Apr 1, 2014
Festival
The 57th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 24-May 8) presents its fourth annual World Cinema Spotlight which calls attention to international filmmaking by bringing to light hot topics, reinvigorating genres, celebrating underappreciated filmmakers and focusing on national cinemas. This year’s Spotlight, New Voices in Latin American Cinema, presents five films from different Latin American countries to highlight the rich and diverse offerings of a thriving center of artistic vitality becoming increasingly relevant on the global scene. The SFIFF57 World Cinema Spotlight is generously supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
It’s been more than 10 years since Amores Perros (Mexico 2000) and the first wave of New Argentine Cinema. While it’s too soon, perhaps, to classify the titles in the Festival’s World Cinema Spotlight as a “next wave” or “new wave,” it is very apparent that there is a lot of cinematic magic happening south of the border. Strong new voices continue to surface from Argentina and Mexico and are presented here alongside assured and unique offerings by emerging filmmakers from countries less often represented on screen: Uruguay, Venezuela and Costa Rica (appearing in the program for the first time in the Festival’s 57-year history)
All about the Feathers (Costa Rica 2013) – Neto Villalobos’s debut feature details the unconventional relationship between an impoverished security guard (Allan Cascante) and the newly acquired fighting cock that he struggles to care for. Anchored by the stellar performances of a mostly non-professional cast, this quixotic Costa Rican comedy is both slyly absurdist and quietly observational. All about the Feathers screens Friday April 25, 6:30 pm at Pacific Film Archive; Sunday April 27,8:45 pm and Tuesday April 29, 6:15 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
The Amazing Catfish (Mexico 2013) – Set in Guadalajara, the film follows the quiet transformation of a solitary young woman informally adopted and absorbed into a rambunctious matriarchy in a state of crisis. Filmed by Claire Denis’ long-time cinematographer, Agnès Godard, Claudia Sainte-Luce’s debut feature, based loosely on events from her own life, blends a wry and moving naturalism with moments of inspired comedy. The Amazing Catfish screens Saturday May 3, 6:00 pm and Tuesday May 6, 9:00 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas and Thursday May 8, 8:45 pm at Pacific Film Archive.
Bad Hair (Venezuela/Peru 2013) – A 10-year-old boy’s desire to straighten his kinky hair causes outsized conflict with his unemployed, harassed single mother in Mariana Rondon’s Caracas-set drama. Unexpected issues related to Venezuela’s volatile economic situation and the young boy’s incipient homosexuality form the core of this finely acted, deceptively small-scaled story. Bad Hair screens Thursday May 1, 9:15 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas; Sunday May 4, 6:15 pm at New People Cinema and Wednesday May 7, 6:30 pm at Pacific Film Archive.
History of Fear (Argentina/France 2014) – Are strange occurrences in an affluent Buenos Aires suburb evidence that the skittish residents are actually being targeted? Paranoia runs rampant in this accomplished first feature, instilling a disorienting sense of dread in the viewer. The filmmaker foregoes ready explanations in favor of foreboding suggestions in a film that is sprawling both in scope and implications but precise and exacting in its execution. History of Fear screens Wednesday April 30, 7:00 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas; Friday May 2, 9:00 pm at New People Cinema and Wednesday May 7, 8:45 pm at Pacific Film Archive.
The Militant (Uruguay 2013) – A student leader fighting against the bosses of striking packinghouse workers in crisis-ridden 2002 Uruguay experiences a coming-of-age crisis when he inherits his father’s ranch. The radical becomes the boss and finds himself responsible for paying months of back wages to the gauchos stiffed by his dad. The Militant screens Saturday April 26, 9:00 pm at New People Cinema; Sunday April 27, 3:15 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas and Thursday May 1, 8:50 pm at Pacific film Archive.
For general information visit festival.sffs.org.
To request interviews or screeners, contact your Festival publicist.
For photos and press materials visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.
57th San Francisco International Film Festival
The 57th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 24-May 8 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, Castro Theatre and New People Cinema in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Held each spring for 15 days, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards and nearly $40,000 in cash prizes, upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests and diverse and engaged audiences with more than 65,000 in attendance.