Mar 19, 2019
Festival
Red Joan and The Sound of Silence Bring Compelling Science Themes to the Festival Program
San Francisco, CA – SFFILM, in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, spotlights Red Joan and The Sound of Silence at the 2019 San Francisco International Film Festival (April 10–23) to enhance public understanding of science through the language of film.
ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION SCIENCE IN CINEMA PROGRAM
In partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation—the nation’s leading philanthropic grantor for science and the arts—SFFILM launched the Sloan Science in Cinema initiative in 2015. The initiative includes four interconnected programs—fellowships, screenwriting workshops, awards, and exhibition opportunities—that elevate filmmakers who tackle scientific or technological themes.
At this year’s Festival, SFFILM is thrilled to highlight compelling cinema that tells the story of science. The selection is not only meant to engage members of the scientific community, but also to inspire those Festival attendees who are not scientists or engineers. Both the Sloan Foundation and SFFILM believe that filmmakers have the power to immerse audiences in the challenges and rewards of scientific discovery while illuminating the intersections between science, technology, and our daily lives.
Red Joan (UK 2018) – Legendary theater director Trevor Nunn and the incomparable Judi Dench combine their efforts to tell a riveting espionage thriller with the ethics of science at its core. The film is based on a bestselling novel, Dench plays Joan, arrested late in life for her activities as a spy during Britain’s quest to become an atomic power. Once a promising scientist brought into the nation’s war efforts, young Joan (played by Kingsman’s Sophie Cookson) is horrified by the information she inadvertently absorbs and is ultimately swayed by a German Communist rake and his magnetic sister into passing along secrets to the Soviet Union.
The screening of Red Joan will take place at the Castro Theatre on Saturday, April 13 at 4:00 pm and will include an onstage conversation with producer David Parfitt, author Jennie Rooney, and David Holloway, Professor of International History at Stanford University and expert on the international history of nuclear weapon to discuss the historical context of the film and the ethics of pursuing scientific discoveries that will have consequence to our collective health and survival.
The Sound of Silence (USA 2019) – Peter Lucian (Peter Sarsgaard) holds the keys to Manhattan – at least to how it sounds. He is a house tuner, hiring himself out to people who are uneasy in their apartments, but his real life’s project is mapping the city according to the note each neighborhood possesses. Unfortunately, his need for scientific recognition threatens to further ostracize him into the realm of crackpot. Sarsgaard is quietly commanding as the obsessive Peter, and he’s surrounded by an impressive Dolby Atmos soundscape in which a toaster’s hum can be the linchpin to a good night’s sleep.
The Sound of Silence screens on Sunday, April 14, at 5:00 pm at the Dolby Cinema. A second screening takes place on Friday, April 19, at 3:30 pm at the Roxie Theater.
Tickets to Sloan Science in Cinema films are $13 for SFFILM members, $16 for the general public. Box office is open online now at sffilm.org.
For general information visit sffilm.org/festival.
For photos and press materials visit sffilm.org/press.
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2019 San Francisco International Film Festival
The longest-running film festival in the Americas, the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities. The 62nd edition runs April 10–23 at venues across the Bay Area and features nearly 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards with close to $40,000 in cash prizes, and upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests.
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 75,000 film lovers and media education programs to more than 12,000 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.
This press release is available online at sffilm.org/press/releases.
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