Sep 13, 2017
SFFILM
San Francisco, CA — SFFILM and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) announce the fourth season of Modern Cinema, the collaborative film series that explores the dynamic relationships between the past and present of cinema, one of the modern era’s essential art forms. Season four, Sparks on Celluloid: Haynes + Vachon, begins October 12 at SFMOMA’s Phyllis Wattis Theater. This season explores the fruitful collaboration between director Todd Haynes and producer Christine Vachon—one of today’s most influential filmmaking teams—and the classic films that have inspired their work. For updated guest information please visit sfmoma.org/modern-cinema.
“Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon have been at the vanguard of contemporary cinema throughout their careers, melding rigorous inquiry into politics and popular culture with a deep knowledge and appreciation of movies,” said SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen. “This season of Modern Cinema provides a terrific opportunity to recognize their impressive body of work and enjoy the rich selection of films that have inspired it.”
“As filmmakers in the first wave of what came to be called ‘New Queer Cinema’ in the 1990’s, Haynes and Vachon have consistently pictured individuals carrying their desires against social norms,” said Frank Smigiel, Associate Curator of Performance & Film at SFMOMA. “Whether loving the right woman or the wrong man, pursuing big dreams or everyday comforts, their protagonists stretch boundaries in search of a new self.”
Modern Cinema seeks to highlight the ongoing dialogue between the critically acclaimed filmmakers of today-particularly those showcased in contemporary visual culture-and the great masters of cinema’s past to shine a light on the historical continuity and ongoing impact of this modern art form.
Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon have been working together since Poison, his first as director and her first as producer. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1991 as well as a Teddy, the official queer award of the Berlin Film Festival. In an article in The New York Times, Dennis Lim cited the film as “the inciting spark” for what came to be known as the New Queer Cinema. Vachon and Haynes’s partnership has continued and flourished for 26 years, through theatrical and television features as well as music videos and documentary work. Their latest collaboration, Wonderstruck, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May and will be a highlight of this season of Modern Cinema.
Films by other filmmakers presented alongside the Haynes/Vachon productions represent carte blanche selections, ranging from the works that most inspired the filmmaking partnership to those who Haynes and Vachon most appreciate. The series also features a special free screening of the duo’s episodic miniseries Mildred Pierce, which will show in all five parts on October 20. All screenings and talks will take place in the Phyllis Wattis Theater at SFMOMA.
WEEK ONE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12
6:00 pm – Poison (Todd Haynes, USA, 1991, 85 min)
8:15 pm – Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (Nicolas Roeg, UK, 1980, 123 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13
6:00 pm – Performance (Donald Cammell + Nicolas Roeg, UK, 1970, 105 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
8:30 pm – Velvet Goldmine (Todd Haynes, USA, 1998, 123 min)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14
12:30 pm – Safe (Todd Haynes, USA, 1995, 120 min)
3:30 pm – 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (Jean-Luc Godard, France, 1967, 84 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
6:00 pm – Shorts by Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon
9:00 pm – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Russ Meyer, USA, 1970, 109 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15
1:00 pm – Oliver! (Carol Reed, UK, 1968, 153 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
4:30 pm – The Hours and Times (Christopher Münch, USA, 1991, 57 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
6:30 pm – Parting Glances (Bill Sherwood, USA, 1986, 90 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
WEEK TWO
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19
7:00 pm – Sweetie with A Girl’s Own Story (Jane Campion, Australia, 1989/1986, 97/27 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20
11:00 am – Mildred Pierce (Todd Haynes, USA, 2011, 336 min) FREE SCREENING
6:00 pm – Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1974, 93 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
8:30 pm – Far from Heaven (Todd Haynes, USA, 2002, 107 min)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21
2:00 pm – Cabaret (Bob Fosse, USA, 1972, 124 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes and Christine Vachon
5:00 pm – Boys Don’t Cry (Kimberly Peirce, USA, 1999, 118 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
8:00 pm – I’m Not There (Todd Haynes, USA/Germany, 2007, 135 min)
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
1:00 pm – All that Heaven Allows (Douglas Sirk, USA, 1955, 89 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
3:30 pm – Wonderstruck (Todd Haynes, USA, 2017, 117 min)
7:00 pm – Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, New Zealand/Germany, 1994, 99 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
WEEK THREE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26
6:00 pm – All the President’s Men (Alan J. Pakula, USA, 1976, 138 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
9:00 pm – Alice’s Restaurant (Arthur Penn, USA, 1969, 111 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
FRIDAY OCTOBER 27
6:00 pm – The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1956, 105 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
8:30 pm – Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1951, 101 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
SATURDAY OCTOBER 28
1:30 pm – 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, UK, 1968, 149 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
5:00 pm – Carol (Todd Haynes, USA, 2015, 118 min)
8:00 pm – Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1981, 113 min) – Chosen by Todd Haynes
SUNDAY OCTOBER 29
2:00 pm – The Go-Between (Joseph Losey, UK, 1971, 116 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
5:00 pm – The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, USA, 1955, 92 min) – Chosen by Christine Vachon
Tickets & Information
SFFILM and SFMOMA member tickets are $10; general public tickets are $12. Tickets are available online or onsite at SFMOMA during regular business hours. Modern Cinema tickets do not include admission to SFMOMA galleries. Ticketholders for Modern Cinema should enter through the museum’s Joyce and Larry Stupski Entrance on Minna Street (between Third and New Montgomery Streets). For up-to-date program information and tickets, visit sfmoma.org/modern-cinema.
About the Phyllis Wattis Theater at SFMOMA
Renovated in 2016, the Phyllis Wattis Theater is one of the most enjoyable places to see film in the Bay Area. A new, state-of-the-art NEC digital projector offers Modern Cinema the ability to present films on a 24 x 12-foot screen with the capacity to show aspect ratios of 1:37, 1:66, 1:85, and 2:39. The Wattis Theater can also screen films via new Kinoton projectors in 16 and 35mm formats. Because sound is integral to the cinematic experience, a new Meyer Sound Cinema Surround System enhances the nuance and precision intended by the filmmaker. Comfortable new seating with cup holders round out the Wattis Theater experience.
Supporters
Modern Cinema‘s Founding Supporters are Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein. Support is provided by Nion T. McEvoy and the Susan Wildberg Morgenstein Fund. This season of Modern Cinema is generously supported by James C. Hormel and Michael P. Nguyen.
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 organization delivering screenings and events to more than 100,000 film lovers and media education programs to more than 10,000 students and teachers 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.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
SFMOMA is dedicated to making the art for our time a vital and meaningful part of public life. Founded in 1935 as the first West Coast museum devoted to modern and contemporary art, a thoroughly transformed SFMOMA, with triple the gallery space, an enhanced education center and new public galleries, opened to the public on May 14, 2016. In its inaugural year, the expanded museum welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors. www.sfmoma.org This press release is available online at sffilm.org/press/releases.
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