Apr 2, 2013
Festival
The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 25-May 9) presents its third annual World Cinema Spotlight. Supported by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this recurring festival program brings to light a current trend in international filmmaking, focusing on original topics, reinvigorated genres, underappreciated filmmakers and national cinemas. This year’s Spotlight, Gangster Cinema, celebrates the popularity of an enduring cinematic staple by presenting three distinct works from around the globe.
Dom: A Russian Family (Russia 2012) – After a 25-year absence, a mob boss (Sergey Garmash) returns to the steppe where his abundant farm clan holds a family reunion. Combining sweeping images, complex relationships and a bitter legacy of generations of abuse and authoritarianism, this story explodes in an epic finale of blood lust and revenge. Dom: A Russian Family screens Saturday April 27, 3:30 pm; Saturday May 4, 9:15 pm and Monday May 6, 6:00 pm at New People Cinema.
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time (South Korea 2012) – Oldboy star Choi Min-sik delivers a memorable performance as a customs official who goes gangster after glomming onto a younger relative with underworld connections in 1980s Busan. Cleverly pretzeled editing and wicked violence highlight this tense, entertaining tale, which spans nearly a decade and boasts more drunken karaoke episodes and lead-pipe beatings than (probably) any other film in the festival. Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time screens Saturday April 27, 9:45 pm; Thursday May 2, 9:30 pm and Friday May 3, 1:15 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.
Outrage Beyond (Japan 2012) – Takeshi Kitano once again depicts rival yakuzas battling over territory and stature in this kinetic follow-up to his hit Outrage (SFIFF 2010). A violent and densely plotted story of betrayal and retribution, peppered by pitch-black humor, it nimbly demonstrates how the business-minded instincts of criminal enterprises quickly escalate into outrageous shooting matches when the slightest element of distrust enters the picture. Outrage Beyond screens Friday April 26, 11:45 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas; Monday April 29, 9:15 pm and Thursday May 2, 4:00 pm at New People Cinema.
For tickets and information visit festival.sffs.org.
To request screeners or interviews contact your SFIFF publicist.
For photos and press materials visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.
56th San Francisco International Film Festival
The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 25-May 9 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the 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 $70,000 in cash prizes, upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests and diverse and engaged audiences with more than 70,000 in attendance.