Sep 23, 2020
SFFILM
SFFILM’s First In-Person Programming Since the Cancellation of the 2020 Festival Will Consist of Four Screenings Over Two Evenings at San Francisco’s Newest Drive-In
San Francisco, CA – SFFILM has announced two nights of programming at FORT MASON FLIX , the exciting new pop-up drive-in at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, October 3–4. SFFILM has selected four films to screen over the two evenings, covering a range of styles and subjects.
“It’s truly exciting to have an opportunity to present screenings for our audiences in person, after the heartbreaking cancellation of the SFFILM Festival this last April,” said SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai. “SFFILM is committed to celebrating great films in any way we safely can, and we’re grateful to FORT MASON FLIX for creating a new venue for us to gather and enjoy a weekend of screenings together.”
Tickets are $40 per car for SFFILM members, $45 per car for the general public. Tickets are now on sale to SFFILM members only, general on-sale begins at 2:00 pm on Thursday, September 24. Visit sffilm.org/presents for more information.
SFFILM is excited to partner with the FORT MASON FLIX drive-in to present two evenings of programs for film lovers of all stripes. With a little something for everyone, the four films in this weekend series feature an early preview of a highly anticipated music doc, a contemporary San Francisco classic from an emerging auteur, a classic family film from our Bay Area friends at Pixar, and a rarely screened gritty noir perfect for a Sunday night in the fog.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3
6:00 pm – Medicine for Melancholy
Barry Jenkins, USA 2008, 88 min. Special pre-recorded introduction by director Barry Jenkins
After hooking up at a party, Jo (Tracey Heggins) considers her alcohol-fueled one-night stand with Micah (Wyatt Cenac) history, but he is eager to explore the possibility of a deeper connection. Their intimacy grows, along with an air of pensive reflection as each challenges the other’s assumptions, core beliefs, and sense of identity. Gorgeously shot in muted tones on the streets of San Francisco, through neighborhoods ranging from the tony Marina to the gritty Tenderloin, Barry Jenkins’ (Moonlight) debut feature begins as a bittersweet, erotic romance between near strangers and evolves into a complex tale with wider implications. The couple’s visit to the Museum of the African Diaspora becomes richly ironic, especially for Micah, who is only too aware of the ongoing African American exodus from the city. As they wander around town, their conversation encompasses the personal and political, touching on issues of race, class, assimilation, and gentrification that seems exceedingly relevant 12 years later.
9:00 pm – Zappa
Alex Winter, USA 2020, 129 min. Special pre-recorded introduction by director Alex Winter
It’s been almost 30 years since Frank Zappa’s death, yet his legacy is prodigious. Granted unfettered access to the musician’s archives, Alex Winter (Deep Web, Festival 2015) unearths stellar footage ranging from Zappa’s first high-school group to the Mothers of Invention to his wide-ranging solo career. Winter also shows how the multi-instrumentalist virtuoso, filmmaker, and devoted family man boldly argued for artistic freedom in manifold ways. A film for devoted fans and novices alike, Zappa stands as the definitive portrait of this seminal artist. This film was originally scheduled to screen as part of the 2020 SFFILM Festival.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
6:00 pm – Inside Out
Pete Docter, USA 2015, 102 min.
Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s film Inside Out ventures inside the mind to find out. Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair, and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned — both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else.
9:00 pm – The Hitch-Hiker
Ida Lupino, USA 1953, 72 min.
Many, including [Ida] Lupino herself, have called The Hitch-Hiker her best film. It is her only classic noir, a tour-de-force thriller in which agony is externalized in striking camerawork and on-pulse editing. Two Americans on a Mexican fishing trip pick up a hitchhiker, and their car and lives are suddenly commandeered by a psychopathic gunman with one eye that never closes, even in sleep. In the pitiless no-man’s-land of the Mexican desert, they attempt to outwit the unpredictability of evil. The Hitch-Hiker transcends a paranoid cautionary tale about the menace of strangers to focus on the existential crisis of Americans after they have glimpsed the other side. —Judy Bloch, BAMPFA
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FORT MASON FLIX
FORT MASON FLIX is a pop-up drive-in movie theater produced by Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture (FMCAC). Housed on FMCAC’s historic waterfront campus and running six days a week September 18–October 18, 2020, FORT MASON FLIX presents a cornucopia of film programming, from family favorites to cult classics to blockbusters and arthouse cinema. FORT MASON FLIX also will host special film screenings in partnership with local film festivals and other non-profit organizations. For tickets and information, visit fortmason.org/flix.
SFFILM Presents
SFFILM produces a robust slate of public programs throughout the year, including red carpet premiere events, advance member screenings, and in-depth film series. With diverse offerings and a commitment to excellence in world cinema, SFFILM is the home of great film in the Bay Area all year long. For more information visit sffilm.org/presents.
SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization with a mission to champion the world’s finest films and filmmakers through programs anchored in and inspired by the spirit and values of the San Francisco Bay Area. Presenter of the San Francisco International Film Festival, SFFILM is a year-round nonprofit organization delivering screenings and events to nearly 75,000 film lovers and media education programs to more than 15,000 students, teachers, and families annually. In addition to its public programs, SFFILM supports the careers of independent filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond with grants, residencies, and other creative development services. For more information visit sffilm.org.
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