Opening Night: Late Fame
When a retired poet’s forgotten writings capture the attention of a vibrant NYC group, admiration, longing, and desire stir in this heartfelt, witty meditation on ambition and second chances. Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee star.
Highlights
Opening Night Party
After the screening, come celebrate the opening of the 2026 SFFILM Festival at our Opening Night Party at the Swedish American Hall. Dance the night away while enjoying delicious drinks and bites.
Late Fame
When a retired poet’s forgotten writings capture the attention of a vibrant NYC group, admiration, longing, and desire stir in this heartfelt, witty meditation on ambition and second chances.
Description
The latest feature from Kent Jones (former director of the New York Film Festival) is a gently piercing dramedy about ambition, obscurity, and the echoes of youthful dreams. Ed Saxberger (a beautifully restrained Willem Dafoe) once arrived in New York determined to be a poet, publishing a slim volume before settling into the quiet routines of postal work. As his retirement nears, an ardent group of downtown bohemians, led by the captivating Gloria (Greta Lee), discover Ed’s long-forgotten book and insist on honoring him with a literary salon. What begins as flattery soon stirs doubt, longing, and unexpected desire. With a sharp, literate screenplay by Samy Burch, Jones crafts a wise, sparkling New York tale about reinvention and the courage it takes to be truly seen. —Jessie Fairbanks
Biographies
Kent Jones is a film critic and programmer, in addition to being a filmmaker. From 2013-2019, he was the Director of the New York Film Festival. His films include the documentaries Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2007), A Letter to Elia (2010), and Hitchcock/Truffaut (Doc Stories 2015), and the narrative Diane (2018), which was nominated for a Film Independent Spirit Awards’ Best First Feature prize.