The 59th SF International Film Festival

I always look forward to the San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21-May 5) and this year's lineup doesn't disappoint. The Opening Night Film, Love & Friendship, stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny in a period comedy based on the Jane Austen novella Lady Susan. 

Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny in Whit Stillman's "Love & Friendship," playing at the 59th SF International Film Festival. (Courtesy of SF Film Society)

Here are a couple festival picks:

Journey to the Shore - A missing husband's ghost returns home to take his wife along a journey in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's supernatural drama. As Mizuki meets her husband's former colleagues and friends, each character deals with their own story of grief, loss and loneliness. A gorgeous and melancholy trek across Japan's peaceful landscapes, this meditative and wistful film deftly weaves magical elements with seemingly quotidian life in modern Japan.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Journey to the Shore." (Courtesy of Sayuri Suzuki and SF Film Society)

Microbe and Gasoline - Michel Gondry fans will enjoy the whimsical teen road trip. The two young protagonists, Daniel and Theo, escape the stifling constraints of family and bullying peers by embarking on an ambitious trip across the backroads of France. The charming tale is a different spin on the classic coming-of-age story, delivering gentle lessons on life and a few adventures along the way. 

Michel Gondry's "Microbe and Gasoline." (Courtesy of SF Film Society)

For more info and tickets: www.sffs.org/sfiff59

The 58th SF International Film Festival

The 58th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23 - May 7, 2015) is starting tomorrow, so plan ahead for this annual star-studded event. 181 films will be screened over the next two weeks, representing recent cinematic work from 46 countries.

Winona Ryder and Peter Sarsgaard in "Experimenter." (Photo credit: Jason Robinette. Courtesy of the SF Film Society.)

Opening with Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, SFIFF will also showcase The End of the Tour, James Ponsoldt’s portrait of David Foster Wallace. Acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro will receive the Irving M. Levin Directing Award and the festival will close with Michael Almereyda’s Experimenter, starring Peter Sarsgaard and Winona Ryder.

Here are a few festival picks:

Bota - Iris Elezi and Thomas Logoreci's intimate look at modern Albania is haunted by the legacy of its Communist regime. Juli, Ben and Nora work together in a cafe located in a remote village. The quirky regulars add color and drama to an otherwise stagnant environment, which is already suffocating under the weight of the former dictatorship. The protagonists desire a better life, but each must deal with individual problems as they face an inscrutable future.  

"Bota," playing at the 58th San Francisco International Film Festival. (Courtesy of the SF Film Society.)

Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere (Dap cánh giua không trung) - Diep Hoang Nguyen’s provocative debut is an unflinchingly honest look at life in the slums of Hanoi. 17-year-old Huyen, a pregnant college student, struggles against a multitude of obstacles to obtain an abortion. Her irresponsible boyfriend tries to raise funds with illegal cockfighting but soon leaves town to evade debtors. Huyen's desperation quickly results in escort work and she falls for her client, further complicating her increasingly troubling situation.

A scene from "Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere." (Courtesy of the SF Film Society.)

Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey (Fidelio, l'odyssée d'Alice) - Set in a gritty backdrop of cargo ships, Lucie Borleteau's feature brings us the story of a female naval engineer as she navigates a love triangle. Alice is in love with her artist boyfriend but is having a tough time resisting her captain, all the while juggling a grueling career at sea. Independent and sexually confident, she firmly establishes her place in a macho, male-dominated world while examining her emotional and physical desires.

A scene from "Fidelio: Alice's Odyssey." (Courtesy of SF Film Society)

For more info and tickets: www.sffs.org/sfiff58

57th SF International Film Festival

The 57th San Francisco International Film Festival takes place next week (April 24-May 8), so get your tickets before they're sold out. 168 films will be showcased from around the world, so there's a lot of great films to choose from. Here are a few previews: 

Claudia Sainte-Luce's debut feature, "The Amazing Catfish" ("Los Insólitos Peces Gato"), is an understated gem to savor. When lonely Claudia ends up in the hospital with appendicitis, she's pulled into the happily chaotic world of fellow patient Martha. As Claudia engages with Martha's lively household, she bears witness to Martha's daily struggle of living and dying with intention. Based loosely on the director's life, she teams up with cinematographer Agnès Godard to capture the warm, colorful scenes of Guadalajara.

Claudia Sainte-Luce's "The Amazing Catfish," playing at the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival.

Japanese singer Atsuko Maeda does a fine turn as couch potato Tamako in Nobuhiro Yamashita's light drama "Tamako in Moratorium" ("Moratoriamu Tamako"). Aimless and lethargic, loner Tamako returns home from college with little incentive to find a job. Her father endlessly dotes on her as she eats and sleep all day, but she eventually realizes that she needs to leave the nest and forge her own path. 

Atsuko Maeda in "Tamako in Moratorium."

A thinly-veiled self portrait of her past, Catherine Breillat's "Abuse of Weakness" is an honest account of a co-dependent relationship between a partially crippled filmmaker and a notorious con man. Isabelle Huppert is simply magnetic as Maud, a director recovering from a debilititating stroke. She soon discovers Vilko (Kool Shen), a celebrity con man and casts him in her next film. Painfully uncomfortable at times, it is an unflinching look at Maud's perverse power games with a dangerous man. 

Kool Shen and Isabelle Huppert in "Abuse of Weakness."For more festival information and tickets: www.sffs.org/festival-home. 

French Cinema Now (November 7-10)

Presented by the San Francisco Film Society, the sixth annual French Cinema Now will take place November 7-10 at Landmark's Clay Theatre. New works from notable filmmakers Claire Denis, Nicolas Philibert and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi will be celebrated, as well as those from emerging talents Sébastien Betbeder and Axelle Ropert.

A Castle in Italy (Un Château en Italie) — Director, actress and writer Valeria Bruni Tedeschi returns with a realistic look at the lives and crises of the European bourgeoisie. Louise (Bruni Tedeschi), an actress longing for parenthood, engages in a new affair with Nathan (Louis Garrel), a much younger actor. As she deals with her new relationship, she's pulled into the financial drama from her wealthy Italian family. An excellent supporting cast and nuanced writing make this a compelling dramatic feature to consider. 

Louis Garrel and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in "A Castle in Italy." Image courtesy of SF Film Society.

2 Autumns, 3 Winters (2 Automnes 3 Hivers) — With an indie charm of a Wes Anderson film, "2 Autumns, 3 Winters" (Opening Night film) traces the lives of thirty-somethings Arman and Benjamin. Quirky and offbeat, the two close friends navigate new romances and their subsequent complications, as well as facing the vagaries of modern French life.

Sébastien Betbeder's "2 Autumns, 3 Winters."

Miss and the Doctors (Tirez La Langue, Mademoiselle) — While attending to a young diabetic patient, sibling doctors Boris and Dimitri meet Judith, her attractive mother, and a love triangle ensues. Set in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, the film deftly addresses family devotion and the fragility of the human heart with humor and grace. 

Louise Bourgoin in Axelle Ropert's "Miss and the Doctors."

Rendezvous in Kiruna (Rendez-vous à Kiruna) — A Parisian architect is suddenly called to northern Sweden to identify the body of a son he's never known. He picks up a young Swedish hitchhiker along the way and as they pass through the idyllic Scandinavian countryside both driver and passenger confront each man's respective truth on familial ties, loneliness and forgiveness. A quiet, finely-crafted story from Franco-Swedish director Anne Novion, this one is worth a look. 

Anastasios Soulis and Jean-Pierre Darroussin in "Rendezvous in Kiruna."

For more info and to purchase tickets: www.sffs.org.

Hong Kong Cinema October 4-6

The third annual Hong Kong Cinema will take place next weekend (October 4-6) at the Vogue Theatre. Presented by San Francisco Film Society, expect to see HK movie icons Chow Yun-Fat, Andy Lau, Carina Lau and Aaron Kwok in this year's lineup. 

Carina Lau in Flora Lau's "Bends." Credit: San Francisco Film Society

Flora Lau's directorial debut, Bends, will be the Opening Night film. Featured at Cannes' Un Certain Regard, the understated drama explores the personal crises of a chauffeur and his wealthy socialite boss. To avoid heavy fines for violating China's one-child policy, Fai (Chen Kun) navigates a precarious plan to arrange for his wife's delivery in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Anna (Carina Lau) is trying to repair her financial situation as she assess the disappearance of her husband and money. Both Lau and Chen turn out superb performances as Christopher Doyle's beautiful, languid cinematography reflects the protagonists' oppressing reality under HK's glittering surface. 

Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng in Johnnie To's "Blind Detective." Credit: San Francisco Film Society

Johnnie To's Blind Detective seems like a fun comedy-thriller for a date night. Fans of Chow Yun-Fat and Sammo Hung might want to check out The Last Tycoon. 

Hong Kong Cinema
October 4-6
Vogue Theatre
3290 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, California

For more info and to purchase tickets: www.sffs.org.

56th SF International Film Festival

The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 25-May 9) is just around the corner. This year the festivities will kick off with What Maisie Knew and will close with the much-anticipated Before Midnight. I can't wait to see what happens to Jesse and Céline (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) in Richard Linklater's last installment to the Before Sunrise trilogy. 

Richard Linklater's "Before Midnight" with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke (Courtesy of the San Francisco Film Society).

Here are a couple of previews from the festival lineup:

Audrey Tautou fans will admire her work in Claude Miller's Thérèse (Therese Desqueyroux, France 2012). An adaptation of François Mauriac's famed novel, Tautou portrays a young wife suffering from a stifling bourgeois existence in southwestern France and her unhappiness culminates in extreme consequences. Her withered soul may be dulled from ennui and social conventions, yet it barely conceals her desire for intellectual stimulation and personal freedom. Breaking from her usual gamine style, Tautou delivers a smooth, nuanced performance that's definitely worth a look. 

Audrey Tautou and Gilles Lellouche in "Therese" (Courtesy of the San Francisco Film Society).

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16th New Italian Cinema (11/11-11/18)

This weekend, the 16th New Italian Cinema will kick off with a huge Valeria Golino tribute. Starting with An Evening with Valeria Golino, the acclaimed actress will screen a selection from her new feature-length directorial debut, "Vi Perdono" ("I Forgive You"), as well as her short film "Armandino e il Madre." Following a brief Q&A the event will screen "Kryptonite!" ("La Kryptonite Nella Borsa").

Valeria Golino in "Respiro," to be shown at New Italian Cinema. (Courtesy of SF Film Society)

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French Cinema Now (October 24 - 30)

The fifth annual French Cinema Now is starting this Wednesday. For an entire week, you can expect exciting works from both new and established French filmmakers. Moreover, you'll see the lovely Isabelle Huppert, Léa Seydoux, and Noémie Lvovsky grace the silver screen. Here are a few favorite picks:

 Stephane Robelin's "All Together," playing at French Cinema Now. Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society.

Both Jane Fonda and Geraldine Chaplin star in French-speaking roles in Stephane Robelin's "All Together" (Ei Si On Vivait Tous Ensemble?). A dramedy about a group of elderly friends moving in with each other, the group attempts to establish a harmonious vie quotidienne while struggling with the complicated dilemmas of aging. Vivacious and perky as ever, Fonda sparkles in her role of a dying wife. German heartthrob Daniel Bruhl also stars as the young anthropologist who documents their new living arrangements.

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Hong Kong Cinema Showcase (9/21-9/23)

HK film buffs, get ready for San Francisco Film Society's second annual Hong Kong Cinema showcase. Featuring internationally renowned actors (Andy Lau) as well as up-and-coming filmmakers, this is a weekend of fun screenings.

Maggie Cheung in Peter Chan's Comrades, Almost a Love Story. Courtesy of San Francisco Film Society.

Comrades, Almost a Love Story (Tian Mi Mi, 1996) is having a retrospective on September 22. Starring the enthralling Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love) and pop star Leon Lai, it's a complicated romantic drama between two Chinese mainland immigrants who head to Hong Kong to create a better life. It's one of my personal HK favorites from the 90s and if you haven't seen this yet, you should take advantage of this rare screening. If you're a Teresa Teng fan, this film is a nostalgic treat in more ways than one.

Hong Kong Cinema
September 21-23
New People Cinema (1746 Post Street)

Tickets & Info: SFFS.org or sffs.org/Exhibition/SF-Film-Society-Cinema/Hong-Kong-Cinema

The 55th SF International Film Festival

Cinephiles, prepare to be dazzled at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19–May 3). Featuring 174 films from 45 countries, the two-week festival will open with Farewell, My Queen (Les adieux à la reine, France 2012), Benoît Jacquot’s historical drama about the early days of the French revolution. Fans of the American rock band Journey won't want to miss the closing night film, Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey (USA 2012).

Diane Kruger in Benoit Jacquot's "Farewell, My Queen," the Opening Night film at the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival. Photo by Carole Bechuel, courtesy of San Francisco Film Society.

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