Mar 31, 2015
Artist Development
San Francisco, CA – The San Francisco Film Society has announced its Dark Wave program for the 58th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 23–May 7), guest curated and co-hosted by Alamo Drafthouse’s Tim League. Dark Wave serves up late-night celebrations of fan-favorite genres delivering thrills, chills and laughs for festival-goers who want to take a walk on the dark side of cinema.
The Festival’s Dark Wave program includes the latest independent and international horror and sci-fi films, thrillers, gangster flicks and pitch-black comedies—just about anything with an edge. This year’s offerings include Jon Watts’ Cop Car, a charming old-school thriller featuring a hapless sheriff played by Kevin Bacon; The Editor, a campy, gory, ’70s-style romp from Canadian horror veterans Matthew Kennedy and Adam Brooks; Goodnight Mommy, Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’ terrifying Austrian look at a mother/son relationship gone horribly awry; and World of Kanako, an action-packed Japanese pulp-thriller by Tetsuya Nakashima.
“The San Francisco International Film Festival is a bedrock to the Bay Area’s vibrant film community,” said Alamo Drafthouse CEO & Founder Tim League. “We’re honored and excited to be invited to contribute a range of wild titles to complement this year’s stellar program.”
The Alamo Drafthouse New Mission theater in San Francisco will feature five screens of new release movies, independent and repertory films as well as the Alamo’s unique signature programming—a mix of classic film programming, unique alternative content and live events, foreign and independent films as well as first-run studio films. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema combines dinner, drinks, films and events, all under one roof. Their theaters have been heralded for their unique programming, events and high exhibition standards.
“We are thrilled that Alamo Drafthouse will be joining the San Francisco Exhibition community,” said San Francisco Film Society director of programming Rachel Rosen, “and we’re delighted that, in anticipation, we can bring San Francisco audiences a taste of Tim League’s expertise in late-night cinema as a part of the Festival this year.”
SFIFF58 DARK WAVE LINEUP
Cop Car, Jon Watts (USA 2014)
In director Jon Watts’ delightful throwback thriller, two good-natured but slightly mischievous young boys are having an awesome summer day in the countryside. When they stumble across an abandoned cop car hidden in a secluded glade and decide to go for a quick joyride, their bad decision leads to brutal consequences. Cop Car screens Friday April 24, 11:00 pm at the Roxie Theater.
Goodnight Mommy, Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (Austria 2014)
A mother needs absolute calm to recover from plastic surgery and becomes increasingly abusive to her free-spirited children. They in turn begin to suspect that something might not be altogether right with her since the procedure, and the stakes between them begin to ratchet up. With slow-burning tension that excruciatingly intensifies from first frame to final credits, Goodnight Mommy will leave genre fans both exhilarated and wrung out. Goodnight Mommy screens Saturday April 25, 11:00 pm and Friday May 1, 4:00 pm at Landmark’s Clay Theatre.
The Editor, Adam Brooks and Matthew Kennedy (Canada 2014)
From the fantastic team behind Father’s Day and Manborg comes a loving tribute to the giallo films of the 1970s. The Editor is a distillation of the best and the most sublimely ridiculous bits of this unique, largely Italian-made thriller-erotica-horror genre associated with filmmakers Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci and Mario Bava, among others. It’s packed with cult actors, including Udo Kier, Laurence Harvey, Tristan Risk and Paz de la Huerta in one hilarious, visually stunning, politically incorrect and violent whole. The Editor screens Friday May 1, 11:00pm at the Roxie Theater.
The World of Kanako, Tetsuya Nakashima (Japan 2014)
A disgraced former police investigator seeks redemption by trying to find his lost daughter but discovers she may have secrets that rival his own. Based on Akio Fukamachi’s 2004 mystery novel Hateshinaki Kawaki, this pitch-black film combines a ’70s sense of exploitation action with modern violent thriller sequences and a touch of unexpected humor. The World of Kanako screens Saturday May 2, 11:00pm at the Roxie Theater.
Ticketholders aged 21 and older will receive a complimentary beer courtesy of Fort Point Beer Company, the Film Society’s year-round beer sponsor.
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.
58th San Francisco International Film Festival
The 58th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 23-May 7 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, Castro Theatre, Landmark’s Clay Theatre and the Roxie Theater in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Held each spring for 15 days, SFIFF is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring nearly 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards with nearly $40,000 in cash prizes and upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests.