Cinema By The Bay

Mitchell Altieri’s tense thriller HOLY GHOST PEOPLE

The San Francisco Film Society announced the program for the fifth annual Cinema by the Bay festival, taking place November 22 to 24, 2013, at the Roxie Theater. CBTB celebrates the local film scene by presenting interesting new works made in or about the Bay Area, providing an opportunity for audiences to engage with local filmmakers, and honoring the cinematic luminaries who make San Francisco such a wonderful place to love movies.  The 2013 edition of Cinema by the Bay opens on Friday November 22nd, with Mitchell Altieri’s tense thriller HOLY GHOST PEOPLE.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 22    OPENING NIGHT
7:00 pm HOLY GHOST PEOPLE
Mitchell Altieri (USA 2013)    
Mitch Altieri, one half of directing duo the Butcher Brothers, presents this unnerving descent into a cult tucked away in the Appalachian mountains. Charlotte is bent on finding her missing sister and believes that she has joined a church that includes snake handling ceremonies and speaking in tongues. She receives the help of alcoholic veteran Wayne in infiltrating the group, as they pose as initiates in order to gain information on Charlotte’s sister’s possible whereabouts. As they sink deeper into the social structure of the church, stakes, dangers and suspicions are continuously ratcheted up, making for exquisitely tension-filled viewing. Written by Kevin Artigue, Joe Egender, Mitchell Altieri, Phil Flores. Cinematography by Amanda Treyz. With Emma Greenwell, Joe Egender, Brendan McCarthy,. 89 min. Found & Lost Productions, Indie Entertainment, San Francisco Independent Cinema.
9:30 pm Opening Night Party Celebrate the Opening of CBTB at The Lab (2948 16th Street) with hors d’oeuvres and sponsored wine.
9:30 pm Holy Ghost People

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 23
12:00 pm THE GENIUS OF MARIAN
Banker White, Anna Fitch (USA 2013)    
In this personal ode to familial ties and legacy, Banker White (Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars) chronicles his mother Pam’s struggle with progressive dementia, and the result is a moving portrait of memory and loss. When Pam is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s and it becomes too difficult to continue writing a memoir about her artist mother — Marian Williams Steele, who herself suffered from Alzheimer’s — White films her remembrances as a way to keep her working on the project. Working with codirector Anna Fitch, White has crafted an intimate documentary that is an exploration not only of the devastating effects of illness, but also of two influential and compelling women. Cinematography by Banker White. 84 min. Mirabel Pictures.

2:15 pm REDEMPTION TRAIL
Britta Sjogren (USA 2013)    
In this new film by local filmmaker Britta Sjogren, two powerful yet troubled women flee a past that haunts them. The daughter of a murdered Black Panther revolutionary, Tess (LisaGay Hamilton) lives off the grid on a Sonoma vineyard, fiercely detached from all connections. Her hermetic life cracks when she gives reluctant shelter to a desperate young woman, Anna (Lily Rabe). An unlikely alliance forms between the two, where other close relationships have failed — David (Hamish Linklater), Anna’s husband, and John (Jake Weber), Tess’ employer, cannot break through their walls. But the very difference between the two women opens them up to a new vision of themselves and their future. Written by Britta Sjogren. Cinematography by Bradley Sellers. With Lily Rabe, LisaGay Hamilton, Jake Weber, Hamish Linklater. 92 min. Dire Wolf.

4:30 pm AMERICAN VAGABOND
Susanna Helke (Finland/Denmark 2013)    
The burgeoning community of homeless gay youths in San Francisco is dramatically brought to life in Susanna Helke’s poetic and evocative documentary. James and his boyfriend Tyler are desperate to escape the oppressive confines of Chico, CA and James’s disapproving parents. They head westward to the promised land of San Francisco looking for refuge and acceptance, but instead find themselves stranded among other homeless youths struggling to find a community they yearn for. With bewitching shots of San Francisco and poignant voiceover, Finnish director Susanna Helke creates a heartbreaking depiction of the tragic consequences that result when dreams and illusion collide with reality. Cinematography by Marko Luukkonen, Editor Niels Pagh Andersen, Music Samuli Kosminen. 86 min. Finnish Film Foundation.

6:45 pm ALONG THE ROADSIDE
Zoran Lisinac (Pored Puta, USA/Serbia 2013)    
In a moment of panic, Varnie, a San Francisco-based graphic designer, flees his stable life and career when his girlfriend reveals to him that she is pregnant. As he makes his way out of town towards southern California, he crosses paths with Nena, an untethered German tourist who has just missed seeing her favorite band live. When she learns that their next show will be down south, Nena convinces Varnie that she needs his help, and he grudgingly takes her along. As they interact on the road, their initial facades — Nena, the carefree, hippy-ish tourist; Varnie, the emotionally closed-off careerist — give way to deeper reflections on their complicated personalities and differences. Written by Zoran Lisinac. Cinematography by John Honoré. With Angelina Häntsch, Iman Crosson, Lazar Ristovski, Michael Madsen. 108 min. In English, Serbian, Spanish and German with subtitles. Metakwon Filmworks.

9:30 pm Street Smarts: YAK Films’ Dance Then and Now
YAK Films is an international media production team whose work with urban dance began with the legendary Turf Feinz crew in Oakland, CA, innovators of the Turf dancing style. Today, YAK is synonymous with a unique style of street-based documentation of the global dance movement, and is one of the most important teams in the world dedicated to giving voice and representation to alternate forms of expression through video, music and dance. This shorts program will trace YAK’s origins in the Bay Area and present some of their newest, unseen international works. With YAK and dance crew members in person to present their work, this program promises to inspire. TRT 75 min.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 24
12:00 pm The SF State of Cinema: Shorts from SFSU Alumni
Dating back nearly half a century, the Cinema Department at San Francisco State University is an enduring educational institution that has played a critical role in defining both the history and the future of cinema in the Bay Area. Founded in the 1960s during a time of great political activism and artistic experimentation, the SFSU film program has spawned several generations of filmmakers — undergrads and grad students alike — who form the very backbone of the local film community, as nationally renowned filmmakers, curators, and professors. This program of short films made by SFSU alumni barely scratches the surface of the great work — and great artists — being fostered amidst the fog at the end of 19th Avenue. TRT 81 min.

2:15 pm THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN
In Hak Jang (North Korea/USA 2012)
The first U.S./North Korea coproduction ever, this film is a dazzling, epic melodrama depicting the relationship between a South Korean man and a North Korean woman separated by political conflict. During the Korean War, a young nurse in a small town in North Korea saves a wounded Southern soldier abandoned by his platoon. Forced to hide his identity, the two gradually form a furtive attachment until he is forced to return to his home in South Korea. Featuring opulent set design and punctuated with glorious musical numbers, this is a startlingly original feature debut from director In Hak Jang and local writer/producer Joon Bai. Written by Joon Bai. Cinematography by Ryong Su Han. With Hyang Suk Kim, Ryung Min Kim, Jung Taik Park. 106 min. In Korean with subtitles, Transwestern Pictures.

5:00 pm Essential SF
Essential SF is the San Francisco Film Society’s ongoing compendium of the Bay Area film community’s most vital figures and institutions. This year’s inductees — Richard Beggs, Joan Chen, Nathaniel Dorsky, David Hegarty, Anita Monga and film collective Kontent Films — will be feted at this short ceremony. A key event in the Film Society’s year-round appreciation of local talent, this event shines a light on the region’s legendary idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world. Past Essential SF honorees include Les Blank, Judy Stone, Joshua Grannell (aka Peaches Christ), Rick Prelinger and H.P. Mendoza, among others.

7:00 pm THE ILLNESS AND THE ODYSSEY
Berry Minott (USA, 2013)    
Local filmmaker Berry Minott takes us on an epic journey to find the cause — and perhaps the cure — of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS and other neurological disorders. Her investigation begins on the Pacific island of Guam, where following the end of WWII, the indigenous Chamorro people were afflicted with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms from a disease called Lytico-Bodig. For years renowned scientists descended on this small village to detect the source of this mysterious illness — was it hereditary, environmental or dietary? This engaging and edifying documentary features rare archival footage and candid interviews with author/neurologist Oliver Sacks, New Yorker columnist Jonathan Weiner and many other noted scientists. Cinematography by Burt Sardoma. 75 min. Berry Minott Productions.

9:15 pm DEAR SIDEWALK
Jake Oelman (USA 2013)    
Gardner, a 24-year old mailman, fantasizes about life beyond the tedium of the sidewalks beneath his feet. We see this play out in comic interludes — about finding the perfect woman, achieving the perfect life or becoming the hero of his own epic tale. But, paralyzed by possibility and fear, he adheres to the comfort of his routine, rigidly cultivating obsessions that keep him in his small-but-safe world. This all changes when Gardner meets Paige, a newly relocated divorcee on his route, and Gardner’s quarter-life crisis collides with Paige’s mid-life one. Written by Jake Limbert. Cinematography by Tom Lembcke. With Joseph Mazzello, Michelle Forbes, Josh Fadem. 87 min. NHO Entertainment-Barcode Films.

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[caption id="attachment_2881" align="alignnone" width="1020"]A scene from Jason Wolos’ TRATTORIA, the Opening Night film at Cinema by the Bay, November 9-11 at New People Cinema [/caption]

The San Francisco Film Society announced the program lineup for the fourth annual Cinema by the Bay festival, November 9 – 11 at New People Cinema. The three-day festival will feature new work produced in or about the San Francisco Bay Area and will open with Jason Wolos’ debut feature Trattoria. Set in the world of San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture, a popular chef and his son must reconnect and heal their past through cooking if they want to save their relationship and change the direction of their lives.

The program lineup:

Friday, November 9    OPENING NIGHT
7:00 pm Trattoria
Jason Wolos    Director Expected
Set in the world of San Francisco’s competitive restaurant culture, Trattoria serves up familial drama and foodie delights. Chef Sal Sartini and his second wife Cecilia have just opened a new restaurant and are trying to generate the reviews and buzz that are critical to success. When Sal’s estranged son Vince comes to visit and help out in the restaurant, underlying tensions are brought to the surface. It becomes clear that Chef Sartini has lost his way by focusing so intensely on his success, and with the help of his son he must rekindle his passion for food and for life. (USA 2011. 82 min. Written by Jason Wolos, Dawn Rich. Photographed by Frazer Bradshaw. With Tony Denison, John Patrick Amedori, Lisa Rotondi, Kandis Erickson. Fine Dining Productions.)


Saturday, November 10
2:30 pm Casablanca mon amour    
John Slattery    Director Expected
This fiction/nonfiction hybrid presents two bright and humorous Moroccan college students, Hassan and Abdel, as they journey from Casablanca over the Atlas mountains to the Sahara desert. Hassan, in the midst of creating a media project, uses the trip to investigate how Morocco has been depicted in popular culture and used in Hollywood staples such as Casablanca (of course) and The Jewel of the Nile, among others. The conceit ingeniously allows us to see how the country has been figured in film, while also showing us the country itself and how Moroccans view their own nation through the lens of Hollywood. (USA/Morocco 2012. 79 min. In French, Arabic and English with English subtitles. Written by John Slattery. Photographed by Fara Akrami. With Abdel Alidrissi, Hassan Ouazzani, Amin Chadati, Fraida Bouazzaoui. Zween Works.)

5:00 pm Essential SF
Essential SF is an ongoing compendium of the Bay Area film community’s most vital figures and institutions. H.P. Mendoza, Judy Stone, Wholphin, Terry Zwigoff and others yet to be announced will be feted at this short ceremony. An outgrowth of SF360.org’s Essential SF column and a key event in the Film Society’s Cinema by the Bay festival, this event shines a light on the region’s legendary idiosyncratic and multifaceted contributions to the filmmaking world. Past Essential SF honorees include Les Blank, Canyon Cinema, Joshua Grannell (aka Peaches Christ), Rick Prelinger and Marlon Riggs, among others. Free admission.

7:00 pm Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet    
Jesse Vile    Subject Expected
In 1980, guitarist Jason Becker appeared to be destined for international stardom when he signed with David Lee Roth’s band at the age of 20. That same year, he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and was given 3-5 years to live. Now, more than 20 years since his diagnosis, Jason’s story is far from over. Through home movies, photographs and concert footage, this documentary presents an affectionate portrait of a gifted teenager who realized his wildest dreams at an early age and is still creating and thriving due to the care and love of his devoted family and fans. (USA 2012. 90 min. Photographed by Carl Burke. Edited by Gideon Gold.)

9:30 pm Amity    World Premiere
Alejandro Adams    Director Expected
A divorced Air Force sergeant rents a limousine to celebrate his daughter’s high school graduation, but when only a few hours before the ceremony his daughter rejects his overtures to celebrate with him, he decides to spend the evening with the limo driver. As they drink and loosen up, their camaraderie gives way to an awkward but somehow therapeutic violence, and their misadventures throughout the evening ratchet up the tension to expose an underbelly of pain. Reminiscent of the early work of Neil Labute, Amityunflinchingly presents a version of masculinity that is deeply insecure, sadistic and ultimately powerless. (USA 2012. 80 min. Written by Alejandro Adams. Photographed by Alejandro Adams. With Greg Cala.)

Sunday, November 11
2:00 pm Moving Image at the End of the World: Shorts from Headlands Center for the Arts
Presented in person by Brian Karl, Program Director, Headlands Center for the Arts
2012 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Headlands Center for the Arts, one of the most vital creative organizations in the Bay Area and the country. Headlands’ mission is to support artistic culture by providing the environment and means for artists to produce innovative work and to connect such practitioners to audiences of all sorts, and their residencies are among the most sought-after around the world. Ranging from the wonderfully humorous to the devastatingly beautiful, this not-to-be-missed program of short films consists of works that have been made at Headlands throughout the years. 

4:15 pm A Conversation with Lucy Gray
Scintillating San Francisco-based artist Lucy Gray will be on hand for an intimate talk about her work and the creative impulse. While Gray is recognized for her compelling photographs — including the “Big Tilda” exhibition at the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival — her artistry is not merely limited to photography. This unique event will feature a screening of her magical debut short film Genevieve Goes Boating, followed by two scene readings from her latest creative venture A Stage of Her Own, a play based on the life and work of theater producer Irene Selznick. Writer Steven Winn will moderate the discussion. 

6:00 pm The Revolutionary Optimists    Work-in-progress screening
Maren Grainger-Monsen, Nicole Newnham    Directors Expected
Lawyer turned social advocate Amlan Ganguly doesn’t rescue children; he empowers them through education and activism to battle poverty and transform their lives and communities. The Revolutionary Optimists follows Amlan and the children he works with — Shika, Salim, Kajal and Priyanka — as they staunchly fight against the forces that oppress them. Shot over the course of three years, this film vividly captures the vibrancy of India while taking us on an intimate journey with these children, during which we witness not only the changes they are able to make in their neighborhoods, but also the changes within each of them. (USA 2012. 83 min. Photographed by Jon Shenk, Ranu Ghosh, Ranjan Palit. Edited by Andrew Gersh, Mary Lampson. Helianthus Media.)

8:30 pm CXL    World Premiere
Sean Gillane    Director Expected
Nolan, an aspiring writer, feels stuck: he is frustrated with his career, his relationships, the world and ultimately with himself. Unable to keep from displaying his considerable disdain, he focuses on everything wrong in his life as he treads the same dissatisfying paths. When he meets the stunning and unpredictable Cassie, she invites him to let down his guard and enjoy the world around him. Nolan slowly gives in to Cassie’s exuberance, but just as he begins to change his perspective, circumstances conspire to throw his already fragile psyche into turmoil in this poignant and darkly comedic debut feature. (USA 2011. 90 min. Written by Theo Miller. Photographed by Sean Gillane. With Cole Smith, Lisa Greyson. Briana Eason, Amir Motlagh. Playlist.)

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The San Francisco Film Society will present the second annual Cinema by the Bay, a celebration of the passion, innovation and diversity of Bay Area filmmaking, the intelligence and probing spirit of local directors and the incredible depth and breadth of America’s film and media frontier, November 5 – 8 at the Roxie Theater, Southern Exposure and the Lab. The four-day festival will feature new work produced in or about the San Francisco Bay Area and provide a compelling window into Bay Area film culture and practice at its best. CBTB includes features, shorts, narratives and documentaries from well-known and emerging local talent.

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