this year to highlight LGBTQ+ stories. It screens at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Castro.
Two other films — the highly acclaimed documentary “Miguel’s War” (about a gay man’s experiences in a conservative family and the Lebanese civil war, 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at the New Parkway) and the queer musical “Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?” (8:50 p.m., Nov. 18, the Roxie). The fest’s excellent Queer Lens shorts program will be shown at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 12 at the New Parkway.
Details: Nov. 11-20; Most screenings $14, festival pass $60-$200; arabfilminstitute.org.
San Francisco Transgender Film Festival: Another event that’s deserving of a higher profile than it usually gets is the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival. It marks 25 years and again finds artistic director Shawna Virago helping spearhead it. The fest’s in-person experience is this Thursday and Friday At the Roxie in San Francisco with the program being made available online through Nov. 20.
The slate features seven programs for a total of 47 shorts.
The three shorts I watched and thoroughly enjoyed are filmmaker Roberto Fatal’s “Chaac and Yum” where a meetup at a queer bar in San Francisco harkens back to the relationship between two Mayan deities; director Whitney Skauge’s engaging and very well-made documentary “The Beauty President” – focused on drag performer Joan Jett Blakk’s (AKA Terence Alan Smith, who now lives in San Francisco) 1992 presidential bid to become the first drag president; and Megan Mead’s hilarious and entertaining “Gone Postal,” a comedy wherein a postal worker suspects the person on a route might just be the elusive serial killer featured in a podcast.
Details: Tickets, schedule and more available at www.sftff.org
Napa Valley Film Festival: Should you want to escape to the Napa Wine Country this weekend (who doesn’t?) and get some nibbles, sips and movies in, check out the Napa Valley Film Festival. It runs from Nov. 10-13.
The seven-film slate includes Cooper Raiff’s terrific Apple TV+ dramedy with Dakota Johnson, “Cha Cha Real Smooth;” Marie Keutzer’s edgy historical drama “Corsage” with an awards-worthy performance from Vicky Krieps; the Dan Kwan and Daniel Schnerit’s brilliant metaverse extravaganza “Everything Everywhere All At Once” with a kickass Michelle Yeoh and a hilarious Jamie Lee Curtis; the delightful and star-studded comedic mystery “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery;” the skewering of duplicitous faith leaders “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul,” the upcoming “Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend” with Frank Grillo who will be receiving a Spotlight Award and the tearjerker “The Son” with Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern (who will be receiving a Legend Award).
Details: Events take place at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia. Other scheduled attendees and award recipients include: Luis Guzmán, Regina Hall, Stephanie Hsu,Janelle Monáe and Raiff.
For individual tickets and a complete list of events, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org.
And finally ….
The East Bay’s Frederick Marx who produced and co-wrote the 1994 documentary “Hoop Dreams” brings along with Warrior Films and the Smith Rafael Film Center a three-day series to show the journey of war veterans and their quest to heal after serving.
“Veterans Journey Home” is composed of five individual documentaries – “Solutions” and “On Black Mountain” (7:15 p.m. Friday) “Ben’s Story” and “Kalani’s Story” (4:15 p.m., Saturday) and “Leaving It on the Land” (4:15 p.m., Sunday).
The films will also feature Q&As with Marx, producers, veterans who are featured and representatives who are helping provide services for veterans. It’s an ideal way to mark Veterans Day (Friday) weekend. Note: Marx does keep the combat footage to a minimum but some scenes could be triggering. The stated purpose remains to offer healing.
For tickets and more information, https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.
Three high-profile film festivals highlight an extra-busy Bay Area movie week and weekend. Here’s a look.
California Independent Film Festival: For an eclectic array of indie movies and classics from around the globe, the California Independent Film Festival in Orinda simply can’t be beat. Film buff and director of programming Efi Lubliner stocks the program running Thursday through Nov. 17 with numerous fun selections, including such fan favorites as a “Grease” sing-along at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 that will bring to the stage director Randal Kleiser, who’s being presented with CAIFF Golden Slate Award, and actor Barry Pearl, who played Doody, in person; a free 10 a.m. Nov. 12 screening of the animated award-winner “Cats Don’t Dance”; a screening of Stanley Kramer’s comedy classic “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12, at which the fest’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Barrie Chase; and a 4 p.m. Nov. 14 screening of the ghoulish classic that has an everlasting bite to it, “Nosferatu,” with a live musical score by Patti Leidecker.
The opening and closing night films are enticing as well.
India’s raved about submission for the upcoming Academy Awards — “Last Film Show” — follows a young boy in a small village discovering and falling in love with the movies. An opening reception kicks the fest off at 6 p.m., with opening remarks at 7 p.m., followed by the film at 7:30 p.m.
And if you love historical epics, gallop on over to Orinda for the lavish closing night selection “Bet on Revenge.” It’s set in mid-1800s Hungary and follows a Lothario named Erno (the handsome Ervin Nagy) who has a change of heart when he comes across a horse named Kincsem. A 6 p.m. reception is followed by a 7 p.m. screening. Director Gabor Herendi will be on Zoom for a Q&A afterward.
Details: All screenings take place at Orinda Theater; most screenings $12, opening reception and screening, $20; festival pass $150-$250; www.caiff.org.
Arab Film Festival: The 26th edition of this acclaimed event is a movie connoisseur’s dream. Over a span of 10 days, the Arab Film and Media Institute showcases 60 films, 22 of which are directed by women.
A welcome recent development is that this under-recognized gem of a fest branches out into the East Bay — to the comfy New Parkway Theater in Oakland. Never fear anyone living in and around San Francisco, screenings will be held at the Roxie and the Castro.
The opening night selection is one of my favorite 2022 films,“The Blue Caftan,” Morocco’s entry for the 23rd Academy Awards is a beautiful, sensitively rendered love story about three good people — married couple Halim (Saleh Bakri) and Mina (Lubna Azabal), who own an old-school caftan shop in Morocco, and a new apprentice Youssef (Ayoub Missioui) — and a dying person’s last wish. Youssef and Halim are attracted to each other but temper their impulse to act on it. Halim instead continues to release his passion at a steam bath where he engages in closed-door, random sexual hookups with men. Maryam Touzani’s poignant drama is sensual rather than explicit and serves as a parable on Morocco’s suffocating attitudes toward homosexuality. Stirringly shot, compassionately told and filled with caring characters, “The Blue Caftan” marks the festival’s commitment this year to highlight LGBTQ+ stories. It screens at 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Castro.
Two other films — the highly acclaimed documentary “Miguel’s War” (about a gay man’s experiences in a conservative family and the Lebanese civil war, 2 p.m. Nov. 12 at the New Parkway) and the queer musical “Shall I Compare You to a Summer’s Day?” (8:50 p.m., Nov. 18, the Roxie). The fest’s excellent Queer Lens shorts program will be shown at 6:45 p.m. Nov. 12 at the New Parkway.
Details: Nov. 11-20; Most screenings $14, festival pass $60-$200; arabfilminstitute.org.
San Francisco Transgender Film Festival: Another event that’s deserving of a higher profile than it usually gets is the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival. It marks 25 years and again finds artistic director Shawna Virago helping spearhead it. The fest’s in-person experience is this Thursday and Friday At the Roxie in San Francisco with the program being made available online through Nov. 20.
The slate features seven programs for a total of 47 shorts.
The three shorts I watched and thoroughly enjoyed are filmmaker Roberto Fatal’s “Chaac and Yum” where a meetup at a queer bar in San Francisco harkens back to the relationship between two Mayan deities; director Whitney Skauge’s engaging and very well-made documentary “The Beauty President” – focused on drag performer Joan Jett Blakk’s (AKA Terence Alan Smith, who now lives in San Francisco) 1992 presidential bid to become the first drag president; and Megan Mead’s hilarious and entertaining “Gone Postal,” a comedy wherein a postal worker suspects the person on a route might just be the elusive serial killer featured in a podcast.
Details: Tickets, schedule and more available at www.sftff.org
Napa Valley Film Festival: Should you want to escape to the Napa Wine Country this weekend (who doesn’t?) and get some nibbles, sips and movies in, check out the Napa Valley Film Festival. It runs from Nov. 10-13.
The seven-film slate includes Cooper Raiff’s terrific Apple TV+ dramedy with Dakota Johnson, “Cha Cha Real Smooth;” Marie Keutzer’s edgy historical drama “Corsage” with an awards-worthy performance from Vicky Krieps; the Dan Kwan and Daniel Schnerit’s brilliant metaverse extravaganza “Everything Everywhere All At Once” with a kickass Michelle Yeoh and a hilarious Jamie Lee Curtis; the delightful and star-studded comedic mystery “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery;” the skewering of duplicitous faith leaders “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul,” the upcoming “Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend” with Frank Grillo who will be receiving a Spotlight Award and the tearjerker “The Son” with Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern (who will be receiving a Legend Award).
Details: Events take place at The Culinary Institute of America at Copia. Other scheduled attendees and award recipients include: Luis Guzmán, Regina Hall, Stephanie Hsu,Janelle Monáe and Raiff.
For individual tickets and a complete list of events, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org.
And finally ….
The East Bay’s Frederick Marx who produced and co-wrote the 1994 documentary “Hoop Dreams” brings along with Warrior Films and the Smith Rafael Film Center a three-day series to show the journey of war veterans and their quest to heal after serving.
“Veterans Journey Home” is composed of five individual documentaries – “Solutions” and “On Black Mountain” (7:15 p.m. Friday) “Ben’s Story” and “Kalani’s Story” (4:15 p.m., Saturday) and “Leaving It on the Land” (4:15 p.m., Sunday).
The films will also feature Q&As with Marx, producers, veterans who are featured and representatives who are helping provide services for veterans. It’s an ideal way to mark Veterans Day (Friday) weekend. Note: Marx does keep the combat footage to a minimum but some scenes could be triggering. The stated purpose remains to offer healing.
For tickets and more information, https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.
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