Local connections
Though the glitz factor of Mill Valley increases with each passing year, the film festival has never lost sight of its commitment to showcasing local filmmakers.
In the case of “Moonlight,” a coming-of-age story about a gay black man, we have a movie with both Oscar aspirations and local connections: Director Barry Jenkins is a former San Francisco resident, and actor Mahershala Ali was born in Oakland.
Here are some of the other festival films that have connections to the Bay Area:
She Started It: A documentary about female entrepreneurs in the tech industry. The local connection: Co-director Nora Poggi lives in San Francisco’s Mission District; co-director Insiyah Saeed resides in Palo Alto. Circus Kid: A documentary about a kid who performs in his father’s circus. Director Lorenzo Pisoni grew up on Potrero Hill, and the film centers on San Francisco’s Pickle Family Circus.
Bang! The Bert Berns Story: A documentary about songwriter Bert Berns, who is responsible for numerous hits. Codirector Bob Sarles lives in San Francisco’s Richmond District. Joel Selvin, former pop music critic for The Chronicle, wrote the narration, based on his book “Here Comes the Night.”
The Ballad of Fred Hersch: A documentary about gay jazz artist Fred Hersch, who performs after his stunning recovery from an AIDS-related coma. Director Charlotte Lagarde lives in Berkeley.
Company
Town: A documentary about a supervisorial election in San Francisco that centers on Airbnb. Countless San Francisco politicians and activists make appearances; co-directors Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow live in Berkeley.
The Nine: A documentary about the struggles of a ravaged community in Modesto. Director Katy Grannan lives in Berkeley.
Unleashed: A playful feature about two pets that turn into humans. The story takes place in San Francisco; director Finn Taylor lives in Berkeley. Kepler’s Dream: A family drama about a girl who is forced to live with her difficult grandmother. Director Amy Glazer lives in Oakland. Visitor’s Day: A documentary about at-risk boys in Mexico. Director Nicole Opper lives in Oakland.
Love Twice: A feature about screenplay characters who design their own story. Director Rob Nilsson lives in Berkeley.
My Love Affair With
the Brain: The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond: A documentary about brain researchers. The UC Berkeley community is featured; directors Catherine Ryan and Gary Weimberg live in Berkeley.
The Architect: A dramedy about a dream house that turns into disaster. Starring Parker Posey and Eric McCormack. Director Jonathan Parker lives in San Rafael.
Green Is Gold: A coming-of-age tale about two siblings struggling in the world of cannabis. It has a Northern California setting; director Ryon Baxter lives in Sonoma.
The Groove Is Not
Trivial: A documentary about a Scottish fiddler. Director Tommie Dell Smith lives in Cloverdale.
Paris Can Wait: A romance involving a road trip from Cannes to Paris. Starring Diane Lane (who makes any movie better). Director Eleanor Coppola lives in the Napa Valley.
In Dubious Battle: A drama about a labor dispute in 1930s California. With an all-star cast that includes James Franco, Robert Duvall, Bryan Cranston and Ed Harris. Director Franco was born and raised in Palo Alto.
California Typewriter: A documentary that pays tribute to the joys of the old-fashioned writing tool. One of the typewriter shops in the film is in Berkeley, and one of the typewriter devotees, Jeremy Mayer, lives in Oakland.
Thao: The Bay Area singer, who appears in the documentary “A Song for You: The Austin City Limits Story,” sings a solo set of the songs she performs with the San Francisco indie rock act Thao & the Get Down Stay Down. 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7. $27.
Prezident Brown and
the Itals: The Jamaican roots reggae artist is on hand to provide a soundtrack for the festival’s Cannibas Focus day. 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. $27-$32.
Alasdair Fraser and
Natalie Haas: Fraser, the Scottish fiddle player who has worked on the score for movies such as “Titanic” and “Last of the Mohicans,” is the subject of the documentary “The Groove Is Not Trivial.” He performs with Juilliard trained cellist Haas. 8:30 p.m. next Sunday, Oct. 9. $32. Erika Wennerstrom: Wennerstrom, the leader of the Austin band Heartless Bastards, also appears in “A Song for You.” She performs with Petter Stakee of Alberta Cross. 8 p.m. Oct. 10. $17-$20.
Bang! Tribute to Bert
Berns: The late songwriter and producer, who wrote songs including “Piece of My Heart” and “Twist and Shout,” is celebrated with an all-star band featuring Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performers. Author and former Chronicle critic Joel Selvin, who wrote the biography “Here Comes the Night: The Dark Soul of Bert Berns,” which provided the basis for the documentary “Bang! The Bert Berns Story,” will also be on hand. 9 p.m. Oct. 11. $50.
Fred Hersch: The pianist, who has received multiple Grammy Award nominations and became the first to have a weeklong solo engagement at New York’s Village Vanguard, performs in tandem with the documentary “The Ballad of Fred Hersch.” 8:30 p.m. Oct. 12. $57.
Alejandro Escovedo
Trio: The Texas musician, who got his start in the San Francisco punk scene in the 1970s, performs tracks from his multidecade career of blistering Americana. 9 p.m. Oct. 14. $27.
The Great Mill Valley
Gospel Show: Led by musician and producer Narada Michael Walden, who has worked with everyone from Aretha Franklin to Whitney Houston, this all-star show brings gospel to the heart of Mill Valley. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 15. $75.
Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave., Mill Valley. Tickets for all concerts available at www. mvff.com/music.