FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
FILM SOCIETY CINEMA
Filmmaker News & Notes
Lisa Fruchtman's documentary Sweet Dreams
Filmmaker News & Notes encapsulates the successes and accomplishments of the Film Society’s growing cadre of filmmaker members and is the de facto chronicle of the San Francisco Bay Area filmmaking scene. To be included in the next edition, send an email to membernews@sffs.org with “Filmmaker News & Notes” as the subject heading.
April 2012
Academy Award winner and former FilmHouse Resident Lisa Fructhman screened her documentary Sweet Dreams in the United Nation's ECOSOC Chamber on Thursday, April 12. The SFFS fiscally-sponsored film follows Kiki Katese, a Rwandan theatre director, who attempts to heal some of the psychological and emotional wounds from the Rwandan genocide by creating Rwandan's first all-women drumming troupe, and the country's original ice cream shoppe Inzozi Nziza. The screening at the UN was followed by a lively Q&A with the producers & directors Lisa and Rob Fructhman, Kiki Katese, and founders of Brooklyn's Blue Marble Ice Cream Alexis Miessen and Jennie Dunder, who helped establish Inzozi Nziza.
March 2012
Scott Kirschenbaum's You're Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don't premiered on PBS' Independent Lens on March 29. The film is the poignant look at the life of Lee Gorewitz inside the Traditions Alzheimer's & Other Dementia Care Unit at the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living. You can find more details at PBS' website or the film's site. Additionally, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and several Bay Area sponsors hosted a special sneak preview and panel discussion, on March 11. You can support this project by sharing its trailer.
Over the past eight months, Marc Smolowitz's The Power of Two visited 20 film festivals and won eight awards. On June 5, the film becomes available via Video-on-Demand and GoDigital. Additionally, in October, it will receive a national theatrical release in Japan thanks to the distributor Uplink. Throughout the spring, Smolowitz's will show across the United States, in select theatres. See if the picture is playing near you.
February 2012
After Happily Ever After, Kate Schermerhorn's quirky, funny and moving documentary film about modern marriage, which was edited at the SFFS Film House, is out now on DVD and On Demand (Passion River, Gravitas Ventures), and for educational use through Films for the Humanities. The film has recently been broadcast in France, Russia, Israel (and online in Australia) through international sales agent, Electric Sky. It will be available on PBS stations nationwide later this spring. Kate worked with distribution consultant Peter Broderick to put together their multi-tiered distribution plan. She has recently begun blogging about marriage for the Huffington Post.The film is screening at OddBall Films in San Francisco on February 10th. Kate has recently begun production on a new doc about consumerism.
Lee Schneider has been keeping busy spreading the word about Shelter, his documentary feature on the design for good movement that is currently in production. On March 5 he will be moderating a panel about urban sustainability at the 2nd annual San Francisco Green Film Festival at New People Cinema. Schneider's SFFS fiscally sponsored film now incorporates an educational initiative called Shelter: connect aiming to inspire students to mobilize the engine of design to solve the major environmental and shelter issues of the world. Be sure to check out the relaunched website to learn more about how you can get involved:
After a successful festival run in 2011 that included screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival, Starz Denver Film Festival, Berlin's Globian's Doc Fest and the San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival, Joshua Mellars’ Play Like A Lion: The Legacy of Meastro Ali Akbar Khan also screened at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco on Sunday, February 19. The screening was part of the "Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts" special exhibit, organized in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The feature-length documentary follows Alam Khan as he travels from California to India, on his first concert tour, without his ailing father, legendary Indian sarodist Ali Akbar Khan and features Carlos Santana, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, Derek Trucks, John Handy, tabla masters Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Pandit G.S. Sachdev and Khan's eldest son, Ustad Aashish Khan. It was filmed in California, Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Maihar and other parts of India.
Matt Szymanowski participated at the 2012 Berlinale Talent Campus with his SFFS fiscally sponsored The Purple Onion, a dramatic comedy about the trials and tribulations of a Chinese-American stand-up comedian in San Francisco. This 10th annual creative academy and networking platform ran from February 11-16 parallel to the Berlin International Film Festival. Szymanowski came together with 350 emerging filmmakers who met film professionals to improve their understanding of contemporary cinema and media.
SFFS fiscally sponsored documentary Opening Our Eyes will be screening at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and the Los Angeles International Women's Festival. The film comes from mother and daughter team Gail Mooney and Erin Kelly. Following eleven subjects, on six continents pursuing their dreams, and accomplishing great things.
DECEMBER 2011
DESTINATION SUNDANCE!
The San Francisco Film Society is thrilled to announce that Beasts of the Southern Wild (two-time SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant winner), Mosquita y Mari (SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant winner) and A Fierce Green Fire (SFFS Fiscally Sponsored project) have been selected to premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Narrative Competition
Dir. Benh Zeitlin
Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world.
Learn more
Mosquita y Mari
NEXT <=>
Dir. Aurora Guerrero
A friendship between two 15-year-old Latinas becomes complex as they struggle to recognize the sexual undercurrent in their relationship.
Learn more
A Fierce Green Fire
Documentary Premieres
Dir. Mark Kitchell
A definitive history of one of the most important movements of the 20th century, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the environmental movement’s fascinating evolution from the 1960s to the present.
Learn more
Ken Paul Rosenthal’s documentary Crooked Beauty won Best Documentary Short at the Picture This International Disability Film Festival; Best First Person Narrative at the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival; and an Award of Merit at the Superfest International Disability Festival. It also screened at Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival; UK Disability Film Festival; Dallas Video Fest; San Francisco Documentary Film Festival; International Berlin Director’s Lounge; Building Change Film Festival; Reel Recovery Film Festival, STEPS International Human Rights Film Festival, and InArte International Meeting of Inclusion Through Art in Lisbon, Portugal. He screened at six mental health conferences including the International Congress on Hearing Voices in Savona, Italy; a number of theaters and anarchist spaces in Brussels, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam; and was a featured presenter at Atlantic Minds Wide Open Films About Mental Wellness and Vibrant Communities In Halifax, Canada. Domestically, he visited six universities including the Rhode Island School of Design, and screened on the San Francisco Government Cable TV for Disability Employment Rights Month. To date, over 100 educational institutions have purchased Crooked Beauty. Congrats Ken!
NOVEMBER 2011
For 13-year old Mica, baseball is more than his favorite sport—it's his path to tikkun olam, the Jewish call to repair the world. Marcia and Ken Jarmel's film Got Balz? follows this intrepid teenager as he prepares for his rite of passage, the bar mitzvah, collects baseball gear for Cuban kids, and gives thanks to the tiny island that sheltered his grandfather during World War II. There's just one curve ball: the United States embargo of Cuba. Over the summer and beyond, the Got Balz? team traveled to Cuba, in order to film the realization of Mica’s (now 15) three-year effort to donate baseball equipment to Cuban youth; Independent Film Week’s Spotlight on Documentaries; and now the editing room. The new trailer and updates can be viewed at the film’s website.
Smokin’ Fish, the fiscally sponsored documentary by filmmakers Luke Griswold-Tergis and Cory Mann, tells the story of Cory Mann, a quirky Tlingit businessman hustling to make a dollar in Juneau, Alaska. He gets hungry for smoked salmon, nostalgic for his childhood, and decides to spend a summer smoking fish at his family's traditional fish camp. The unusual story of his life and the untold history of his people interweave with the process of preparing traditional food as he struggles to pay his bills, keep the IRS off his back, and keep his business afloat. By turns tragic, bizarre, or just plain ridiculous, Smokin’ Fish chronicles Cory’s attempts to navigate the messy zone of collision between the modern world and an ancient culture. This month, the film continues its festival run at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. It will also begin airing on PBS.
Congratulations to Mary Posatko and Emily Topper! The San Francisco Film Society awarded the San Francisco Film Society/Herbert Family Documentary Award, supporting the careers of the emerging filmmakers who pitched a project at the recently concluded 2011 San Francisco Good Pitch event, to the first-time directors for their social justice documentary American Village. The award — $5,000 to support the next phase of production — is part of the Film Society’s suite of filmmaker services designed to foster creativity and further the careers of independent filmmakers. The film centers around West Baltimore in 1972 when a father of 13 is shot point-blank on his way to a community meeting. Three boys are arrested, but acquitted. The victim’s family flees to California for 40 years, until a crisis forces them back to Baltimore on a desperate and redemptive search for the boys, now men. Exploring the painful legacies of blockbusting, white flight and American race relations—as well as the hopeful theme of restorative justice—American Village is both the story of a family and the story of our country. Its message: Only face-to-face can the past be repaired.
David Weissman’s fiscally sponsored film We Were Here is the Number One reviewed film on Metacritic! Nearly 30 years since the first cases of AIDS appeared in San Francisco, this feature-length documentary is the first deep and reflective look back on how the epidemic impacted the city and its inhabitants. The film will explore what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all, especially the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and the extraordinary community coalescence and empowerment.
San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation 2010 Grant winner Circumstance is shortlisted for the 2nd annual Audience Award powered by Festival Genius for the 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards. The finalists will be chosen from audience votes and will all be invited to attend the Gotham Awards where the winner will be announced live at the awards on November 28th. Circumstance, from director Maryam Keshavarz, tells the story of a father fighting to create a sanctuary of music, art and intellectual curiosity for his two children, while one child’s emerging sexuality is threatened by the other’s new-found religious devotion and political vigilance.
The SFFS Grants & Residencies Department has been quite busy, with Letter of Inquiry review panels for both the Fall KRF Grant and Fall Hearst Screenwriting Grant. The ten KRF finalists are in contention for more than $305,000, to be given to one or more feature films that through plot, character, theme or setting significantly explore human and civil rights, discrimination, gender and sexual identity and other urgent social justice issues of our time. The Hearst Grant of $15,000 will be awarded to one of nine finalists. All are mid-career screenwriters who have been practicing writers for at least five years and who have previously written a minimum of one feature screenplay. Winners of the grants will be announced in mid-December.
October 2011
The Pacific Pioneer Fund awarded grants to support Nadia Shihab’s film Poppies for Kirkuk and Daneen Aker and Stephen Eyer’s film Seventh Gay Adventists. With a uniquely intimate and observational lens, Poppies for Kirkuk documents the rapidly transforming urban landscape of the city of Kirkuk in north Iraq through the eyes of the filmmaker’s Iraqi Turkmen relatives, as they suddenly find themselves living within the strange boundaries of a newly emerging Kurdistan. Seventh Gay Adventists tells the story of John, Mark and Marian, who grew up in the Seventh-Day Adventist church, a worldwide denomination with 14 million members. They are also gay. Caught in the middle between who they are and a conservative denomination that teaches that homosexual relationships are a sin, they must choose between intimacy and the community they know and trust.
Last month, the San Francisco Film Society announced the winners of the new Documentary Film Fund, which over the next three years will disburse a series of annual grants totaling $300,000 to support feature-length documentaries in post-production. Congratulations are in order for the 2011 grant winners awarded a total of $100,000 – An American Promise, Cutie & the Boxer, and Match+. The Film Society is truly honored to support these amazing documentaries. And equally honored that the films and grant were featured in this IndieWire write-up.
Songs Along a Stony Road, George Paul Csicsery’s documentary feature, tells the story of Transylvania’s living folk musicians and of Zoltán Kallós, their guardian angel, inter-cutting musical performances with scenes from daily life. The film celebrated its European premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht. As if we needed yet another reason to visit the Netherlands.
David Weissman’s We Were Here was named one of IndieWire’s must see independent films of September. Nearly 30 years since the first cases of AIDS appeared in San Francisco, this feature-length documentary is the first deep and reflective look back on how the epidemic impacted the city and its inhabitants. The film explores what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all, especially the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and the extraordinary community coalescence and empowerment.
The Film Society’s fiscally sponsored G-dcast was awarded a three year grant from the Jewish Community Federation. The animated weekly web series features funny, animated stories told by well-loved, but little understood, Biblical characters. Based on the Old Testament, G-dcast is infused with humor, music and a very contemporary point of view – 55 different guest writers tell a story each week, and then the filmmakers animate it. G-dcast’s point of view is particularly Jewish, but universally human in its storytelling, ethics and sense of fun. Mazel Tov, Sarah Lefton! For more information visit g-dcast.com.
Joshua Mellars’ film Play Like a Lion had its Bay Area premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 9. The film tells the story of North Indian classical maestro Ali Akbar Khan’s musical legacy. Khan’s son Alam narrates as he explores the music’s tributaries in India and the United States with the aid of American and Indian musicians. Virtuoso tabla players Swapan Chaudhuri and Zakir Hussain, blues slide guitarist Derek Trucks, jazz saxophonist John Handy and other musical luminaries contribute to the musical tapestry. Another of Mellars’ films, Heaven’s Mirror, celebrated its World premiere at the Santa Rosa Film Festival, where Joshua was honored with the Distinguished Cinema Artist Award.
In August, the San Francisco Film Society and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation announced five winners and two honorable mentions of the fifth round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants. The Cherokee Word for Water, which was awarded $75,000 for production, began filming in Oklahoma last month. We cannot wait to see the footage of Timothy Kelly’s documentary in which a single mother moves back to Oklahoma from Oakland to raise her two daughters in her Cherokee childhood home. Deplorable conditions are driving families apart, and she resolves to find a way to help her tribe stay intact by spearheading a project to provide running water to the community. The success of the project inspires other Cherokee people to start their own community projects and launches the political career of Wilma Mankiller, who became the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. For more information visit fridaysfilms.com.
Smokin’ Fish, the fiscally sponsored documentary by filmmakers Luke Griswold-Tergis and Cory Mann, tells the story of a young Tlingit Indian making a pilgrimage to his ancestral home in remote rural Alaska to spend a summer living off the land and preparing traditional food, a winters supply of smoked salmon. In doing so he is forced to confront the dichotomy between his history and the modern world he lives in. His personal life story parallels his culture’s heart wrenching disintegration and struggle to revitalize itself. The film continued its festival run with the world premiere at Mill Valley Film Festival, and screenings at the Hawaii International Film Festival later this month.
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz is taking the global festival circuit by storm with screenings in San Francisco, Colorado, Washington D.C., and Tokyo. The Power of Two is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. For information regarding upcoming screenings visit thepoweroftwomovie.com.
The IndieGoGo campaign for Class Dismissed is up and running! Help filmmaker Jeremy Stuart reach his goal. From home study and kitchen table math, to perpetual recess and park days, Class Dismissed follows the story of an ordinary American family in their quest to educate their child outside the school system. As they struggle to discover what path is best for them, the social ramifications of their choices come to light, family dynamics are revealed and they come to realize that homeschooling is not just an educational choice, but also a lifestyle choice that affects the very heart of the American family. Truth and consequence, myth and assumption all come together in this fresh look at what it means to be educated in the 21st century.
September 2011
Last month, the San Francisco Film Society announced the finalists for the new SFFS Documentary Film Fund, which over the next three years will disburse a series of annual grants totaling $300,000 to support feature-length documentaries in post-production. Among the finalists are four fiscally sponsored projects, including Tamara Perkins’ Life After Life, Lisa Fruchtman’s Sweet Dreams, Adam Keker’s The Executioner Dreams of a Better Life, and Aaron Naar’s Mateo. Winners will be announced in October.
Congrats to the new round of SFFS/KRF Grant recipients! Check out the projects & filmmakers that won a total of $303,000.
For those who may have missed its screenings during SFIFF54 (or are dying to see it again), SFFS/KRF grant recipient Maryam Keshavarz’s film Circumstance opens in local theaters this month. Circumstance tells the story of a father fighting to create a sanctuary of music, art and intellectual curiosity for his two children, while one child’s emerging sexuality is threatened by the other’s new-found religious devotion and political vigilance. The New York Times did a brilliant write-up on the film. Huffington Post regards it as “more than just a crowd-pleaser.” Do not miss the film crowned top indie film of August by indieWIRE.
Connected, the innovative documentary from Tiffany Shlain, hits theaters this month. The film, which opens on September 16 in San Francisco and Bay Area theaters, takes audiences on a stream-of-consciousness ride through the interconnectedness of humankind, nature, progress and morality at the dawn of the 21st Century. This film, discussion and Internet project explores the surprising links between biology, technology, and culture, illuminating the complex relationships between our actions and the world.
A rough cut of Leslie Streit and Robin McCain’s The Elly Glass Project is nearly complete. The documentary profiles Elly Glass, who through amazing ingenuity rescued her husband from Buchenwald concentration camp in 1939. Henry P. Glass went on to build one of the first solar houses in the United States and became one of Chicago's foremost industrial designers. Now at age 92 Elly has a chance to tell her story. What emerges is a portrait of a couple whose ideas about living green were far ahead of their time. Contact the filmmakers to schedule a preview screening. For more information visit ellyglass.com.
Congratulations are in order. Director Leah Meyerhoff, and her crew, which includes producers Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), Heather Rae (Frozen River), Josh Hetzler (Seed), Robert Profusek (Holy Rollers) and Ryan Silbert, have wrapped production on I Believe in Unicorns. The film tells the story of a teenage girl living with her disabled mother who runs away with an older boy only to discover that their new life together is not the fantasy she had imagined.
At the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival in August, the Séquences journal jury awarded Best Documentary prize to Smokin’ Fish by Luke Griswold-Tergis and Cory Mann. The film tells the story of a young Tlingit Indian making a pilgrimage to his ancestral home in remote rural Alaska to spend a summer living off the land and preparing traditional food, a winters supply of smoked salmon. In doing so he is forced to confront the dichotomy between his history and the modern world he lives in. His personal life story parallels his culture’s heart wrenching disintegration and struggle to revitalize itself. The feature length documentary will continue its run on the festival circuit, screening at international film festivals in Hawaii and Mill Valley.
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz celebrates its Bay Area premiere on September 10th at the Casto Theatre in San Francisco. The Power of Two is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary offers a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles, tells the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and organ transplantation, and conveys a fundamental truth: there is a miracle in every breath.
August 2011
Ken Paul Rosenthal's poetic mental health documentary Crooked Beauty won Best Documentary Short at the Mendocino Film Festival; a Spirit Award at the Artivist Film Festival; and screened at the Pennsylvania Statewide Consumer Conference; the Psych Out Organizing Resistance Against Psychiatry Conference; and the University Film and Video Association Conference where he won an Award of Merit.
The Legend of Toilet-Seat Charlie, a short documentary by Jeremy Kaller, was featured on KQED Truly CA Shorts Podcast. The film is now viewable on KQED’s website as part of the Truly CA documentary series. The film explores the life of the creator of the toilet-seat guitar. Charlie Deal said that he “was sitting on a good idea” in 1965, when his unique vision came to him. Charlie would eventually sell his guitars all over the world, with members of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead among his customers. This short documentary explores the nature of one man’s love of rock ‘n’ roll and his relationship with a community that loved him.
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz has its world premiere on August 19, 2011 at DocuWeeks. The film will screen twice a day for seven days in Los Angeles, and then for seven days in New York City starting August 26. The Power of Two is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary offers a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles, tells the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and organ transplantation, and conveys a fundamental truth: there is a miracle in every breath.
David Weissman’s We Were Here, a documentary with a deep and reflective look back on how the AIDS epidemic impacted San Francisco and its inhabitants, won the Audience Award for outstanding documentary feature at the Outfest Awards. The feature-length documentary, which explores what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all, especially the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and the extraordinary community coalescence and empowerment, will be officially opening in theaters next month.
Presumed Guilty, a feature length documentary from first time filmmakers Roberto Hernández, Layda Negrete and acclaimed director Geoffrey Smith, has been nominated for three Emmy Awards in the following categories: Best Documentary, Outstanding Investigative Journalism (Long Form), and Outstanding Research. In December 2005, Toño Zúñiga was picked up off the street in Mexico City, told he committed a murder he knew nothing about, and was then sentenced to 20 years in jail. The award-winning Presumed Guilty is the story of two young lawyers and their struggle to free the wrongfully imprisoned Zúñiga. The film aired on PBS last month. The Emmy winners will be announced at a ceremony on September 26 in New York City.
Outfest 2011 attendees voted SFFS/KRF grant recipient Maryam Keshavarz’s film Circumstance the outstanding first U.S. dramatic feature film and Nikohl Boosheri won for her fierce and sensual portrayal of a young woman struggling to balance the tumultuous landscape of her sexuality in a world in flux around her the Grand Jury Award for outstanding actress in a feature film. Circumstance tells the story of a father fighting to create a sanctuary of music, art and intellectual curiosity for his two children, while one child’s emerging sexuality is threatened by the other’s new-found religious devotion and political vigilance.
Lisa Fruchtman, Arwen Curry, Marilyn Mulford, and Tamara Perkins received grants from the Berkeley Film Foundation. Fruchtman’s documentary, Sweet Dreams, was the Saul Zaentz Award Winner. Sweet Dreams follows the 62 members of Ingoma Nshya, Rwanda’s first and only women’s drumming troupe, who have come from both sides of the 1994 Rwandan genocide to find a haven in which they feel both safe and empowered. Now, with the help of two young American entrepreneurs, they are moving toward improving their economic future by opening Rwanda’s first-ever local ice cream shop and embarking on a remarkable experiment in economic and emotional recovery. Arwen Curry was awarded production funds for Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, a documentary exploring the life, roots, and ideas of the celebrated Bay Area-born science fiction and fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin, whilst Marilyn Mulford was awarded production funds for An Imagined Country, a documentary film that tells the story of La Peña Cultural Center, a grass roots organization where people experience art and culture from around the world and where groups involved in domestic and international social justice issues organize cultural and educational programs. Tamara Perkins was awarded the Foundation’s grant for post-production for her documentary, Life After Life. The documentary follows Harrison and Noel, who after committing unthinkable acts as teenagers and being incarcerated for decades are given a chance at Life After Life in prison.
Crime After Crime, the riveting documentary from former SFFS FilmHouse resident Yoav Potash, hits theaters this month. The film, which opens on August 5 in the Bay Area, tells the story of Deborah Peagler, a woman sentenced to 25 years-to-life for her connection to the murder of her brutally abusive boyfriend. Twenty years later, as she languished in prison, a California law allowing incarcerated domestic-violence survivors to reopen their cases was passed. Enter a pair of rookie land-use attorneys convinced that with the incontrovertible evidence that existed, they could free Deborah in a matter of months. What they did not know was the depth of corruption and politically driven resistance they would encounter, sending them down a nightmarish, bureaucratic rabbit hole of injustice. The filmmaker and subjects featured in the film will attend select screenings in San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Rafael.
Disposable Film Festival hosted a fundraiser at Sports Basement in the Presidio. There were plenty of savings and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches for all. Thank you to all those who came out in support of the festival. Your support helps fund future events in San Francisco.
Joshua Dylan Mellars’ Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan will be premiering in Berlin as part of the Globians Doc Fest on August 14, 2011 at the historic Kino Toni, Antonplatz (built in 1919 and owned by academy award winning director Michael Verhoeven and his wife, actress Senta Berger). The SFFS fiscally sponsored film tells the story of North Indian classical maestro Ali Akbar Khan’s musical legacy. Khan’s son, Alam, narrates as he explores the music’s tributaries in India and the United States with the aid of American and Indian musicians. Virtuoso tabla players Swapan Chaudhuri and Zakir Hussain, blues slide guitarist Derek Trucks, jazz saxophonist John Handy and other musical luminaries contribute to the musical tapestry.
Robert James & Ondi Timoner's Library Of Dust won the Best Non-Fiction Short Film Award at the Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan (July 26-31, 2011).
The film shows how in 2004 the Oregon State Hospital, former site of the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, revealed the existence of thousands of corroded copper urns, each containing cremated human remains. Photographer David Maisel captured these beautifully unique urns of forgotten souls on film. Exhibiting their photos revealed secrets, influenced political decisions and reunited families. This film will show how art can stimulate social change and will document the ongoing controversy surrounding a proper memorial for these institutionalized casualties.
The international independent film community’s daily news site IndieWIRE chose SFFS/KRF grant recipients Maryam Keshavarz's Circumstance & Mike Ott's Littlerock as the Indie films you must see this August.
July 2011
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz has its Bay Area premiere on September 10 at the historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Screenings will be at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, each followed by a Q&A with the Stenzel Twins & director/producer Marc Smolowitz. The film is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. The Power of Two offers a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles and their survival through miraculous double lung transplants, tells the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and organ transplantation, and conveys a fundamental truth: there is a miracle in every breath.
Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders—the series Stephen Talbot is developing for PBS—will receive a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Talbot is actively seeking matching funds to make the documentary series a reality. A pilot episode aired last year. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS have also contracted with Talbot to produce 12 more webisodes of Quick Hits, the monthly series of online music performances and interviews that his San Francisco company, The Talbot Players, produces for the PBS Arts website. Most of the Quick Hits videos have been shot and edited in the Bay Area, featuring jazz singer Meklit Hadero, rock singer KT Tunstall, and the bands Ozomatli and Dengue Fever. The series has also presented concert pianist Helene Grimaud, soul singers Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, Italian pop star Jovanotti (filmed at the Stern Grove Summer Festival) and Brazilian samba singer Seu Jorge. Talbot is seeking additional underwriting for Quick Hits to supplement the CPB/PBS funding.
Roberto Miller wrapped production in Lyon, France and is about to embark on the Californian portion of the shoot for his narrative feature Mandorla, a film about how one can realize a dream and live a more meaningful life. Ernesto, who grew up being inspired by heroes in books and movies, is trapped in the corporate world when he is called to be the hero of his own story. He refuses, but the call escalates. Despite risk to himself and family, he takes a leap of faith when he starts to follow signs that lead him on a quest that he senses is his life's true purpose. Ultimately, Ernesto must face the opposite forces within him that are tearing him apart, and find the alchemy that binds them together to create something new. For more information visit mandorlamovement.com.
Holly Million and Scott Gracheff’s With You: The Mark Bingham Story had its successful premiere at Frameline35, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. Celebrated as a festival standout, the film explores the life of Mark Bingham, the man who helped lead fellow passengers on United Flight 93 in fighting the terrorists who hijacked the plane. A national hero after 9/11, Mark Bingham was also a gay man who defied stereotypes throughout his life.
Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics On Trial is airing on PBS. Robert Martin’s half-hour documentary about the fight for gay and lesbian equality was broadcast through the entire month of June across the nation. Over the course of its two-year PBS run, the film will be watched in 1.1 million American homes. The film introduces true stories of gays and lesbians who've had their day in Supreme Court and the hidden, surprising stories of how the court came to some of its most controversial decisions. The trailer of the award-winning documentary can be watched on its newly launched website.
Beverly Kopf and Bobbie Birleffi’s Wish Me Away, a documentary with a personal and intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as gay, has won two prizes in one week: The Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Frameline 35 Festival in San Francisco. The Los Angeles Film Festival’s Jury commented: “For its honesty, humor and potential to change minds and even save lives, the jury awards the Documentary Award to Wish Me Away.” The feature-length documentary will be screening at OUTFEST in LA on July 15 and at NEWFEST in NYC on July 22. For more information visit wishmeawaydoc.com.
Max Good and Nathan Wollman’s Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle of Expression has its West Coast Premiere on August 12 at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater. This intensely entertaining documentary, which will be screened through August 18, exposes a prolific “anti-graffiti vigilante vandal” who spray-paints silver blobs over existing graffiti. Through trial and error, the filmmakers hone their amateur surveillance skills and eventually identify and confront their target.
Howard Egger-Bovet’s Nobody Knows Where the Bullet Goes, a collection of educational hip-hop videos designed for teenagers, has won a Silver Telly award. On September 30, the filmmaker will do a multimedia event at the Napa Performance Arts Center for over 600 Napa High School students in which he will show all of his films, implementing critical-thinking discussion questions. The objective of this collection is to invite teens to think critically.
April 2012
Academy Award winner and former FilmHouse Resident Lisa Fructhman screened her documentary Sweet Dreams in the United Nation's ECOSOC Chamber on Thursday, April 12. The SFFS fiscally-sponsored film follows Kiki Katese, a Rwandan theatre director, who attempts to heal some of the psychological and emotional wounds from the Rwandan genocide by creating Rwandan's first all-women drumming troupe, and the country's original ice cream shoppe Inzozi Nziza. The screening at the UN was followed by a lively Q&A with the producers & directors Lisa and Rob Fructhman, Kiki Katese, and founders of Brooklyn's Blue Marble Ice Cream Alexis Miessen and Jennie Dunder, who helped establish Inzozi Nziza.
March 2012
Scott Kirschenbaum's You're Looking at Me Like I Live Here and I Don't premiered on PBS' Independent Lens on March 29. The film is the poignant look at the life of Lee Gorewitz inside the Traditions Alzheimer's & Other Dementia Care Unit at the Reutlinger Community for Jewish Living. You can find more details at PBS' website or the film's site. Additionally, the Contemporary Jewish Museum and several Bay Area sponsors hosted a special sneak preview and panel discussion, on March 11. You can support this project by sharing its trailer.
Over the past eight months, Marc Smolowitz's The Power of Two visited 20 film festivals and won eight awards. On June 5, the film becomes available via Video-on-Demand and GoDigital. Additionally, in October, it will receive a national theatrical release in Japan thanks to the distributor Uplink. Throughout the spring, Smolowitz's will show across the United States, in select theatres. See if the picture is playing near you.
February 2012
After Happily Ever After, Kate Schermerhorn's quirky, funny and moving documentary film about modern marriage, which was edited at the SFFS Film House, is out now on DVD and On Demand (Passion River, Gravitas Ventures), and for educational use through Films for the Humanities. The film has recently been broadcast in France, Russia, Israel (and online in Australia) through international sales agent, Electric Sky. It will be available on PBS stations nationwide later this spring. Kate worked with distribution consultant Peter Broderick to put together their multi-tiered distribution plan. She has recently begun blogging about marriage for the Huffington Post.The film is screening at OddBall Films in San Francisco on February 10th. Kate has recently begun production on a new doc about consumerism.
Lee Schneider has been keeping busy spreading the word about Shelter, his documentary feature on the design for good movement that is currently in production. On March 5 he will be moderating a panel about urban sustainability at the 2nd annual San Francisco Green Film Festival at New People Cinema. Schneider's SFFS fiscally sponsored film now incorporates an educational initiative called Shelter: connect aiming to inspire students to mobilize the engine of design to solve the major environmental and shelter issues of the world. Be sure to check out the relaunched website to learn more about how you can get involved:
After a successful festival run in 2011 that included screenings at the Mill Valley Film Festival, Starz Denver Film Festival, Berlin's Globian's Doc Fest and the San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival, Joshua Mellars’ Play Like A Lion: The Legacy of Meastro Ali Akbar Khan also screened at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco on Sunday, February 19. The screening was part of the "Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts" special exhibit, organized in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. The feature-length documentary follows Alam Khan as he travels from California to India, on his first concert tour, without his ailing father, legendary Indian sarodist Ali Akbar Khan and features Carlos Santana, the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart, Derek Trucks, John Handy, tabla masters Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Pandit G.S. Sachdev and Khan's eldest son, Ustad Aashish Khan. It was filmed in California, Kolkata, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Maihar and other parts of India.
Matt Szymanowski participated at the 2012 Berlinale Talent Campus with his SFFS fiscally sponsored The Purple Onion, a dramatic comedy about the trials and tribulations of a Chinese-American stand-up comedian in San Francisco. This 10th annual creative academy and networking platform ran from February 11-16 parallel to the Berlin International Film Festival. Szymanowski came together with 350 emerging filmmakers who met film professionals to improve their understanding of contemporary cinema and media.
SFFS fiscally sponsored documentary Opening Our Eyes will be screening at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and the Los Angeles International Women's Festival. The film comes from mother and daughter team Gail Mooney and Erin Kelly. Following eleven subjects, on six continents pursuing their dreams, and accomplishing great things.
DECEMBER 2011
DESTINATION SUNDANCE!
The San Francisco Film Society is thrilled to announce that Beasts of the Southern Wild (two-time SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant winner), Mosquita y Mari (SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grant winner) and A Fierce Green Fire (SFFS Fiscally Sponsored project) have been selected to premiere at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Narrative Competition
Dir. Benh Zeitlin
Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world.
Learn more
Mosquita y Mari
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Dir. Aurora Guerrero
A friendship between two 15-year-old Latinas becomes complex as they struggle to recognize the sexual undercurrent in their relationship.
Learn more
A Fierce Green Fire
Documentary Premieres
Dir. Mark Kitchell
A definitive history of one of the most important movements of the 20th century, A Fierce Green Fire chronicles the environmental movement’s fascinating evolution from the 1960s to the present.
Learn more
Ken Paul Rosenthal’s documentary Crooked Beauty won Best Documentary Short at the Picture This International Disability Film Festival; Best First Person Narrative at the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival; and an Award of Merit at the Superfest International Disability Festival. It also screened at Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival; UK Disability Film Festival; Dallas Video Fest; San Francisco Documentary Film Festival; International Berlin Director’s Lounge; Building Change Film Festival; Reel Recovery Film Festival, STEPS International Human Rights Film Festival, and InArte International Meeting of Inclusion Through Art in Lisbon, Portugal. He screened at six mental health conferences including the International Congress on Hearing Voices in Savona, Italy; a number of theaters and anarchist spaces in Brussels, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam; and was a featured presenter at Atlantic Minds Wide Open Films About Mental Wellness and Vibrant Communities In Halifax, Canada. Domestically, he visited six universities including the Rhode Island School of Design, and screened on the San Francisco Government Cable TV for Disability Employment Rights Month. To date, over 100 educational institutions have purchased Crooked Beauty. Congrats Ken!
NOVEMBER 2011
Watch Presumed Guilty Trailer on PBS. See more from POV.
The Film Society’s fiscally sponsored (and SFIFF53 film) Presumed Guilty won an Emmy for Best Investigative Journalism! In December 2005, Toño Zúñiga was picked up off the street in Mexico City, told he committed a murder he knew nothing about, and was then sentenced to 20 years in jail. The feature length documentary, from first time filmmakers Roberto Hernández, Layda Negrete and acclaimed director Geoffrey Smith, is the story of two young lawyers and their struggle to free the wrongfully imprisoned Zúñiga. Congratulations, Roberto, Layda & Geoffrey!Got Balz? film trailer from Got Balz? Film on Vimeo.
For 13-year old Mica, baseball is more than his favorite sport—it's his path to tikkun olam, the Jewish call to repair the world. Marcia and Ken Jarmel's film Got Balz? follows this intrepid teenager as he prepares for his rite of passage, the bar mitzvah, collects baseball gear for Cuban kids, and gives thanks to the tiny island that sheltered his grandfather during World War II. There's just one curve ball: the United States embargo of Cuba. Over the summer and beyond, the Got Balz? team traveled to Cuba, in order to film the realization of Mica’s (now 15) three-year effort to donate baseball equipment to Cuban youth; Independent Film Week’s Spotlight on Documentaries; and now the editing room. The new trailer and updates can be viewed at the film’s website.
Smokin’ Fish, the fiscally sponsored documentary by filmmakers Luke Griswold-Tergis and Cory Mann, tells the story of Cory Mann, a quirky Tlingit businessman hustling to make a dollar in Juneau, Alaska. He gets hungry for smoked salmon, nostalgic for his childhood, and decides to spend a summer smoking fish at his family's traditional fish camp. The unusual story of his life and the untold history of his people interweave with the process of preparing traditional food as he struggles to pay his bills, keep the IRS off his back, and keep his business afloat. By turns tragic, bizarre, or just plain ridiculous, Smokin’ Fish chronicles Cory’s attempts to navigate the messy zone of collision between the modern world and an ancient culture. This month, the film continues its festival run at the American Indian Film Festival in San Francisco. It will also begin airing on PBS.
Congratulations to Mary Posatko and Emily Topper! The San Francisco Film Society awarded the San Francisco Film Society/Herbert Family Documentary Award, supporting the careers of the emerging filmmakers who pitched a project at the recently concluded 2011 San Francisco Good Pitch event, to the first-time directors for their social justice documentary American Village. The award — $5,000 to support the next phase of production — is part of the Film Society’s suite of filmmaker services designed to foster creativity and further the careers of independent filmmakers. The film centers around West Baltimore in 1972 when a father of 13 is shot point-blank on his way to a community meeting. Three boys are arrested, but acquitted. The victim’s family flees to California for 40 years, until a crisis forces them back to Baltimore on a desperate and redemptive search for the boys, now men. Exploring the painful legacies of blockbusting, white flight and American race relations—as well as the hopeful theme of restorative justice—American Village is both the story of a family and the story of our country. Its message: Only face-to-face can the past be repaired.
David Weissman’s fiscally sponsored film We Were Here is the Number One reviewed film on Metacritic! Nearly 30 years since the first cases of AIDS appeared in San Francisco, this feature-length documentary is the first deep and reflective look back on how the epidemic impacted the city and its inhabitants. The film will explore what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all, especially the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and the extraordinary community coalescence and empowerment.
San Francisco Film Society/Kenneth Rainin Foundation 2010 Grant winner Circumstance is shortlisted for the 2nd annual Audience Award powered by Festival Genius for the 21st Gotham Independent Film Awards. The finalists will be chosen from audience votes and will all be invited to attend the Gotham Awards where the winner will be announced live at the awards on November 28th. Circumstance, from director Maryam Keshavarz, tells the story of a father fighting to create a sanctuary of music, art and intellectual curiosity for his two children, while one child’s emerging sexuality is threatened by the other’s new-found religious devotion and political vigilance.
The SFFS Grants & Residencies Department has been quite busy, with Letter of Inquiry review panels for both the Fall KRF Grant and Fall Hearst Screenwriting Grant. The ten KRF finalists are in contention for more than $305,000, to be given to one or more feature films that through plot, character, theme or setting significantly explore human and civil rights, discrimination, gender and sexual identity and other urgent social justice issues of our time. The Hearst Grant of $15,000 will be awarded to one of nine finalists. All are mid-career screenwriters who have been practicing writers for at least five years and who have previously written a minimum of one feature screenplay. Winners of the grants will be announced in mid-December.
October 2011
The Pacific Pioneer Fund awarded grants to support Nadia Shihab’s film Poppies for Kirkuk and Daneen Aker and Stephen Eyer’s film Seventh Gay Adventists. With a uniquely intimate and observational lens, Poppies for Kirkuk documents the rapidly transforming urban landscape of the city of Kirkuk in north Iraq through the eyes of the filmmaker’s Iraqi Turkmen relatives, as they suddenly find themselves living within the strange boundaries of a newly emerging Kurdistan. Seventh Gay Adventists tells the story of John, Mark and Marian, who grew up in the Seventh-Day Adventist church, a worldwide denomination with 14 million members. They are also gay. Caught in the middle between who they are and a conservative denomination that teaches that homosexual relationships are a sin, they must choose between intimacy and the community they know and trust.
Last month, the San Francisco Film Society announced the winners of the new Documentary Film Fund, which over the next three years will disburse a series of annual grants totaling $300,000 to support feature-length documentaries in post-production. Congratulations are in order for the 2011 grant winners awarded a total of $100,000 – An American Promise, Cutie & the Boxer, and Match+. The Film Society is truly honored to support these amazing documentaries. And equally honored that the films and grant were featured in this IndieWire write-up.
Songs Along a Stony Road, George Paul Csicsery’s documentary feature, tells the story of Transylvania’s living folk musicians and of Zoltán Kallós, their guardian angel, inter-cutting musical performances with scenes from daily life. The film celebrated its European premiere at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht. As if we needed yet another reason to visit the Netherlands.
David Weissman’s We Were Here was named one of IndieWire’s must see independent films of September. Nearly 30 years since the first cases of AIDS appeared in San Francisco, this feature-length documentary is the first deep and reflective look back on how the epidemic impacted the city and its inhabitants. The film explores what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all, especially the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and the extraordinary community coalescence and empowerment.
The Film Society’s fiscally sponsored G-dcast was awarded a three year grant from the Jewish Community Federation. The animated weekly web series features funny, animated stories told by well-loved, but little understood, Biblical characters. Based on the Old Testament, G-dcast is infused with humor, music and a very contemporary point of view – 55 different guest writers tell a story each week, and then the filmmakers animate it. G-dcast’s point of view is particularly Jewish, but universally human in its storytelling, ethics and sense of fun. Mazel Tov, Sarah Lefton! For more information visit g-dcast.com.
Joshua Mellars’ film Play Like a Lion had its Bay Area premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 9. The film tells the story of North Indian classical maestro Ali Akbar Khan’s musical legacy. Khan’s son Alam narrates as he explores the music’s tributaries in India and the United States with the aid of American and Indian musicians. Virtuoso tabla players Swapan Chaudhuri and Zakir Hussain, blues slide guitarist Derek Trucks, jazz saxophonist John Handy and other musical luminaries contribute to the musical tapestry. Another of Mellars’ films, Heaven’s Mirror, celebrated its World premiere at the Santa Rosa Film Festival, where Joshua was honored with the Distinguished Cinema Artist Award.
In August, the San Francisco Film Society and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation announced five winners and two honorable mentions of the fifth round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants. The Cherokee Word for Water, which was awarded $75,000 for production, began filming in Oklahoma last month. We cannot wait to see the footage of Timothy Kelly’s documentary in which a single mother moves back to Oklahoma from Oakland to raise her two daughters in her Cherokee childhood home. Deplorable conditions are driving families apart, and she resolves to find a way to help her tribe stay intact by spearheading a project to provide running water to the community. The success of the project inspires other Cherokee people to start their own community projects and launches the political career of Wilma Mankiller, who became the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. For more information visit fridaysfilms.com.
Smokin’ Fish, the fiscally sponsored documentary by filmmakers Luke Griswold-Tergis and Cory Mann, tells the story of a young Tlingit Indian making a pilgrimage to his ancestral home in remote rural Alaska to spend a summer living off the land and preparing traditional food, a winters supply of smoked salmon. In doing so he is forced to confront the dichotomy between his history and the modern world he lives in. His personal life story parallels his culture’s heart wrenching disintegration and struggle to revitalize itself. The film continued its festival run with the world premiere at Mill Valley Film Festival, and screenings at the Hawaii International Film Festival later this month.
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz is taking the global festival circuit by storm with screenings in San Francisco, Colorado, Washington D.C., and Tokyo. The Power of Two is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. For information regarding upcoming screenings visit thepoweroftwomovie.com.
The IndieGoGo campaign for Class Dismissed is up and running! Help filmmaker Jeremy Stuart reach his goal. From home study and kitchen table math, to perpetual recess and park days, Class Dismissed follows the story of an ordinary American family in their quest to educate their child outside the school system. As they struggle to discover what path is best for them, the social ramifications of their choices come to light, family dynamics are revealed and they come to realize that homeschooling is not just an educational choice, but also a lifestyle choice that affects the very heart of the American family. Truth and consequence, myth and assumption all come together in this fresh look at what it means to be educated in the 21st century.
September 2011
Last month, the San Francisco Film Society announced the finalists for the new SFFS Documentary Film Fund, which over the next three years will disburse a series of annual grants totaling $300,000 to support feature-length documentaries in post-production. Among the finalists are four fiscally sponsored projects, including Tamara Perkins’ Life After Life, Lisa Fruchtman’s Sweet Dreams, Adam Keker’s The Executioner Dreams of a Better Life, and Aaron Naar’s Mateo. Winners will be announced in October.
Congrats to the new round of SFFS/KRF Grant recipients! Check out the projects & filmmakers that won a total of $303,000.
For those who may have missed its screenings during SFIFF54 (or are dying to see it again), SFFS/KRF grant recipient Maryam Keshavarz’s film Circumstance opens in local theaters this month. Circumstance tells the story of a father fighting to create a sanctuary of music, art and intellectual curiosity for his two children, while one child’s emerging sexuality is threatened by the other’s new-found religious devotion and political vigilance. The New York Times did a brilliant write-up on the film. Huffington Post regards it as “more than just a crowd-pleaser.” Do not miss the film crowned top indie film of August by indieWIRE.
Connected, the innovative documentary from Tiffany Shlain, hits theaters this month. The film, which opens on September 16 in San Francisco and Bay Area theaters, takes audiences on a stream-of-consciousness ride through the interconnectedness of humankind, nature, progress and morality at the dawn of the 21st Century. This film, discussion and Internet project explores the surprising links between biology, technology, and culture, illuminating the complex relationships between our actions and the world.
A rough cut of Leslie Streit and Robin McCain’s The Elly Glass Project is nearly complete. The documentary profiles Elly Glass, who through amazing ingenuity rescued her husband from Buchenwald concentration camp in 1939. Henry P. Glass went on to build one of the first solar houses in the United States and became one of Chicago's foremost industrial designers. Now at age 92 Elly has a chance to tell her story. What emerges is a portrait of a couple whose ideas about living green were far ahead of their time. Contact the filmmakers to schedule a preview screening. For more information visit ellyglass.com.
Congratulations are in order. Director Leah Meyerhoff, and her crew, which includes producers Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), Heather Rae (Frozen River), Josh Hetzler (Seed), Robert Profusek (Holy Rollers) and Ryan Silbert, have wrapped production on I Believe in Unicorns. The film tells the story of a teenage girl living with her disabled mother who runs away with an older boy only to discover that their new life together is not the fantasy she had imagined.
At the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival in August, the Séquences journal jury awarded Best Documentary prize to Smokin’ Fish by Luke Griswold-Tergis and Cory Mann. The film tells the story of a young Tlingit Indian making a pilgrimage to his ancestral home in remote rural Alaska to spend a summer living off the land and preparing traditional food, a winters supply of smoked salmon. In doing so he is forced to confront the dichotomy between his history and the modern world he lives in. His personal life story parallels his culture’s heart wrenching disintegration and struggle to revitalize itself. The feature length documentary will continue its run on the festival circuit, screening at international film festivals in Hawaii and Mill Valley.
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz celebrates its Bay Area premiere on September 10th at the Casto Theatre in San Francisco. The Power of Two is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary offers a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles, tells the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and organ transplantation, and conveys a fundamental truth: there is a miracle in every breath.
August 2011
Ken Paul Rosenthal's poetic mental health documentary Crooked Beauty won Best Documentary Short at the Mendocino Film Festival; a Spirit Award at the Artivist Film Festival; and screened at the Pennsylvania Statewide Consumer Conference; the Psych Out Organizing Resistance Against Psychiatry Conference; and the University Film and Video Association Conference where he won an Award of Merit.
The Legend of Toilet-Seat Charlie, a short documentary by Jeremy Kaller, was featured on KQED Truly CA Shorts Podcast. The film is now viewable on KQED’s website as part of the Truly CA documentary series. The film explores the life of the creator of the toilet-seat guitar. Charlie Deal said that he “was sitting on a good idea” in 1965, when his unique vision came to him. Charlie would eventually sell his guitars all over the world, with members of Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead among his customers. This short documentary explores the nature of one man’s love of rock ‘n’ roll and his relationship with a community that loved him.
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz has its world premiere on August 19, 2011 at DocuWeeks. The film will screen twice a day for seven days in Los Angeles, and then for seven days in New York City starting August 26. The Power of Two is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. The documentary offers a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles, tells the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and organ transplantation, and conveys a fundamental truth: there is a miracle in every breath.
David Weissman’s We Were Here, a documentary with a deep and reflective look back on how the AIDS epidemic impacted San Francisco and its inhabitants, won the Audience Award for outstanding documentary feature at the Outfest Awards. The feature-length documentary, which explores what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all, especially the parallel histories of suffering and loss, and the extraordinary community coalescence and empowerment, will be officially opening in theaters next month.
Presumed Guilty, a feature length documentary from first time filmmakers Roberto Hernández, Layda Negrete and acclaimed director Geoffrey Smith, has been nominated for three Emmy Awards in the following categories: Best Documentary, Outstanding Investigative Journalism (Long Form), and Outstanding Research. In December 2005, Toño Zúñiga was picked up off the street in Mexico City, told he committed a murder he knew nothing about, and was then sentenced to 20 years in jail. The award-winning Presumed Guilty is the story of two young lawyers and their struggle to free the wrongfully imprisoned Zúñiga. The film aired on PBS last month. The Emmy winners will be announced at a ceremony on September 26 in New York City.
Outfest 2011 attendees voted SFFS/KRF grant recipient Maryam Keshavarz’s film Circumstance the outstanding first U.S. dramatic feature film and Nikohl Boosheri won for her fierce and sensual portrayal of a young woman struggling to balance the tumultuous landscape of her sexuality in a world in flux around her the Grand Jury Award for outstanding actress in a feature film. Circumstance tells the story of a father fighting to create a sanctuary of music, art and intellectual curiosity for his two children, while one child’s emerging sexuality is threatened by the other’s new-found religious devotion and political vigilance.
Lisa Fruchtman, Arwen Curry, Marilyn Mulford, and Tamara Perkins received grants from the Berkeley Film Foundation. Fruchtman’s documentary, Sweet Dreams, was the Saul Zaentz Award Winner. Sweet Dreams follows the 62 members of Ingoma Nshya, Rwanda’s first and only women’s drumming troupe, who have come from both sides of the 1994 Rwandan genocide to find a haven in which they feel both safe and empowered. Now, with the help of two young American entrepreneurs, they are moving toward improving their economic future by opening Rwanda’s first-ever local ice cream shop and embarking on a remarkable experiment in economic and emotional recovery. Arwen Curry was awarded production funds for Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin, a documentary exploring the life, roots, and ideas of the celebrated Bay Area-born science fiction and fantasy writer Ursula K. Le Guin, whilst Marilyn Mulford was awarded production funds for An Imagined Country, a documentary film that tells the story of La Peña Cultural Center, a grass roots organization where people experience art and culture from around the world and where groups involved in domestic and international social justice issues organize cultural and educational programs. Tamara Perkins was awarded the Foundation’s grant for post-production for her documentary, Life After Life. The documentary follows Harrison and Noel, who after committing unthinkable acts as teenagers and being incarcerated for decades are given a chance at Life After Life in prison.
Crime After Crime, the riveting documentary from former SFFS FilmHouse resident Yoav Potash, hits theaters this month. The film, which opens on August 5 in the Bay Area, tells the story of Deborah Peagler, a woman sentenced to 25 years-to-life for her connection to the murder of her brutally abusive boyfriend. Twenty years later, as she languished in prison, a California law allowing incarcerated domestic-violence survivors to reopen their cases was passed. Enter a pair of rookie land-use attorneys convinced that with the incontrovertible evidence that existed, they could free Deborah in a matter of months. What they did not know was the depth of corruption and politically driven resistance they would encounter, sending them down a nightmarish, bureaucratic rabbit hole of injustice. The filmmaker and subjects featured in the film will attend select screenings in San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Rafael.
Disposable Film Festival hosted a fundraiser at Sports Basement in the Presidio. There were plenty of savings and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches for all. Thank you to all those who came out in support of the festival. Your support helps fund future events in San Francisco.
Joshua Dylan Mellars’ Play Like a Lion: The Legacy of Maestro Ali Akbar Khan will be premiering in Berlin as part of the Globians Doc Fest on August 14, 2011 at the historic Kino Toni, Antonplatz (built in 1919 and owned by academy award winning director Michael Verhoeven and his wife, actress Senta Berger). The SFFS fiscally sponsored film tells the story of North Indian classical maestro Ali Akbar Khan’s musical legacy. Khan’s son, Alam, narrates as he explores the music’s tributaries in India and the United States with the aid of American and Indian musicians. Virtuoso tabla players Swapan Chaudhuri and Zakir Hussain, blues slide guitarist Derek Trucks, jazz saxophonist John Handy and other musical luminaries contribute to the musical tapestry.
Robert James & Ondi Timoner's Library Of Dust won the Best Non-Fiction Short Film Award at the Traverse City Film Festival in Michigan (July 26-31, 2011).
The film shows how in 2004 the Oregon State Hospital, former site of the film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, revealed the existence of thousands of corroded copper urns, each containing cremated human remains. Photographer David Maisel captured these beautifully unique urns of forgotten souls on film. Exhibiting their photos revealed secrets, influenced political decisions and reunited families. This film will show how art can stimulate social change and will document the ongoing controversy surrounding a proper memorial for these institutionalized casualties.
The international independent film community’s daily news site IndieWIRE chose SFFS/KRF grant recipients Maryam Keshavarz's Circumstance & Mike Ott's Littlerock as the Indie films you must see this August.
July 2011
The Power Of Two, a feature-length, character-driven documentary by Marc Smolowitz has its Bay Area premiere on September 10 at the historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Screenings will be at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, each followed by a Q&A with the Stenzel Twins & director/producer Marc Smolowitz. The film is inspired by the story of Anabel and Isabel Stenzel, half-Japanese identical twins who have endured a lifelong battle with the fatal genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis. The Power of Two offers a comprehensive portrait of their personal struggles and their survival through miraculous double lung transplants, tells the compelling stories of others whose lives have been impacted by Cystic Fibrosis and organ transplantation, and conveys a fundamental truth: there is a miracle in every breath.
Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders—the series Stephen Talbot is developing for PBS—will receive a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Talbot is actively seeking matching funds to make the documentary series a reality. A pilot episode aired last year. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS have also contracted with Talbot to produce 12 more webisodes of Quick Hits, the monthly series of online music performances and interviews that his San Francisco company, The Talbot Players, produces for the PBS Arts website. Most of the Quick Hits videos have been shot and edited in the Bay Area, featuring jazz singer Meklit Hadero, rock singer KT Tunstall, and the bands Ozomatli and Dengue Fever. The series has also presented concert pianist Helene Grimaud, soul singers Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, Italian pop star Jovanotti (filmed at the Stern Grove Summer Festival) and Brazilian samba singer Seu Jorge. Talbot is seeking additional underwriting for Quick Hits to supplement the CPB/PBS funding.
Roberto Miller wrapped production in Lyon, France and is about to embark on the Californian portion of the shoot for his narrative feature Mandorla, a film about how one can realize a dream and live a more meaningful life. Ernesto, who grew up being inspired by heroes in books and movies, is trapped in the corporate world when he is called to be the hero of his own story. He refuses, but the call escalates. Despite risk to himself and family, he takes a leap of faith when he starts to follow signs that lead him on a quest that he senses is his life's true purpose. Ultimately, Ernesto must face the opposite forces within him that are tearing him apart, and find the alchemy that binds them together to create something new. For more information visit mandorlamovement.com.
Holly Million and Scott Gracheff’s With You: The Mark Bingham Story had its successful premiere at Frameline35, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. Celebrated as a festival standout, the film explores the life of Mark Bingham, the man who helped lead fellow passengers on United Flight 93 in fighting the terrorists who hijacked the plane. A national hero after 9/11, Mark Bingham was also a gay man who defied stereotypes throughout his life.
Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics On Trial is airing on PBS. Robert Martin’s half-hour documentary about the fight for gay and lesbian equality was broadcast through the entire month of June across the nation. Over the course of its two-year PBS run, the film will be watched in 1.1 million American homes. The film introduces true stories of gays and lesbians who've had their day in Supreme Court and the hidden, surprising stories of how the court came to some of its most controversial decisions. The trailer of the award-winning documentary can be watched on its newly launched website.
Beverly Kopf and Bobbie Birleffi’s Wish Me Away, a documentary with a personal and intimate look at Chely Wright, the first country music star to come out as gay, has won two prizes in one week: The Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Frameline 35 Festival in San Francisco. The Los Angeles Film Festival’s Jury commented: “For its honesty, humor and potential to change minds and even save lives, the jury awards the Documentary Award to Wish Me Away.” The feature-length documentary will be screening at OUTFEST in LA on July 15 and at NEWFEST in NYC on July 22. For more information visit wishmeawaydoc.com.
Max Good and Nathan Wollman’s Vigilante Vigilante: The Battle of Expression has its West Coast Premiere on August 12 at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater. This intensely entertaining documentary, which will be screened through August 18, exposes a prolific “anti-graffiti vigilante vandal” who spray-paints silver blobs over existing graffiti. Through trial and error, the filmmakers hone their amateur surveillance skills and eventually identify and confront their target.
Howard Egger-Bovet’s Nobody Knows Where the Bullet Goes, a collection of educational hip-hop videos designed for teenagers, has won a Silver Telly award. On September 30, the filmmaker will do a multimedia event at the Napa Performance Arts Center for over 600 Napa High School students in which he will show all of his films, implementing critical-thinking discussion questions. The objective of this collection is to invite teens to think critically.