Mar 23, 2021
Festival
Overclockers and Son of Monarchs Bring New and Compelling
Science Themes to the Festival Program
San Francisco, CA – SFFILM, in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, spotlights Overclockers and Son of Monarchs at the 2021 San Francisco International Film Festival to enhance public understanding of science through the language of film. Running April 9-18, the SFFILM Festival will feature digital screenings being hosted through the SFFILM site and live screenings and performances at the Fort Mason Flix drive-in theater. Tickets and streaming passes are on sale at sffilm.org.
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—the nonprofit SFFILM launched the Sloan Science in Cinema initiative in 2015. The initiative includes exhibition opportunities, awards, and screenwriting fellowships that foster scientist and artist collaboration and elevate filmmakers who tackle scientific or technological themes and characters.
“Our partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation brings such a unique and wonderful opportunity to showcase stories at the intersection of science and cinema,” said Anne Lai, SFFILM’s Executive Director. “We’re thrilled to present Overclockers and Son of Monarchs at our Festival this year, as distinctly powerful films embracing these themes so beautifully.”
The Sloan Science on Screen program at SFFILM was developed to shine a spotlight on compelling cinema that brings together science and the art of storytelling, showing how these two seemingly disparate areas can combine to enhance the power of one another. The selections are meant to immerse a broad public audience in the challenges and rewards of scientific discovery as well as engage members of the scientific community. Both the Sloan Foundation and SFFILM believe in the power of film to illuminate the intersections between science, technology, and our daily lives.
“We are proud to join with our wonderful partners at SFFILM to present this year’s Science on Screen programming and to continue our nationwide effort to bridge science and the arts during this extraordinary time,” said Doron Weber, Vice President and Program Director at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. “Alexis Gambis’s Son of Monarchs and Michal Wnuk’s Overclockers both eloquently dramatize the personal sacrifices and joys that accompany scientific pursuits.”
Overclockers, Michal Wnuk, Poland – Karol, a young aviator with a brilliant mind but limited means, invents a next-generation zeppelin. Forming a partnership with his best friends from childhood and an enemy, Karol sacrifices everything to see his dream realized. But his exacting standards and a fundamental misunderstanding of his associates endanger the project, while his single-mindedness threatens his relationship with his girlfriend Justyna. Director/co-writer Michal Wnuk’s buoyant feature debut is a nuanced portrait of stubborn ambition and ingenious inventions. International Premiere
Overclockers will be available to screen on the Festival’s virtual platform Friday, April 9 through Sunday, April 18. In addition to the film itself, an online conversation will be available between director/co-writer Michal Wnuk, a scientist/engineer in the field of aeronautics, and a guest moderator.
Son of Monarchs, Alexis Gambis, USA/Mexico – Employing a rich and romantic visual tapestry, this drama tells the story of Mendel, who grew up enchanted by the migrating monarch butterflies in his native Michoacán. Now, he sequences their DNA in New York while trapeze lessons allow him to experience their flight. On a visit back home to Mexico, the young man finds himself weighing matters of culture, love, and family, recognizing how his own life path has followed the migration of the beloved insects he studies.
Son of Monarchs screens online from Friday, April 9 through Sunday, April, and will include a conversation between director Alexis Gambis and SFFILM programmer Rod Armstrong.
For general information visit sffilm.org
To request interviews or screeners, contact press@sffilm.org
For photos and press materials visit sffilm.org/press
Hashtags: #SFFILM and #SFFILMFestival
Twitter: @SFFILM
Instagram: @sffilm
Facebook: facebook.com/SFFILM
2021 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 64th edition runs April 9–18 with both Live Events and Streaming Programs, and features a drive-in, juried awards with cash prizes, and an exciting roster of filmmaker guests.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a New York based, philanthropic institution that makes grants for research in science, technology, and economics; quality and diversity of scientific institutions; and public engagement with science. Sloan’s program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology, directed by Doron Weber, supports books, radio, film, television, theater, and new media to bridge the two cultures of science and the humanities. The Foundation works with about 20 film school and film festival partners and has supported over 700 film projects, including over 30 feature films. For more information visit sloan.org or follow @SloanPublic on Twitter or Facebook.
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 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
This press release is available online at sffilm.org/press/releases