Photo by Tommy Lau

Why do I always get excited come International Film Festival time?  Well, first and foremost there’s the obvious fact that I’m a cinenut who, if given the opportunity and means, would inject dubious amounts of celluloid directly into my eye sockets.  But aside from that, I get pumped each year because I know that the hard working programmers who put together this 15 day event were wise enough to include something for everyone, whatever their tastes may be.

Whether you are going to see a live musical accompaniment of Sam Green’s The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller with a live score performed by Yo La Tengo, a Carol Reed masterpiece at one of the tribute nights, some latest works from already established filmmakers, including a 3D Francis Ford Coppola movie (he’s the guy who directed that obscure movie The Godfather), or to potentially discover the next great auteur, chances are you won’t be disappointed.

In the area of the more well known directors this year offers new movies from talents such as Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth), Harmony Korine (Gummo), Francis Ford Coppola (um, Godfather), Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused), Kenneth Branagh (Henry V), Jay & Mark Duplass (Cyrus), Alex Gibney (Taxi To The Dark Side), Eran Kolirin (The Band’s Visit), Johnnie To (Vengeance), and Michael Winterbottom (The Trip).

For those who wish to take in a classic film your best bet would be to attend one of the tribute screenings.  This year’s lineup is quite impressive.  The Golden Gate Persistence of Vision Award will be given to veteran documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple prior to a screening of her influential documentary Harlen County, USA (1976).  Pierre Rissient (whose desk placard might read something like Frenchman/Exhibitor/Distributor/Programmer/Historian/Critic/Consultant/Raconteur/Confidante/Curator/Editor/ Publicist/Director/Discoverer/Champion) will be honored with both a screening of Fritz Lang‘s House By The River (1950) and the documentary on Rissient entitled Pierre Rissient: Man of Cinema (2007).  The Kanbar Award is given out to honor one’s excellent screenwriting ability.  This year’s honoree is David Webb Peoples, which means we cinephiles are treated to one of his crowning achievements; Clint Eastwood‘s Unforgiven (1992).  Then there’s the Founding Directors Award.  This year it’s the five time Academy Award nominated Kenneth Branagh.  His film Dead Again (1991) will be screened in his honor.  And last, but certainly not least, the Film Society will honoring the untimely passing of Executive Directors Graham Leggat and Bingham Ray with a screening of Ray’s all-time favorite film, The Third Man (1949).

All these great screenings and so much more will be on display this year and I know I speak for all Bay Area cinephiles as well as my fellow Filmbalayans when I say I’m more than looking forward to the next 2 weeks.  For more Film Festival information visit the SFIFF official website here.

For a rundown of what we’ve seen so far just click on any of the film titles below.  Hopefully, when planning your festival schedule you will consider our takes on which movies you should see and which ones you might want to avoid, taking into account of course that our expert opinions are of any value.  Keep in mind that reviews will be added throughout the festival as well.

FILMS WE”VE SEEN:

Alps “Anyone that loves film should see Alps, so long as they can stomach some uncomfortable violence and sexuality”

Bernie ”Told in part faux documentary and part re-enactment, the entire affair felt like a more extravagant episode of Rescue 911.  For the record, I love Rescue 911″

The Day He Arrives ”Director Sang-soo Hong‘s film will not appeal to the masses but fans of thoughtful, dialogue heavy films will get enjoyment from it”

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon “The Duplass brothers‘ latest comedy shows a side of sibling rivalry not often seen – the competitive I’m-going-to-destroy-you-in-every-event-of-our-private-25-event-olympics side”

The Dreileben Trilogy: Beats Being Dead ”My favorite of the trilogy… has all the characteristics of a masterfully crafted coming-of-age tale”

The Dreileben Trilogy: Don’t Follow Me Around ”The 30-somethings in crisis portion of the trilogy… a fine intelligent drama; one I recommend”

The Dreileben Trilogy: One Minute of Darkness ”Fans of thrillers, tragedies, and character studies will probably not want to miss this one, while fans of just good all around filmmaking should see this as well”

The Exchange “Everything about this film is soft-spoken and strange… Highly recommended”

Farewell My Queen ”It was extremely refreshing to see a period film without the main focus being a love story”

The Fourth Dimension “Three directors, one manifesto.  Nothing spectacular, but enjoyable nevertheless”

Headhunters “Nothing like a good cat and mouse genre film with mystery, some crushed in skulls, a few high adrenaline chase scenes, a good heist or two, some guns, a shitload of humor and some big-budgeted suspense”

Hysteria “Funny and smart, albeit fairly predictable, and I have no problem recommending it to everyone who enjoys light comedies”

The Invisible War “a film in that every American (civilian or military, democrat or republican, male or female) needs to see”

Land of Oblivion ”The film is bleak but well done and definitely worth watching”

Last Winter ”A calm and meditative film experience of a stubborn cattle farmer who has fallen on hard times”

The Law In These Parts “An absolute must-see… Every technical aspect of the documentary is willingly self-referential and points out that this is a film, created by a person with an opinion, and one whose opinions are not solid fact, but rather one who is investigating something and presenting an argument for us to decide”

Ok, Enough, Goodbye ”The film is well shot and uses long takes in establishing its character development, but sadly, that’s the only positive I took out of this unusual coming of age film”

Old Dog “This movie enraged me with its patient testing lingering of scenes and pointlessly dragged out narrative”

Palaces of Pity ”If you want to see a short film with a lot of teen models, some penis stroking, and a whole heap of nonsense then by all means, have fun with this one”

Policeman “This interesting and confused political message is certainly worth considering – that is, the class differences in Israel being neglected by the pure focus on the Palestinian vs. Israeli conflict”

The Queen of Versailles “A refreshing riches to rags story directed in a very sympathetic manner with and excessive amount of laughs”

Somebody Up There Likes Me ”Morbid, lazy humor brought together by a strange concept never quite explained is how I would describe Bob Byington‘s Somebody Up There Likes Me“

Target “A visually stunning and thought provoking film that shows us what sci-fi is supposed to be”

Tokyo Waka ”An existential documentary that not only identifies the pulse of a city, but was able to offer a unique insight as to how this city breathes”

Tommy “The most excessive hallucinatory jubilant rock opera ever!”

Twixt “If Francis Ford Coppola’s digitally photographed and fresh take on the gothic horror genre is a blueprint of things to come then I have a newly restored faith in the future of digital filmmaking”

Unfair World “Huge fans of ironic humor delivered in unwavering deadpan fashion must seek out this movie”

Valley of Saints ”Documentary-looking fictional drama deals with the relationship between two friends living in a turbulent and beautiful Kashmir”

¡Vivan las Antipodas! “Kossakovsky, takes a beautiful idea and creates a picturesque film with grace and technique”

The Waiting Room ”Both subtle and impassive in its critique, The Waiting Room is a success if for no other reason than how it remains entertaining throughout its short running time”

Where Do We Go Now? ”DirectorNadine Labaki, born in Lebanon, creates the perfect recipe for film; mixing an emotional war between Christians and Muslims living in the same town”

Winter Nomads ”After watching Manuel von Sturler‘s documentation of two shepherds, some dogs, and a few donkeys embark on their annual 4 month trans-human journey, I felt a part of me long to be with the flock, baring all of the uncomfortable cold and wet elements”

Women With Cows ”This movie is as interesting as its subjects allow it to be, which, despite their strong stubborn personalities and some clever juxtapositional framed shots, surprisingly isn’t all that interesting”

Wu ia “as an action movie it kicks some serious butt!”

Well, the big day is finally upon us.  With tonight’s (4/21) opening of Mike Mills’ Beginners SFIFF54 officially kicks off its cinemarathon of USA and World Premiers-a-plenty.  Hopefully you’ve already picked up your movie guide or downloaded one from the festival’s official website.  As helpful as that guide may be in its brief synopsis’ of what’s playing unfortunately it still won’t let you know which films are utter crap and which ones you should drop everything and see immediately.  Don’t worry film fans, we’re here to help.  Regardless of what intriguing adjectives are used in the schedule’s descriptions we at Filmbalaya will set the record straight – or at least give our own subjective spin on what’s playing.

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TO THIS PAGE DAILY AS MORE FILMS GET ADDED IN THE COMING WEEKS

Cave of Forgotten Dreams – “Werner Herzog takes us through one of the most remarkable monuments of humanity’s past in this fantastic film.” – Tom

Meek’s Cuttoff – “This is not a glorified western with shootouts and outlaws, it’s about getting from point A to point B in an unknown and unforgiving landscape.” – Nick

The Selling - ”A genuinely funny and intelligently written horror comedy with a nice amount of suspense.” – Tom

The Troll Hunter – “An intelligent and witty movie that restored my confidence in the “shaky cam” horror genre.” – Nick

The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu - ”A singularly unique film showing the reflections of Romania’s dictator during his quick trial at the end of the Romanian Revolution by means of stock footage and added sound.” – Tom

A Cat in Paris – “Guns, hand-to-hand combat, references to “Goodfellas” and “Reservoir Dogs”, protagonists who are thieves and liars, awkwardly drawn female breasts, and to top it off, it’s suitable for children” – Adam

The City Below – “Uninhibited power, greed and passion are just as much of a driving force as the protagonists that inhabit them.” – Adam

Foreign Parts – “The power of this film lies in the casual way in which it follows its humans and their surroundings.” – Adam

The Joy – “If you’re a fan of modern fairy tales or coming of age stories make sure to check this out.” – Nick

The Mill and The Cross – “Lech Majewski’s recreation of the works of Pieter Bruegel placed into the dimensions of film, allowing them to tell the story of the Spanish oppression of the Flemish people in the 16th century. Visually amazing” – Tom

The Pipe – “This film’s strength lies in its ability to evoke anger from its viewer even though the viewer is fully aware they will never hear from the opposition – not an easy thing to do.” – Adam

Position Among The Stars – “Breathtaking cinematography and long tracking shots resemble something one would find in say a Danny Boyle film… its exploration of family dynamics, religion, materialism and the meaning of life are just as, if not more, entertaining.” – Adam

Le Quattro Volte – “A meditative, beautifully simple journey through time in the Italian countryside of Calabria.” – Tom

Terri – “Terri is a unique film to grace the “coming of age” genre, if it may so be called.” – Tom

13 Assassins – “Homage to Kurosawa (complete with a Toshiro Mifune-based character and loving shots of rain) with his modern, ultraviolent twist, an enjoyable period piece with a tried and true jidaigeki formula” – Tom

Tilva Rosh – “Immediate comparisons to Larry Clark‘s Kids and MTV’s Jackass spring to mind while watching Nikola Lezaic‘s coming-of-age debut of youth in turmoil set against Bor, an industrial ghost town in Serbia.” – Adam

Ulysses – “A masterwork of depth and complexity in minimalism and stark realism.” – Tom

The Balld of Genesis and Lady Jaye – “A cinematic ballad - or ode if you will – on pioneering industrial musician, Genesis, her loving involvement with Lady Jaye, and their no-holds-barred pandrogynous relationship” – Adam

Cinema Komunisto – “A history lesson on the power and importance the role of cinema can truly play in unifying a nation.” - Adam

End Of Animal – “End of Animal is not a mystery that will go over well with audiences who enjoy more conventional narratives.”

The Future – “Fans of painfully funny moments and talking cats will enjoy this film.” – Nick

Hahaha – “The film is definitely dialog heavy and might not appeal to everyone, but those  who can accept its slow pace and quirky humor will be in for a treat.” – Nick

Hands Up – “While the heart of this film is the bond between children, it also sheds light on issues of illegal immigration and the inhumane ways it is sometimes handled.” – Nick

Hot Coffee – “Saladoff’s documentary is one of those films that will cause you to take a stance on issues you normally wouldn’t give the time of day to regardless of its unapologetic one-sided bias.” – Adam

I’m Glad My Mother Is Alive – “Comparisons to Francois Truffaut’s 400 Blows immediately spring to mind, especially from the troubled youth protagonist angle, but mostly due to the expert use of the handheld (not a shaky-cam, there’s a huge difference) used to frame much of the film.” – Adam

Let The Wind Carry Me – “a glimpse into the mind of the extraordinarily talented visual master Mark Lee Ping-bin and the hardships that come with dedicating himself to his profession as a cinematographer.” – Adam

Living on Love Alone – “I can see many people identifying with this reckless and passionate story of not fitting in to the “normal” way of life.” – Nick

Nostalgia For The Light – “Those able to sit through the overindulgence of metaphors in Guzman‘s latest meditative documentary on secrets hidden both amongst the cosmos and above and below the Earth’s surface will be rewarded with a pristine HD print of breathtaking cinematography” – Adam

The Salesman – “Director and writer Sébastien Pilote takes a go at dispelling those numerous stereotypes associated with cars salesmen by making one his main character.” – Adam

Something Ventured – “Definitely worth seeing, especially if you live in the Bay Area and want to know about California’s second gold rush.” – Nick

Stake Land – “Plenty of scares and gore to entertain the zombie crowd.” – Nick

Year Without A Summer – “Long takes, impressive low-lighting, not for the impatient.” – Tom

Beginners - “An unabashed half comedy half drama affair that leaps out of the gate seamlessly intertwining the two, only to eventually – and awkwardly – shift tones and pull the funny-bone woven rug out from under our feet.” – Adam

The Colors of The Mountain – “Were it not for a certain farm animal unexpectedly blowing up midway through the film I wouldn’t have stayed for the far-reaching attempts at eliciting artificial poignancy in the end.” – Adam

The Last Buffalo Hunt – “For all those who enjoy nothing more than seeing animals slaughtered and making fun of white racist Americans, you might get something a tad bit more out of The Last Buffalo Hunt than I did.” – Adam

On Tour – “If you are looking for Vegas burlesque with tiny girls in g strings grinding in school girl uniforms, this is not your movie.  These women are curvaceous beautiful performers dominating their audience with dance, music, a little comedy and a lot of sexual energy.” – Caly

The Whistleblower – “Generic suspense ensues courtesy of a generic sex trafficking plot, and one do-gooder who must overcome insurmountable made-for-television movie odds.” – Adam

There’s just no ifs, ands, or buts about it, the San Francisco International Film Festival (official website) is the grand daddy of all festivals for not only San Francisco, but the entire Northern California region.  Regardless of what genre of film is your favorite, this year’s festival is guaranteed to have something for you.  There’s a slew of world premieres, a ridiculous amount of documentaries, including both Errol Morris‘ and Werner Herzog‘s latest (the latter of the two is in 3D!), tons of Q&A sessions with many of the filmmakers, parties, workshops, plus a Sasquatch and a Troll!

As always, be sure to check back in with Filmbalaya at least a week before the event begins as we start to post up reviews of this year’s films, spoiler free of course.

More info on all these great festival happenings, plus ticket and venue info along with a sneak peek at some of the short films in their entirety can be found after the jump. Read More…

Even though the full schedule of films set to play this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival will not be announced until March 29th, both the Opening Night and Closing Night films have already been made public.  We have trailers and showtime information for both films after the jump.

Also after the jump, you’ll find a complete list of the 12 Feature-length Documentaries from 11 Countries that are contending for $60,000.00 in Cash Prizes.  We also have the list of the 11 Narrative Features competing for this year’s New Directors Prize.  Information on all of these films, complete with trailers can be found after the jump. Read More…