TIFF 2013: Vanguard and Documentary lineups announcedBy Dustin Jansick Easily my favorite program of the Toronto International Film Festival each year is the Vanguard program. This TIFF program aims to be “provocative cinema that defies convention”, which features...
TIFF 2013: Midnight Madness program announcedBy C.J. Prince Another week, another batch of announcements from TIFF. This time it’s one of the fests’ staples, Midnight Madness. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Midnight Madness has dedicated itself...
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Coverage IntroductionBy Bernard Boo Tonight marks the kick-off of the 33rd San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and with the fest’s advancing age comes a cinematic expansion of sorts. This year’s theme is “Life...
TIFF 2013: First wave of titles announcedBy C.J. Prince It’s over a month away until the Toronto International Film Festival, which means that the waves of announcements have started to come in. Today, TIFF announced 75 films that...
SF Silent Film Festival DiaryBy Bernard Boo A few days before the San Francisco Silent Film Festival began last Thursday night at the Castro Theatre, I spoke with festival artistic director Anita Monga. She shared a...
Frameline Reviews: In the Name of & GBFBy Bernard Boo In the Name of Polish star Andrzej Chyra plays priest Adam, unusually hip and good-looking for a man of god, in Malgorzata Szumowska’s pensive character study, In the Name...
LA Film Fest Reviews: Only God Forgives, Lesson of Evil, The ConjuringBy Jacob Tishler Only God Forgives Only God Forgives is director Nicholas Winding Refn’s most bizarre film yet, even more so than the inter-dimensional Viking picture Valhalla Rising. The marketing for his...
Frameline37 Reviews: Bwakaw, The Campaign, Big WordsBy Bernard Boo Bwakaw Veteran Filipino actor Eddie Garcia puts on a staggeringly heartfelt performance as Rene, an unimaginably (and hilarious) grumpy old man with a dream-crushing mean streak. Bwakaw is set...
Frameline37 Reviews: C.O.G. & Breaking the GirlsBy Bernard Boo C.O.G. At long last, David Sedaris has allowed one of his essays to be adapted to film. With director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (Easier With Practice) at the helm, C.O.G....
LA Film Fest Reviews: Winter in the Blood & You’re NextBy Jacob Tishler Winter in the Blood Directors Alex and Andrew Smith attempt the monumental task of adapting James Welch’s first novel, Winter in the Blood, the result a wildly uneven, but...
Frameline37 Opening Night and Concussion ReviewBy Bernard Boo I returned to the Castro Theater last night for the fourth time in a week (last weekend was The Hitchcock 9), though theater fatigue wasn’t an issue. The Castro...
LA Film Fest Reviews: Crystal Fairy and Monsters UniversityBy Jacob Tishler Crystal Fairy Sebastián Silva just directed two Michael Cera features and at least one, Crystal Fairy, is bizarre and excellent. The story is rather simple, an American dick studies...
Frameline37 Festival Coverage IntroductionBy Bernard Boo LGBTQ cinema will get the bright spotlight it very much deserves at Frameline37, the oldest, most respected queer cinema showcase in the world. The festival runs from June 20-30...
LA Film Fest Reviews: Short Term 12, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, In a WorldBy Jacob Tishler Short Term 12 SXSW film-goers pegged this picture pretty well when they gave it the audience award a few months ago. Destin Cretin’s second feature in as many years...
