SFFilm Fest sets drivein, online lineup
The San Francisco International Film Festival is back, revamped and recharged.
A year ago, no major film festival was impacted by the coronavirus pandemic quite like SFFilm. The Bay Area shutdown began in the middle of March 2020, and in the days before festivals had conceived of online events as a viable means of presentation, the San Francisco event was forced to cancel its April edition.
But all systems are go for 2021. The full lineup for the April 918 event was announced at a virtual news conference on Wednesday, March 24, by new Executive Director Anne Lai and Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks.
Although movie theaters are slowly reopening, SFFilm Festival 2021 will be presented online and at Fort Mason Flix drivein, with nightly showings set to include food and live performances. There are 103 films, including 42 features, and 61 short and midlength films — all of which will be available online — plus the usual bevy of world premieres (13 films) and North American premieres (15).
“The challenges of this year provided a creative and logistical obstacle course that the staff has navigated with great optimism and energy,” said Lai in a statement, adding they were “motivated to create a fun and easy experience for our audiences and filmmakers ... to ensure that our festival honors and celebrates a sense of community and connectivity.”
The opening night film, which will be available online and at the drivein, is the world premiere of the legal thriller “Naked Singularity,” starring John Boyega (“Star Wars,” “Small Axe”) and Olivia Cooke (“The Sound of Metal”). The centerpiece film, “Socks on Fire,” in which filmmaker Bo McGuire profiles his homophobic aunt and drag queen uncle, will be preceded by a live drag performance at its drivein premiere on April 10.
The closing night film on April 18 at Fort Mason Flix is “Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street,” a documentary about the classic children’s television show.
East Bay filmmaker and acclaimed documentarian Peter Nicks will receive the festival’s George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award. His latest film, “Homeroom,” a documentary about Oakland High School’s class of 2020, will also
screen at the festival following its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award goes to Dash Shaw, an artist and animator whose “Cryptozoo” — partially funded through SFFilm Makers, the festival’s artist development program — won the Sundance Film Festival Next Innovator Award.
A point of pride for festival organizers is that 57% of the films were directed by women, and 57% by filmmakers of color.
“Our filmmakers, our community and our country are all under enormous pressure right now,” Fairbanks said in a statement. “Putting together a festival in this environment was both challenging and a gift . ... We were continuously amazed and inspired by the original and provocative work being produced around the world under incredible challenging circumstances.”
For full and schedule and ticket information, go to sffilm.org.