This morning the San Francisco Film Society held a press conference in the Crown Room of the Fairmont Hotel to announce the program for the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival. Board member Melanie Blum is acting executive director following the untimely deaths of Graham Leggat & Bingham Ray within just the past few months. Opening night, featuring Farewell, My Queen by Benoît Jacquot, is dedicated to Mr. Leggat. Closing night will feature Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey, a documentary about Arnel Pinel, who lived on the streets of Manila as a child & went on to sing in a Journey cover band. When the real Journey discovered his performances on YouTube, they made him their new lead singer.
Festival programmers Rachel Rosen, Sean Uyehara, Rod Armstrong & Audrey Chang gave an overview of the events & films. The festival is not programmed thematically, so they instead try to make the most diverse program possible. Ms. Rosen identified a grouping of "filmic takes on literature," including Bonsái, Oslo, August 31 & Patience (After Sebald). Mr. Uyehara identified Where Do We Go Now as a "crowd pleaser" & Compliance as a "crowd antagonizer." The documentary selections look interesting. Mr. Rosen pointed out 3 documentaries about strong women: Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel, Ethel & Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present. Ms. Abromovic is expected to be in attendance. Mr. Armstrong listed It's the Earth Not the Moon, ¡Vivan las antipodas!, & Meanwhile in Mamelodi as documentaries about a sense of place. Mr. Uyehara remarked on the "uncomfortable" situations that Caveh Zahedi got himself into for The Sheik and I & praised the "unbelievably good" subjects of Only the Young, a documentary about young Christians. Ms. Chang mentioned Winter Nomads & Women with Cows as documentaries about animals.Live events include a State of the Cinema Address from author Jonathan Lethem, musician Merrill Garbus & guitarist Ava Mendoza accompanying 4 Buster Keaton shorts, & Sam Green performing live with his documentary about Buckminster Fuller.
§ San Francisco International Film Festival 55
Presented by San Francisco Film Society
4/19 - 5/3 2012
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