Some likely highlights of the Sonoma festival
Cinema on the square: That’s always been the idea behind the Sonoma International Film Festival, which will screen more than 120 films on or near the city’s picturesque plaza, Wednesday through Sunday, March 21-25.
“Over the past 21 years, we have worked hard to build a worldclass festival that showcases amazing international talent alongside the best the Sonoma region has to offer,” said festival director Kevin McNeely.
This year’s festival will honor the emergency first responders who fought the devastating Wine Country fires in October.
As usual, there will be plenty of food and wine to go along with the movies. Here are just a few of the events worth checking out: “Back to Burgundy”: One of the two openingnight features, this engaging film follows three siblings who must sort out their vineyard — and their feelings toward each other — in the wake of their father’s death. It’s an authentic look into the world of winemaking — and a perfect fit for this festival. 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, Sebastiani Theatre. “Borg McEnroe”: The second opening-night film features Shia LaBeouf as John McEnroe and Sverrir Gudnason as Bjorn Borg in the story of the 1980s tennis rivalry between the two players of differing temperaments. 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, Veterans Memorial Hall. “Chefs and Shorts”: Five celebrity chefs will prepare their own courses that will be served before each of the five short films that inspired their dishes. The culinary luminaries will include Dominque Crenn of San Francisco, the first female chef in the United States to receive two Michelin stars. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, Veterans Memorial Hall. “Becoming Cary Grant”: This documentary profiles the legendary movie star, a complicated man who spent much of his life trying to be the real-life movie persona that he created. 2:15 p.m. Friday, March 23, Sebastiani; 9 a.m. March 25, S.F. Chronicle House of Docs & Shorts. “Going Home”: This haunting, seven-minute documentary follows a family who returns to the rubble of their home in the days following fires that ravaged entire neighborhoods of the Wine Country. It becomes quickly apparent that the only thing they have left is their memories. 11:45 a.m. Thursday, March 22, Veterans Memorial Hall; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, Andrews Hall.