Well known for being rooted in the art of film appreciation, the SFFilm Festival returns to the Bay Area for its 67th year.
Headquartered in the former Presidio military base, the Festival is scheduled to show movies in San Francisco venues such as the Marina Theatre, Vogue Theatre and Walt Disney Family Museum. Other venues include the Premier Theater in the Presidio and BAMPFA — Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
Although the Festival’s 2024 season is short — only five days — there is no shortage of compelling films and documentaries, along with live events featuring music, interviews and presentations.
One of the most popular programs features films set in the Bay Area or made by local filmmakers. Chief among these is Didi, the opening night film, directed by Sean Wang, who grew up in Fremont CA.
Documentaries from around the world are showcased at the Marina Theatre, BAMPFA and the Premier Theater. Notable among these are Black Box Diaries from Japan, and Porcelain War from the Ukraine.
For those cinema fans for whom five days is not enough, Festival encore days will be presented at the Roxie Theater May 2-4.
Closing night will feature Thelma, a film directed by Josh Margolin, and starring June Squibb. The delightful Ms. Squibb is joined onscreen by Parker Posey, Malcolm McDowell and Richard Roundtree (his last film appearance).
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Joan Chen will be honored for her work as an actor, screenwriter, director and producer. The celebration includes a special screening of The Sent Down Girl, the first film she directed.
Short shorts and family friendly programs round out the week at SFFilm, along with “Schools at the Festival” for students and educators.
Be sure to visit the website for tickets, venues and special events. The week will go by in a flash. Don’t miss out.