3 Bay Area theaters part of virtual indie film festival

Indie film companies are partnering with three Bay Area movie theaters to give discriminating cinephiles a virtual film festival of sorts. It’s easy to join in. Go to the websites of any of three participating theaters — the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, rafaelfilm.cafilm.org; the Roxie in San Francisco, www.roxie.com; and the Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco, drafthouse. com/alamo-at-home — and you’ll find a schedule of the films available for streaming. Buy a $12 ticket to screen a film — the price benefits the Bay Area movie houses and the films themselves. The lineup will keep changing, but here’s a look at some of the current topnotch selections. “BACURAU” » If you thought Netflix’s “Tiger King” documentary was nutso, gird yourself for this outrageous and gory Brazilian parable set in a small town decimated by greed and corruption. This surreal genre-hopper is one of 2020’s most crazy-brilliant masterpieces. DETAILS » ★★★★ (out of 4); find it on all three theaters’ websites. “CORPUS CHRISTI” » Poland’s Oscar-nominated film challenges views on faith, redemption, reform and forgiveness via an intense story that’s reliant on a mercurial and brilliant performance from Bartosz Bielenia. He plays a 20-year-old recently sprung from a youth detention camp who winds up as an effective substitute priest in a small community. DETAILS » ★★★; Rafael and Alamo Drafthouse. “SAINT FRANCES” » Writerstar Kelly O’Sullivan joins forces with director Alex Thompson for a blessedly honest drama about Bridget, a 34-year-old server who fumbles about in life and finds stability when she becomes a nanny. Ill-equipped — or so she’s been led to believe — to care for a lesbian couple’s precocious 6-year-old (Ramona Edith-Williams), Bridget runs into complicated, messy and rarely talked-about issues that confront not just her but women everywhere. DETAILS » ★★★; Rafael. “THE WILD GOOSE LAKE” » This neo-noir from China features twists and motorcycles, a femme fatale and even strong social commentary. In his feature film debut, Diao Yinan’s moody thriller about drug runners is set in the now well-known city of Wuhan and proudly channels the vibes of genre classics. DETAILS » ★★★; all three theaters’ websites.