Mill Valley Film Festival 37 Press Announcement

Last week the California Film Institute held a press announcement at Dolby Labs for the 37th Mill Valley Film Festival, October 2 - 12. Executive Director Mark Fishkin, Director of Programming Zoë Elton, Director of Education John Morrison & Senior Programmers Karen Davis & Janis Plotkin ran through the schedule, mentioning as many films as possible.

There are 2 opening night films: Men, Women & Children, directed by Jason Reitman, & The Homesman, an "anti-Western" directed by Tommy Lee Jones & starring Hilary Swank, who will be in attendance. The 16-year-old Elle Fanning will be a Spotlight honoree, as well as actor Eddie Redmayne, who plays Stephen Hawking in the biopic The Theory of Everything. Members of Metallica are the festival's Artists in Residence, & each musician has selected a film to present & discuss.

Robin Williams will be celebrated with a free screening of footage from his surprise appearance at the festival, when he improvised an extended routine with Jonathan Winters. The Children's Filmfest has 2 shows in 3D, including a shorts program with a specially created 3D version of the iconic clock scene from Safety Last! There are also shorts programs every day of the festival.

Sweden's top grossing movie last year, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, will be shown, with the lead actor in attendance. Filmmaker Doris Dörrie is represented by her documentary about female marichis, Que Caramba Es la Vida. Laura Dern will receive a tribute at the closing night film, Wild. It's a sign of the times that The Little House is only the only movie being shown as a projected 35mm film.

Just before the press conference began, I got to chat with Ms. Elton, who immediately rattled off a list of documentaries pertaining to the performing arts, including Free, a look at the Destiny Arts Center in Oakland, & Capturing Grace, about the Mark Morris Dance Group's classes for people with Parkinson's.

§ Press Conference
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 10:00 AM
Dolby Laboratories

§ The 37th Mill Valley Film Festival
October 2 – 12, 2014