San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
REEL LOCAL NEWS
Ryan Coogler’s “Fruitvale Station,” “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins’ San Francisco-set 2008 feature “Moonlight for Melancholy,” Bay Area filmmaker Cheryl Dunye’s groundbreaking 1996 drama “Watermelon Woman,” and onetime cable car grip man Melvin Van Peebles’ 1970 satire “Watermelon Man” are part of “Black Powers: Reframing Hollywood,” the SFFilm/San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Modern Cinema series, July 12-29, at SFMOMA’s Phyllis Wattis Theater.
The 28-film program highlighting African American filmmakers begins with Oscar Micheaux’s 1925 silent “Body and Soul” but mostly focuses on films made after 1970. Among rarities in the series is Kathleen Collins’ little-seen 1982 drama “Losing Ground,” believed by many to be the first feature directed by an African American woman. More familiar titles include Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.”
“We have a little bit of titles that verge on blaxploitation, but we wanted to veer away from that,” says SFFilm senior programmer Rod Armstrong. “We wanted to pick examples that really represented strides forward. Not only were they made by African American filmmakers, but also did something new, whether it’s ‘Shaft’ with its soundtrack or Ossie Davis’ ‘Cotton Comes to Harlem,’ which brought a literary flair to the genre.”
“It’s a good chance to see the evolution of black filmmaking spanning many decades,” adds Gina Basso, SFMOMA manager of film programs. “These are compelling stories about relationships between people, about economics, about class and about race at a really important time in our nation’s conversation around race.”
“Modern Cinema: Black Powers: Reframing Hollywood,” July 12-29, Phyllis Wattis Theater (SFMOMA), 151 Third St., S.F., $12, $5 early-bird pricing until July 11 for SFMOMA and SFFilm (with promo code) members. www.sfmoma. org
CAAMFest announces winners: Suzi Yoonessi’s “Unlovable,” a drama focused on a young woman trying to reclaim her sense of selfworth, is the winner of the recently concluded CAAMFest 2018 Comcast Narrative Award. Bing Liu’s autobiographical exploration of skateboard culture, race, class and masculinity, “Minding the Gap,” is the winner of the festival documentary award.
Other prizes awarded include the San Francisco Film Critics Circle award, given to Cathy Yan’s debut feature, “Dead Pigs,” and the Loni Ding Award in Social Justice Documentary, won by Mina Fitzpatrick for “A Letter for Sang-Ah.”
For a complete list of CAAMFest award winners, visit https:// caamfest.com
Bay Area Short Film Festival (BASH) ramping up: Filmmakers have until June 15 to submit their Bay Area-made short films (defined as the immediate Bay Area, Sacramento, Santa Cruz and other areas within 60 miles of the San Francisco Bay) for inclusion in the July 8 festival.
BASH showcases the work of professionals and amateurs alike in three categories: mini short (under 5 minutes), short (5-15 minutes), and extended short (15-35 minutes). The audience will vote on the films. Winners will receive trophies, and their films will screen at other Bay Area festivals.
For information on submitting a film, visit https://filmfreeway.com.
BASH, 10 a.m., July 8, Roxie, S.F., $12. www.eventbrite.com
This and that
“Skid Row Marathon,” a documentary about people fighting homelessness and addiction through running, opens the ninth annual Windrider Film Forum, June 28-30, The Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center, 555 Middlefield Road, Atherton, $15 general/$10 student. http://windrider bayarea.org/
Part-time San Francisco resident John Waters narrates “Of Dolls & Murder,” Susan Marks’ documentary about the work of Frances Glessner Lee, a Baltimore socialite whose detailed dioramas depicting violent crimes anticipated modern forensics. 7:15 p.m., Thursday, June 14, San Rafael’s Smith Rafael Film Center. Forensic instructor Angela Rhoades will take part in an onstage discussion after the screening. https://rafael film.cafilm.org/