San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Graham
Leggat stands before a large photograph on the screen at The Castro Theater
during his opening address officially kicking off the 51st San Francisco
International Film Festival last night. The art design on the photo above
was created by Factor Design, which also designed the cover of the Festival's
program guide. (Photo: Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com)
Five Plus One = 51: For San Francisco, Film
Festival International Has Lift Off
By
Omar P.L. Moore/The
Popcorn Reel
April 25, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO, California -- Opening Night of The San Francisco International
Film Festival (April 24 through May 8, 2008)
Here at the Castro Theater last night the organist played the city's famed theme
song, and the packed house on opening night responded enthusiastically ahead of
the prelude to the opening night film kicking off the 51st San Francisco
International Film Festival.
Graham Leggat, the executive director of the San Francisco Film Society,
welcomed filmgoers and had some good news about the Film Society's enhancement
of year-round programming: not only would Friday, June 13, 2008 be an
"auspicious" debut of a permanent, year-round Film Society movie screen within
the Sundance Kabuki Cinema theater complex on Fillmore Street, but (in a
surprise announcement) a separate San Francisco Film Society Center was being
built and expected to be complete in early 2011. "I can assure you --
though I can't give too many details -- that we are well underway with that
process," said Mr. Leggat. "We are negotiating with various stakeholders,
and I would bet that we would be able to tell you within a couple of months
exactly what our plans are," the executive director continued as he mentioned
that the proposed Film Society Center would likely house three movie screens.
Film Society Board President Melanie Blum lauded Mr. Leggat's leadership,
signaling a new and significant direction in which the Film Society was headed.
Mr. Leggat arrived to the position of executive director of the Film Society in
October 2005 from New York City, where he held a similar position at the Film
Society at Lincoln Center. "I want to thank our members and sponsors,
who've stuck with us through good times and the not-so good times," said Ms.
Blum of the non-profit Film Society. "I know I speak for the entire board
and staff when I say the last three years have been a very fun experience for
all of us."
Speaking of experience, Catherine Breillat, the French filmmaker who over the
course of a venerable career has chronicled several lively, provocative and
much-discussed portraits of female sexuality and power on the big screen, was
introduced here before the showing of her latest film "The Last Mistress", a
costume period drama set in the late 18th century and into the early 19th
century amidst entanglements of aristocracy and adultery in France.
Speaking via an interpreter, Ms. Breillat, something of a pariah in France
(which she would say was due to her refusal as a woman to toe the line of
compliancy in film and society,) said: "I just want to say that it is a
tremendous honor and privilege to be here in San Francisco . . . It's true that
when I made this film I wondered whether it was legitimate for me, knowing the
films that I've made, the subjects that I deal with, to present costume drama
and yet tried to be a subject that I've worked on for a long time." The
film presents a "last hurrah" account of the free-spirited and vivacious French
aristocracy just before the advent of the bourgeoisie, and stars Asia Argento.
At the opening night after-party at the City View level atop the Penthouse Level
at The Metreon on Fourth and Mission, there was plenty to sample -- food (some
of it from local eaterie Joey & Eddie's), dessert, mini-chocolate cup cakes (the
minis from Paragon Restaurant) drink, wines, vodka, with music from the
Seattle-origin, Los Angeles-based Omar Torrez Band, who played well into the
early hours of Friday morning. Masha Tsiklauri, the manager of the band, was
pleased with its growth and direction. The Band has been in existence for
seven years. Effusive and enthusiastic, Ms. Sun (whose first name is
pronounced Mah-sha) stated that the Omar Torrez Band continues to move onward
and upward. (The band's new CD is entitled "The Beat Outside", and
includes a cover version of Jimi Hendrix's classic tune "Little Wing", which the
Band performed before an estimated crowd of more than 600, a crowd which
included a few jollier, more inebriated souls.)
Filmmakers could also be found amidst the throngs at the after party, including
Emmy-winning film director Anne Aghlon. Originally from France, Ms. Aghlon,
who resides in New York City, has the high-definition feature film documentary
"Ice People" (about four geologists who trek to Antarctica and spend an entire
summer in constant daylight and below freezing temperatures,) at this year's
Festival. She was hopeful but had no idea what to expect from filmgoers
ahead of the film's presentation, which will get its world premiere here on
Saturday at the Sundance Kabuki at 6:45 p.m. With Ms. Aghlon was fellow
filmmaker Emily Hubley, who was still going at the midnight hour after just two
hours of sleep and arriving here directly from New Jersey where she is based, to
attend the opening night festivities and to show her film "The Toe Tactic", a
mix of animation and human footage that evokes themes of time, memory and
yearning, among others. "The Toe Tactic", which Ms. Hubley wrote, directed
and created the intricate animation for, was a labor of love. She said she
felt a bizarre estrangement from the film now that it had been completed, after
working on it for at least four years (she appeared reticent to give an exact
number of years.) Ms. Hubley's film has its West Coast premiere here, also
at the Kabuki Cinema, on Saturday at 3:45 p.m.
So, night one in the books. The first full day of programming starts
today.
Photo gallery
Omar Torrez Band website
"Ice People" website
"The Toe Tactic" website
Previous report: Tonight's the night
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