San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
New directors finally ready to present full seasons at S.F. Opera and S.F. Symphony
By G. Allen Johnson
If you had checked in with organizers of any one of your favorite fall film festivals when California reopened in June, chances are they would have been brimming with optimism. Coronavirus vaccinations were nearing 70% in the Bay Area, the majority of indoor movie theaters had finally started screening films again, and it seemed as if the pandemic’s end was in sight.
Then came the delta variant, which has become the most dominant strain of the virus in the country, so festival planning has focused as much on health and safety as on securing the best in world cinema. “Safety is the most important thing,” said Mill Valley Film Festival co-founder Mark Fishkin. “It’s the most important thing we can do as a society, and it’s the most important thing we can do if we want to be successful presenting this event.” To that end, MVFF, scheduled to run Oct. 7-17, will require proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test to attend its in-person screenings, which will be at reduced theater capacity. No concessions will be served and masks will be required.
Like most events during the pandemic this season, MVFF’s program will be a mix of virtual and in-person screenings.
But the celebrities the festival has been able to draw — from directors Denis Villeneuve, Jane Campion and Wes Anderson to writer-director-star Kenneth Branagh — almost makes it seem like we’re back in the pre-pandemic era.
“We’re finding that people are really excited about coming,” Fishkin said of his October event. “The Bay Area is one of the most highly vaccinated areas in the country, and Marin is one of the counties that is the most vaccinated, so we are, in a sense, in a natural bubble.”
But MVFF isn’t the only film event to look forward to this season. Here’s the fall lineup in chronological order, but note that many of the festivals below are still in the planning stages, which means some details are not yet available or are subject to change.
Lost in Lockdown: Films You May Have Missed in 2020:
Movies made by Bay Area filmmakers in 2020 were as intriguing and exhilarating as ever, but few reached the big screen because of the pandemic lockdown.
Well, the Roxie Theater and Bay Area Video Coalition got together to rectify that. Films in their series include “Los Hermanos,” a fascinating documentary about musician brothers, one in the United States and one in Cuba, directed by Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider (Tuesday, Sept. 14); and “Feels Good Man” (Sunday, Sept. 19), a documentary about Bay Area artist Matt Furie’s quest to save his cartoon character Pepe the Frog from being a symbol of the far right.
In-person appearances highlight
each screening.
San Francisco Shorts Film Festival:
The San Francisco IndieFest’s festival of short films, a format organizers call “the perfect snack — or the very best poem,” features 140 films from 23 countries spread out over 20 programs.
A healthy 35 films are Bay Areaproduced.
Online streaming Sept. 17-26; in-person screenings Sept. 17-19 at Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., S.F. Individual programs $10-13. Festival passes $65-125. sfindie.com
Crossroads 2021:
Now in its 12th year, the San Francisco Cinematheque’s festival of artist-made film and video features 61 works by 66 artists representing 22 countries and territories presented in nine curated programs.
Free live streams Friday, Sept. 17-23; free video on demand Sept. 23-Oct. 21; in-person screenings Oct. 16-17 at Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., S.F. $12-$15. sfcinematheque.org
Mill Valley Film Festival:
The stars are returning to Marin County for the fall’s crown jewel festival, with Denis Villeneuve presenting his version of “Dune” and a (tentatively) scheduled appearance by Wes Anderson for his closing-night film, “The French Dispatch.”
There’s also a tribute to actor/writer/director Kenneth Branagh, who is expected to present his autobiographical film, “Belfast.”
Tickets go on sale for California Film Institute Members on Sunday, Sept. 12, with tickets available for the general public starting Thursday, Sept. 16.
Oct. 7-17. Ticket packages range from $36-$5,500. Individual tickets $8-$16.50. Online and at the CineArts Sequoia, 25 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley; Smith Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth St., San Rafael; and the Berkeley Art Museum’s Pacific Film Archive, 2155 Center St., Berkeley. mvff.com
AIM West International Film Festival:
The occupation of Alcatraz happened 50 years ago this year. To commemorate the 19-month-long protest, when 89 Native Americans and their supporters took over the island, and Indigenous Peoples Day, American Indian Movement West presents a program highlighted by “Ojibwa Warrior: The Legacy of Dennis Banks,” a documentary about a key figure in the movement.
San Francisco Dance Film Festival:
An innovative mix of live-action ballet with animation, “Coppelia” is a modern fairy tale that makes its U.S. theatrical debut at Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture’s Cowell Theater. KQED and San Francisco Ballet are scheduled to join SFDFF in co-presenting the film starring Michaela DePrince, recently named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Europe in Art and Culture.
Otherwise, the festival is online, and includes “Ailey,” the excellent documentary about legendary dancer/ choreographer Alvin Ailey; “Isolation to Creation,” about the “performing