Inspired by the life of former DJ Sven Hansen-Løve, Eden is also a sprawling document of the origins of electronic music in France in the early ’90s. Directed by Hansen-Løve’s sister, Mia, the film wades through his journey as a DJ in a scene that spurned acts like Daft Punk (who make an appearance in the film). It’s an intoxicating story that moves at its own pace, and Hansen-Løve takes great care to create a sense of time’s ephemerality. The film stars Felix De Givry as the central character, Paul, and also stars Pauline Etienne, Vincent Macaigne, Hugo Conzelmann and Greta Gerwig.

In conversation at this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival, I spoke to Sven and Felix about their experience working on Eden and representing the roots of French electronic music on-screen.

Eden is out in San Francisco this Friday.

Something I found interesting is that the film, chronologically, ends around where we are now, in the present.
Felix: When I spoke about the film to Mia, she said she likes all her films to end in the present time.

Why is that?
Felix: To remember when she makes her film? I don’t know. I think it’s to feel the passage of time even more in the film. I think if she did a movie in the 1800s she wouldn’t end today, but she’s only been doing movies about modern times.

Sven: We end up in about 2014 because she wanted to put the Daft Punk “Within” in the movie. The story is mostly based on my souvenirs, my memories. Some of the things you see happened to me, but only up to 2011, actually. Not 2014. [laughs]

I heard that you were an aspiring teacher.
Sven: I’m doing some studies, and then I’m moving to Spain. Maybe I’ll be teaching French there.

So you stopped your literature studies way back when to be a DJ, and you’ve just now picked that back up?
Sven: Yeah, it’s true. When my sister decided to do the film I had already decided to do literature again. More or less, it relates to reality.

Let’s talk about the inception of the film. Were you and your sister looking for a way to collaborate on a project, or did this just kind of happen organically?
Sven: It was a few years ago. She wanted to do a film different from her previous ones, which she saw as a trilogy. She wanted to try a new direction. She asked me if I was interested. It was natural, but I wouldn’t say organic.

I was just a kid in the ’90s, so I had no idea about this subculture you guys cover in the film. How old were you in the ’90s, Felix?
Felix: I was born in ’91, so I was just a kid. Every movie about a generation either happens while it’s happening or twenty years later. It’s a new trend to do a biopic. It wasn’t as common in previous years of cinema.

Sven: This is the first film to really show this scene. Usually, biopics are about things that are way in the past, but this is pretty recent.

Felix, your career’s very young, but so far you’ve got a great resume going.
Felix: This is my first film. I had a very small part in Olivier Assayas’ film, Something in the Air. But this is the first real film I’ve done. I plan on being selective. That doesn’t mean a lot of projects will come to me, but I plan on not doing several movies a year. I’m not planning on being an actor the way most other actors are.

Sven: It’s not so easy to find good projects. There are not so many.

Felix: Right. And in order to be an actor there’s this vicious circle, that you have to do a lot of movies in order to be present in the media. It’s a vicious circle. I do a lot of other projects on the side, and if I do act in other films, which is something I want, it would only be in movies that feel essential to me. I would love to act in a Coen brothers film.

Is that a goal of yours?
Felix: Yeah. They’re the best [storytellers] these days. They jump between genres of film. Really fascinating.

If I was a first-time actor approaching Eden, like you did, I’d be really scared.
Felix: Yeah. It’s huge. The script was 170 pages or something. I read it at night and it was for two films, and it was even more fluid. It was a gigantic project.

Sven, Mia’s said that this movie was a way for you to move on from that period of your life.
Sven: Yeah, it was a sort of catharsis, from A to Z. I was invested in every aspect of the process. I was so into it that I didn’t have distance from it, but now I can see that it helped me.

Do you have a sense of pride in the fact that you’re representing in film this culture that hasn’t really been seen before?
Sven: I wouldn’t use the word “pride.” Giving something to people that they didn’t know before is interesting.

After acting in this movie, has your musical taste changed at all?

Felix: I do listen to more garage and house and deep house music. My taste is more contemporary; I have a label and I produce music. What’s funny is that I understand more now a certain scene that is very present today, the deep house and techno scene. I know the roots through the film. It helps me have a clear vision of music today. The film really traces the roots, and it’s really fascinating that it was really just a group of 200, 300 people who committed to this music at first in the early ’90s.

Sven: We actually had a lot of teenagers who saw the film come to see us. They’re so happy to discover all of this.

The movie’s all about details. What’s a small moment that was particularly true to life for you?
Sven: The Daft Punk scene where they try to get into the club. They told us that story, and it’s completely real.

Felix: It makes them more human. That’s what they liked about the movie.

Sven: There’s also the scene near the end where there’s the New Years Eve party on the boat and no one came. That happened. Nobody showed up.

Would you have agreed to do a film about your life with anyone but your sister?
Sven: No, I don’t think so.

Are there any plans to expand on this project? You said it was originally two films.

Sven: No. That time is over. [laughs]

Felix: There were scenes in Sweden that were in part 2 originally but were cut due to budget issues. There’s also a short film that’s about the same character.

Did you film chronologically?
Felix: No. In the apartment we shot all of the scenes with the three girlfriends over three days. It was really strange. The biggest challenge maybe were the sex scenes. We were supposed to shoot one in New York, but we went over budget and over time. We shot it three months later in Paris, so the pressure was on. It’s strange. There are many reasons why sex scenes are strange. One of the actresses was married to a guy who was working on the scene, so her husband was right there.

How do you feel about the state of music today?
Sven: I think it’s getting better, much better than in 2000. Music’s starting to sell again. Obviously CDs are over, but on the internet, things are moving.

Love & Mercy

Brian Wilson wrote some of the most beautifully complex pieces of music in history throughout his decades-long career with the Beach Boys and beyond. But as a person, he’s more beautifully complex than anything anyone could ever write. Bill Pohlad’s Love & Mercy explores Wilson’s psyche from two angles, focusing on the biggest artistic and personal turning points in his life. Paul Dano plays a Wilson as a young man in the Beach Boys’ heyday, in the midst of writing what would become one of the greatest albums of all time, Pet Sounds. Making up the other half of the movie is a more recent, frightening period in Wilson’s life (he’s played here by John Cusack), when he was under the (highly medicated) spell of unethical therapist Dr. Eugene Landy (Paul Giamatti), his only protection from whom being his beach blonde soul mate, Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).

Alternating between the two Brians is a welcome break from the typical biopic schematic. Dano’s resemblance is scary uncanny, and while Cusack’s isn’t so spot-on (I didn’t see it, to be honest), their commitment as actors is about level. Beach Boys fans will suffer uncontrollable geek-outs during the Pet Sounds studio session reenactments, but the real value of the film lies in the respectfully unkempt and fraught depiction of Wilson’s legacy as both a musician and a man.

Experimenter

Slipping between several planes of reality with the nimbleness of a jazz ensemble, Michael Almereyda‘s Experimenter, starring Peter Sarsgaard as late social psychologist Stanley Milgram, is more of a delectable treat than the dark subject matter might lead you to believe. It centers on Milgram’s famed contributions to the world of social experimentation, most notably his controversial experiment on obedience conducted in the ’60s. We see the Holocaust-inspired experiment—involving test subjects led to believe they’re remotely causing harm to a man in an adjacent room (played by Jim Gaffigan)—reenacted by a litany of strong players, including Anton Yelchin, John Leguizamo, Anthony Edwards, and others.

The film sees Sarsgaard’s Milgram periodically address us, the audience, in cleverly worded monologues that highlight the actor’s natural wit and intellect. It’s fun to see Sarsgaard given so much breathing room; he has a lot of fun with the role, and so we do as well. Almereyda lets loose too, with neat touches like utilizing rear-projection backdrops and employing a real-life elephant to stalk behind Sarsgaard down a hall as a fun metaphor. Winona Ryder stars as Milgram’s wife, Sasha, and gives the film an emotional oomph whose importance is clearest by film’s end.

7 Chinese Brothers

Jason Schwartzman is ridiculously funny in Bob Byington‘s 7 Chinese Brothers, a film created in the Wild West indie landscape that panders to no one (mainstream audiences will likely balk at the quaint, offbeat humor), but will please crackpot-comedy weirdos (like yours truly) to no end. Larry (Schwartzman) is a small-town schlub who drinks his way into and out of menial jobs he can’t stand. He’s got his romantically savvy friend, Major Norwood (TVOTR’s Tunde Adebimpe), his silvery grandmother (Olympia Dukakis), and his impossibly drowsy dog (Schwartzman’s real dog, Arrow) to keep him company most days. When he finds himself gravitated to his new boss, Lupe (Eleanore Pienta), he’s shocked to discover that, for once, he actually looks forward to going to work.

A lot of the funniest stuff in 7 Chinese Brothers involves Schwartzman almost having a contest with himself, trying to come up with the most bizarre behaviors he can think of and making them as out-there as possible. It’s the little, absurdist stuff that makes you laugh, like Schwartzman throwing garbage into a garbage can, and then throwing said garbage can into a dumpster. Byington’s written a great script, too, each line of dialogue going in a different direction than you expected. Keep this one in mind.

Mr. Holmes

Ian McKellen and director Bill Condon collaborate for the first time since 1998’s Gods and Monsters to offer their talents to the long-running Sherlock Holmes franchise with Mr. Holmes. McKellen plays the detective at an advanced age facing his greatest enemy of all: time. Resigned to a countryside cottage where a housekeeper (Laura Linney) and her aspiring sleuth son (Milo Parker), Holmes looks back on his life as his mind—his greatest treasure—begins to fade. He can only remember fragments of an unsolved case involving a mysterious woman, which haunts him every day.

Split into three narrative threads, Mr. Holmes is the cinematic equivalent of a juicy page-turner (it’s based on a 2005 novel by Mitch Cullin). Condon darts from mystery to the another moments before we uncover a tantalizing clue, resulting in a terrific sense of narrative propulsion one wouldn’t expect to find in a movie about such meditative subject matter. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing an elderly Mr. Holmes once you’ve seen McKellen work, which is no big surprise; what it a surprise is how close Linney and Parker come to stealing the show.

Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine

Coming off the controversial success of Going Clear, Alex Gibney and his research and production machine dissect the career of Steve Jobs, a man whose work people fell in love with, but whose temperament was often notoriously nasty. Delving into the private life of the deceased visionary as he built what would become the great tech empire of the century, the film thoroughly outlines Jobs’ accomplishments and influence, mostly to set the stage for its real goal. Jobs’ unsavory, vaguely monstrous approach to both his personal relationships and business dealings have been well documented before, but Gibney and his team explore the disagreeable side of Jobs’ character more comprehensively than any other piece of media to date.

The issue with the film is its scope: It simply tries to cover too many topics and dates and pivotal events and facets of Jobs as a man. Information piles up so quickly that by the end of the film I was struggling to remember what happened in the first half. The more incisive final act of the film, which exposes controversies like Apple’s employee-less foreign operations company in Ireland (where income taxes are more manageable than in the states), is the highlight, and a film more focused on these kind of indictments may have been more intriguing.

Saint Laurent

In Saint Laurent, Bertrand Bonello (House of Tolerance) casts Gaspard Ulliel as Yves Saint Laurent to explore the French designer’s peak years, from 1967 to 1976. If it were acceptable to issue difficulty levels to movies, I’d give this one a nine: its plot is about as graspable as a puddle of spilt champagne. What we see is essentially a free-form sequence of moments, whose significance is often more than elusive. Cinematically, though, almost everything looks interesting, if not flat-out brilliant. The colors pop, the costumes are breathtaking, and the staging is off-putting, in a way. A notable moment when Ulliel smiles directly into the camera, for instance, sends chills down your spine.

The movie’s length (150 minutes) is, by far, the biggest barrier to entry. Bonello is in super-stylized, artsy mode throughout, and that means some sections are glacial and abstract and only pay dividends after you’ve left the theater; whether or not this is a good thing depends entirely on your taste. As a portrait of a man, Saint Laurent is surprisingly unflattering, and that’s a good thing, an eschewing of the hagiography cliché.

In a press conference yesterday the San Francisco Film Society announced the complete lineup for the 58th annual San Francisco International Film Festival, running from April 23rd – May 7th. Festival Executive Director Noah Cowan led the presentation, emphasizing SFFS’s mission to champion films and filmmakers from around the globe.

“I think this festival doesn’t get as much credit as it’s due as being among the most significant champions of emerging filmmakers from around the globe,” said Cowan at the press conference. “There’s a lot of focus right now in the festival world on American independent cinema. There’s lots of great stuff going on here, but sometimes it happens to neglect the quite extraordinary artists coming from other parts of the globe.”

Emblematic of the festival’s initiative to spotlight films on a global scale is its “Global Visions” section, which boasts an array of narrative and documentary films from Japan (Wonderful World End), Brazil (The Second Mother), Germany (Stations of the Cross), China (Red Amnesia), the United Kingdom (Luna), South Korea (A Hard Day), France (Fidelio: Alice’s Odyssey), New Zealand (The Dark Horse), and many more countries with exciting, emerging filmmakers and films worthy of our undivided attention. Also celebrating global storytelling are the Golden Gate Award Competitions, in which will award films from around the world nearly $40,000 across 14 awards categories.

The festival’s “Marquee Presentations” section takes a look at some buzzy titles from the festival circuit. Highlights include Eden, Mia Hansen-Løve’s French DJ drama starring Greta Gerwig and Brady Corbet; Best of Enemies, Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon’s doc about Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr.’s legendary 1968 televised debates; Results, Andrew Bujalski’s awkward comedy starring Cobie Smulders and Guy Pearce as personal trainers; Francois Ozon‘s latest drama, The New Girlfriend; and What Happened, Miss Simone?, Liz Garbus’ piercing doc about legendary vocalist Nina Simone.

The festival will open with lauded documentarian Alex Gibney‘s Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, which should be a perfect kick-off for the Bay Area audience. The End of the Tour, James Ponsoldt’s follow-up to The Spectacular Now, is the fest’s Centerpiece presentation, while Michael Almereyda’s biopic Experimenter, starring Peter Sarsgaard as scientist Stanley Milgram, will be the Closing Night Film.

Late additions to the festival lineup are still rolling in, but three additions confirmed are Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s Sundance darling Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Patrick Brice’s uncomfortable comedy The Overnight, and Helen Hunt’s Ride.

Special awards will be handed out to two of the industry’s most enduring luminaries. Guillermo del Toro will be in attendance to receive the Irving M. Levin Directing Award, and Richard Gere will be on-hand to receive the Peter J. Owens Award. Also receiving awards are documentarian Kim Longinotto and film translator Lenny Borger.

For the complete lineup, visit www.sffs.org

It was announced today that the 58th annual San Francisco International Film Festival will play host to the US premiere of Bill Condon‘s Mr. Holmes, a fresh take on Sherlock Holmes that sees Sir Ian McKellen playing the famous detective. The film marks Condon (Kinsey, The Fifth Estate) and McKellen’s first collaboration since 1998’s Gods and Monsters and also stars Laura Linney and newcomer Milo Parker. SFIFF takes place from April 23rd to May 7th, with Mr. Holmes screening as a Marquee Presentation on Saturday, April 25th, 12:30 pm at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas.

From the press release:

“We’re thrilled to have Bill Condon’s smart, elegant and moving take on the legendary detective as a Marquee Presentation at the Festival, “ said SFFS Director of Programming Rachel Rosen. “I know our audiences will appreciate the film’s stylish direction and stellar performances, led by the incomparable Ian McKellen.”

McKellen reunites with Gods and Monsters (1998) director Bill Condon for Mr. Holmes, a new twist on the world’s most famous detective.   1947, an aging Sherlock Holmes returns from a journey to Japan, where, in search of a rare plant with powerful restorative qualities, he has witnessed the devastation of nuclear warfare.  Now, in his remote seaside farmhouse, Holmes faces the end of his days tending to his bees, with only the company of his housekeeper and her young son, Roger.  Grappling with the diminishing powers of his mind, Holmes comes to rely upon the boy as he revisits the circumstances of the unsolved case that forced him into retirement, and searches for answers to the mysteries of life and love – before it’s too late.

Loosely adapted from Mitch Cullin’s novel A Slight Trick of the Mind and featuring precise attention to period detail and the visual splendor of the English countryside, Mr. Holmes stands proudly along the other indelible portraits of the unforgettable man who lived at 221B Baker Street.

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter follows a driven Japanese office assistant (Rinko Kikuchi) who, believing a buried treasure from the Fargo is real, travels to the snow-covered Midwestern American city to claim the bounty for herself. While making her way through the snowy locales on the way to claiming her prize, she encounters myriad obstacles that threaten to derail her dream, but the focused, driven Kumiko will stop at nothing. At once charming, funny, and disturbing, the film takes us on a surreal, epic odyssey alongside one of the most memorable protagonists of the past festival season. Director David Zellner sat with us at the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival to talk about urban legends, blurring reality, Rinko Kukuchi’s performance, comedy and tragedy, filming in harsh weather, Midwestern hospitality, and more.

Video: Adam Clay

Michael Tully’s Ping Pong Summer is a tidal wave of ’80s nostalgia that follows a shy, hip-hop and table tennis loving kid named Rad Miracle (Marcello Conte) on a family vacation in Ocean City, Maryland. Rad meets a quirky sidekick named Teddy (Myles Massey) and tries to overthrow Lyle (Joseph McCaughtry), the jerk king of the local fun center, to win the heart of his crush, Stacy (Emmi Shockley). The film looks, sounds, and feels just like those cheesy B-movies from the early Nickelodeon days, a delight to any child of the era.

In our video interview we chat with Tully about how autobiographical the film is, coming up with the idea for the film way back in 1992, casting non-actors in the child roles, creating an artifact from the ’80s, and more. Ping Pong Summer is available tomorrow, June 6th, in theaters and on demand.

Noah Cowan has only been San Francisco Film Society Executive Director for about ten weeks, but in that short stay his presence has lit a fire under an already lively film community. Last night, at the Closing Night screening of Alex of Venice at the Castro Theatre, Cowan addressed the crowd from the same podium he did when festival began two weeks ago, thanking Programming Director Rachel Rosen and her team for putting together a fantastic lineup of films, thanking the festival staff and volunteers for their hard work, and thanking the audience for partaking in the festivities. His enthusiasm for the future of the festival and SFFS–community building, educational programs, the fall Cinema By The Bay series–was echoed by the buzzing crowd. The future looks bright for the longest running film festival in the Americas.

Rosen then took the stage to introduce the night’s guest of honor, actor Chris Messina (The Mindy Project), whose directorial debut Alex of Venice would close out the festival. Also in attendance were stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Don Johnson, and Katie Nehra (who also co-wrote the screenplay), and producer Jamie Patricof. A soul-searcher family drama, the film follows Winstead’s Alex, an environmentalist attorney so preoccupied with work that her husband (Messina), feeling neglected and trapped as a stay-at-home dad, takes a sabbatical from the family, leaving Alex to take care of her aging actor dad (Johnson) and ten-year-old son (Skylar Gaertner).

Winstead is given a lot to work with in the role of Alex, as the material requires her to explore myriad colors of emotion as a mother overwhelmed by a sense of abandonment, isolation, a scattered home life, and a hefty workload. She rises to the occasion and emerges as the film’s greatest asset. Johnson, who’s been enjoying a second wind career-wise as of late, is on the money as usual, but it would have been nice to have seen a few more layers of texture added to his character in the unpolished script, which gets hung up on family drama tropes every time it starts to build a bit of momentum. Messina shows major promise as a director, and with a couple more films under his belt could be great.

Also screening on the last night of the festival across town at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas was Kelly Reichardt’s latest, Night Moves. Jesse Eisenberg (in his second festival appearance, the first being The Double) and Dakota Fanning play Josh and Dena, a pair of environmental activists who, with the help of an ex-Marine accomplice named Harmon (Peter Sarsgaard), blow up a dam in Oregon, and then wade through the dark world of paranoia, guilt, and suspicion that descends upon them following their extreme, costly actions.

Reichardt, lauded for minimalist, meditative pictures like Meek’s Cutoff and Wendy and Lucy, has fashioned a dark psychological thriller in Night Moves, her most accessible film to date. She still gives her actors a football field’s worth of emotional ground to cover with understated, revealing long takes and deceptively deep dialogue, but compared to how hushed her previous efforts were, this film seems to move along briskly. Some of the night time photography is bone-chillingly gorgeous, and this may be Reichardt’s most visually refined film to date, but the script slips off the edge in its third act, providing little food for thought. Still, we’re still left with the thick, atmospheric imagery and fine performances to chew on, which is more than enough to warrant a watch.

I Origins the latest effort from Another Earth director Mike Cahill, takes an excellent, heady sci-fi premise and mucks up the execution, resulting in a disappointingly half-hearted picture. We follow Dr. Ian Gray (Michael Pitt), a young scientist with an obsessive  fascination with eyes and their origins. His life’s work is to end the debate between scientists and religion by proving that eyes are a product of evolutionary development, not Intelligent Design. He takes close-up photos of people’s eyes regularly, and meets the love of his life (Astrid Berges-Frisbey) at a party while using the eye-photo line as an icebreaker. She’s a spiritual soul, though, and isn’t on the same page when it comes to his work in the lab, unlike his lab assistant (Brit Marling), who with Ian unlocks a mystery that could change the world.

Far-fetched isn’t always a bad thing, especially when it comes to sci-fi; unbelievable plots can work as long as the drama is convincing and the filmmaker convinces us to invest in the characters’ plight. Cahill falls short in this regard, beating the spirituality vs. pragmatism drum too loudly stretching the one-dimensional characters so thin you begin to wonder where the story is going with all the scientific jibber-jabber and rudimentary existential debates. After the film’s predictable, overwrought, dud of an ending, it’s unclear what exactly the film is trying to say. What’s the big idea? There’s some poignant statement or metaphor buried underneath the piles of pseudoscience jargon and fleeting moments of serendipity, but Cahill fails to mine it.

In Submarine director Richard Ayoade’s stylish Dostoyevsky adaptation The Double, Jesse Eisenberg impresses yet again in a dual performance as Simon, a pushover office drone, and his cocky, better-in-every-way doppelganger James. Though Simon has worked at the office for seven years, no one seems capable of remembering him, due to his socially awkward, subservient nature. New hire James–who looks and dresses exactly like Simon–begins to take over the office and bend their co-workers to his whim (including Simon’s crush played by the radiant Mia Wasikowska), Simon finds himself so trampled and transparent he might as well be nonexistent.

The film resembles a steampunk version of Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, while also paying homage to myriad other weirdo auteurs like David Lynch and Orson Welles. Eisenberg is the perfect choice for the role(s), exuding the pitiful weakness of Simon and the brash dominance of James with equal adeptness. Ayoade’s taken a surprising turn following up Submarine, an entertaining teen comedy, with a dark, brutal, depressing film like The Double, but he proves he’s more than capable of handling such artfully ambitious material. The fact that the film is clearly derivative but feels uniquely Ayoade’s on the same token is astonishing.

One of the best singer-songwriters of a generation is given the tribute treatment in Nickolas Rossi’s Heaven Adores You, an intimate, revealing music doc about the life and art of indie legend Elliot Smith which made its world premiere at SFIFF57. Rossi, also an experienced DP, marries Smith’s hauntingly earnest music and lyrics with incredibly cinematic footage of Portland, the city synonymous with Smith’s legacy. Using a collection of photos, videos, and accounts from the people closest to the soft-spoken Smith, the film follows his story from childhood, through his prolific music career in which he moved millions, to his untimely death in 2003 to unexplained stab wounds.

Instead of following the tabloid route and sensationalizing the mystery of Smith’s death, Rossi lets the music dictate the form of the film. There’s a prevalent sense of Smith’s presence throughout the film, something most music docs are sorely missing. Audio of Smith’s guest appearances on radio shows has the chilling effect of making it feel as if he’s sitting right next to you, talking into your ear. Fans will be delighted at the tastefulness of the production, while the uninitiated will find a well-crafted introduction into the life and work of one of the greats.

The movie poster for Of Horses & Men is a hilarious head-scratcher: A depressed-looking man (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson) is mounted on a white-haired horse, head down in despair, as a black stallion takes his steed from behind. It doesn’t become clear just how emblematic the poster is until you’ve immersed yourself in Benedikt Erlingsson’s off-kilter, picturesque exploration of the bestial equity between man and horse. Later on, he mirrors the shocking horse-sex scene with one involving humans; surprisingly, the latter is no less cringe-worthy, and that’s sort of the point.

Erlingsson seamlessly weaves together a collection of short film-sized stories that take place in a small, horse-dependent village in Iceland. The quirky vignettes are comedic, grotesque, and strangely beautiful. In one, an alcoholic rides his horse into the ocean to catch a passing Russian boat and secure a jug of unearthly strong vodka. Another follows a Spanish tourist (Juan Camillo Roman Estrada) as he gets lost in the snow overnight with his horse and wrestles with the idea of resorting to the classic “Tauntaun” method of survival. What bumps the film up from minor to major achievement is its expert cinematography, which captures the majesty of horses unlike any movie I’ve seen, while capturing the stunning Icelandic landscape just as well. The film feels like a Nat-Geo special gone horribly wrong, in the best, left-field way possible.

In Jeremy Ambers’ Impossible Light, the first-time filmmaker follows the conceptualization, design, and construction of the gigantic piece of public art known as The Bay Lights. The project, dreamed up by Illuminate the Arts founder Ben Davis and designed by light artist Leo Villareal, had a crew of intrepid workers brave great heights, stringing thousands of LED’s up and down the suspension cables of San Francisco’s utilitarian western span of the Bay Bridge, sometimes under punishing weather conditions. That wouldn’t be the team’s biggest hurdle, however, as navigating a serpentine process of acquiring permits and raising funds almost squashed the project before they could hit the “on” switch.

Ambers takes the time to highlight the smallest details of the giant production, from the design of the clamps that hold the lights in place to the strategic placement of the lights themselves (so as not to distract on-bridge drivers). This attention to detail is fascinating and impressive, considering the 70 minute runtime. Ambers was essentially a one-man film crew, climbing to the bridge’s highest point with a camera strapped on, and the resulting footage is spectacular (and harrowing). In reality, there was no human antagonist vehemently opposing the project, but Ambers does his best to create a sense of urgency without the benefit of a human conflict angle. An uplifting film for a universally inspirational work of public art.

A 3rd generation filmmaker of one of cinema’s most lauded families, Gia Coppola impresses in her debut feature, Palo Alto, an adaptation of a book by James Franco (who’s also in the movie) that captures the listless, limbo-like haze of high school through interweaving stories of several troubled teens. While the film technically falls into the “teen drama” column, its authentic, unapologetically filthy depiction of adolescence sets it apart.

Click to view slideshow.
Photos Courtesy Adam Clay

Much of Palo Alto‘s authenticity stems from its cast, all appropriately aged (this is important) and all quite…normal looking. It’s a good thing, as most teen movies’ stars are too prettied up to be relatable. Jack Kilmer, son of Val (who makes a brief, comical appearance), and Emma Roberts lead the brilliant cast, who all convince as conflicted, bored, lustful youths partying, getting in trouble, and goofing around in parking lots. Coppola, a photographer whose work impressed Franco enough to entrust the stories of his hometown to her, has a natural eye for composition and color, capturing the intensity and urgency of teen life with her luscious, moody imagery. Each character is chaotically emotional and has a unique set of inner conflicts to reckon with. This is the best representation of modern teens in memory.

SFIFF57 offered up another debut feature, this time from co-directors Tom Dolby and Tom Williams with the world premier of the Lake Tahoe-set Last Weekend. A family drama about an affluent couple (Patricia Clarkson and Chris Mulkey) hosting their spoiled adult children and their significant others for a weekend in their home on the sparkling lake, the film has its moments but is hampered by a script that needs more sharpening. Watching entitled rich folk complain about everything while feasting in paradise is a joke that gets old quick.

Click to view slideshow.
Photos Courtesy Adam Clay

The film, which has almost zero plot to speak of (not a knock), is completely fueled by the contentious family dynamics. The savvy young cast, which includes Zachary Booth, Alexia Rasmussen (Proxy), Joseph Cross (Milk), Devon Graye (Dexter), and Jayma Mays (Glee), all approaching their prime, embody their bratty roles tastefully, never going overboard or outshining each other. Clarkson and Mulkey guide them along, and the fresh faces keep up without a stutter. Cross and Clarkson share some particularly venomous scenes together, epic mother-son spats that steal the show. Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods) and Rutina Wesley (True Blood) play nothing roles that amount to a well-acted waste of time.

Tsai Ming-Liang made a Miyazaki-like announcement at the premiere of his new film Stray Dogs in Venice that the stunning film about an impoverished family would be his last, to the sadness of many arthouse aficionados. The lauded auteur is leaving the cinema world on a high note, however, as Stray Dogs is as gorgeous, boundary-pushing, and incomparable as his previous work (What Time is it There?, The Hole).

As has become his signature style, Tsai presents his tale in a series of fixed, ultra-long shots whose uncompromisingly elongated form reveals intricacies and shifting emotion unseeable by way of conventional quick cuts or even shots like Scorsese’s Copacabana classic. Spectacle is not the objective here, with the shot lengths surpassing the ten minute mark in some cases. Tsai paints a dark, stark portrait of a family living in squalor on the streets of Taipei. We see the children bathe in a dingy public restroom, the father hold up advertising signs at a busy intersection in the pouring rain. It’s a haunting, gut-wrenching film, and one whose beauty lies not just in Tsai’s immaculately composed shots, but in the 4th dimension of time itself. And you don’t even have to shell out an extra ten bucks for 4-D glasses!

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the festival so far has been Craig Johnson’s The Skeleton Twins, which from movie stills ostensibly appears to be a star vehicle for SNL all-stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, but actually turns out to be an unexpectedly affecting sibling drama peppered with funny moments for the comedians to please loyalists. Hader and Wiig play the titular troubled siblings Milo and Maggie, each with self-destructive tendencies.

Click to view slideshow.
After ten years of not speaking, Maggie invites her brother to stay with her after a suicide attempt. She’s in denial about her dissatisfaction with her marriage to the cheerful Lance (Luke Wilson) while Milo, an emotional wreck more aware of his fatal flaws, struggles to tie up loose ends in his past life while trying desperately to keep Maggie afloat in her failing marriage. It would be fair to categorize The Skeleton Twins as a dramedy, though the dramatic element is more intensified here than your average Apatow effort. It’s a dark movie, and Hader and Wiig’s comedic chops translate well to the emotional spectrum of acting (Wiig’s already proven this, but this is Hader’s first dramatic leading role). In fact, the laughs sometimes outstay their welcome, as the comedic scenes are egregiously tailored to the actors’ signature personas and distract from their better, dramatic character moments. This one’s definitely worth keeping on your radar.

Tomorrow night, the 57th annual San Francisco International Film Festival (April 24-May 8) kicks off its program of 168 films representing 56 countries. Seeing every film in that span of time is a veritable impossibility (though San Francisco is full of sun-depraved cine-maniacs ready to jump at the challenge), so we’re going to take a look at some of the highlights in the festival’s catalog for anyone planning on hopping over to the Bay Area and joining in on the fun.

Opening up the festival tomorrow night at the Castro Theater is Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January, a Greece-set suspense thriller starring Kirsten Dunst and Viggo Mortensen, an American couple on holiday who find themselves inextricably linked to a shifty tour guide (Oscar Isaac) after a fatal accident in a hotel room forces them to frantically find a way out of the country. Evoking Hitchcock’s touristic action-romance romps, the film should send the festival on its way nicely.

Speaking of being on holiday, Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip to Italy (pictured above) looks to walk on the lighter side of vacationing. A sequel to 2011’s The Trip, the film stars English funnymen Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon playing inflated versions of themselves as they, like in the first film, take a culinary tour of expensive restaurants, making each other chuckle along the way with improvised chatter and–of course–spot-on Michael Caine impressions.

On the darker side of traveling lies Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, about a sociopath Japanese office assistant who flies to Fargo, North Dakota in search of a buried treasure she glimpsed in the famous Coen Brothers movie. For some reason, she believes a suitcase full of money buried in the snow by Steve Buscemi in a fictional movie exists in real life…and that totally piques my interest for some reason…

The film that’s got me frothing in anticipation more than any other is Night Moves (pictured above), by ridiculously talented writer/director Kelly Reichardt (Meek’s Cutoff, Wendy and Lucy). It’s a safe bet that, like her previous films, we’ll be treated to a smorgasbord of deliciously cinematic imagery to support a wholly unique script (set, as in all her previous efforts, in Oregon). The political thriller stars Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning as environmentalist lovebirds who, with marine veteran Peter Sarsgaard, hatch a plan to blow up a dam. This one looks to be a less contemplative and more narrative-driven movie than we’re used to seeing from Reichardt, which excites me to no end.

The fest’s centerpiece presentation is the Bay Area-set teenage drama Palo Alto, directed by Gia Coppola and starring Emma Roberts, James Franco, and Jack Kilmer. Based on a book of short stories written by Franco about his experience growing up in the titular Bay Area community, the film aims to be a more authentic take on teenage life than your typical high school drama, casting appropriately-aged actors in all roles and eschewing tropes like stereotypical clique dynamics.

Richard Linklater is set to receive the Founder’s Directing Award at SFIFF, and he’s bringing Boyhood, his much buzzed-about coming-of-age movie, along with him. We’ve all heard by now that the film is pretty good and that it took  an unprecedented 12 years to make, which is reason enough to check out the film at the festival, but sweetening the deal is that a career highlight reel of the indie pioneer will also be shown, and Linklater will participate in an on-stage interview. Doesn’t get much cooler than that!

There are two films with the word “Summer” in the title playing at the festival, but seriously, they couldn’t be any more different. Stanley Nelson (Freedom Riders) chronicles the rise of the Civil Rights movement in his powerful documentary Freedom Summer, focusing on the significant, eruptive events in Mississippi in the summer of 1964. Director Michael Tully’s nostalgia comedy Ping Pong Summer (pictured above), set in a 1985 Maryland beach town, follows 13-year-old Rad Miracle (Marcello Conte) as a simple family vacation turns into one of the most memorable summers of his life.

Closing out the festival is actor-turned-director Chris Messina’s Alex of Venice, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the titular workaholic attorney, whose negligence of her family drives her husband (Messina) to walk out of their lives. As Alex’s strictly organized life begins to spiral out of control, she scrambles to restore some semblance of order, in the process discovering what’s truly important to her. The film also stars Don Johnson as Winstead’s father in a standout role.

For more information and ticketing info, visit sffs.org

The San Francisco Film Society announced today that Jeremy Irons will be the recipient of the Peter J. Owens Award for excellence in acting at the 57th annual San Francisco International Film Festival. Previous recipients include Harrison Ford, Robert Duvall, Sean Penn, Nicholas Cage, and more.

The film legend (The French Lieutenant’s Woman, The Lion King, Dead Ringers) will receive the award at the Film Society Awards Night, where Richard Linklater (Founder’s Directing Award), screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (Kanbar Screenwriting Award), and the recipient of the George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award will also be honored.

From the SFFS press release:

“Jeremy Irons is the perfect choice to receive the Peter J. Owens Award, SFIFF’s top honor for the actor’s craft,” said Noah Cowan, Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society. “He embodies the international spirit that defines our festival, and the phenomenal work he has done on screens big and small is an inspiration. We are thrilled to pay tribute to an actor whose range, depth and wonderful sense of humor have delighted lovers of world cinema for decades.”

Irons will also be honored at An Evening with Jeremy Irons at Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, Wednesday April 30, 7:30 pm. A screening of a film featuring one of his iconic performances will follow an onstage interview and a selection of clips from his impressive career.  

Stay tuned for more news and coverage coming out of the festival.

Today, the San Francisco Film Society (and its new executive director Noah Cowan) announced the full lineup for the 57th annual San Francisco International Film Festival, running from April 24-May 8. Consisting of 169 films from 56 countries, the festival looks to present a broad selection of both domestic and world cinema features. 200 filmmakers and special guests are expected to attend.

Opening up the festival will be Hossein Amini’s The Two Faces of January, a Greece-set suspense-thriller starring Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, and Oscar Isaac. Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto will serve as the fest’s Centerpiece Film, while actor Chris Messina’s directorial debut Alex of Venice, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Don Johnson, will wrap up the festival’s 15-day run.

Receiving awards at this year’s festival will be Pixar’s John Lasseter (2014 George Gund Craft III of Cinema Award), Richard Linklater (Founders Directing Award), screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (Kanbar Award), and film historian David Thomson (Mel Novikoff Award), with more to be announced.

Some standouts: Kelly Reichardt’s (Meek’s Cutoff) environmental activist drama Night Moves starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, and Peter Sarsgaard, looks to be another excellent entry into the acclaimed indie filmmaker’s oeuvre;  The Skeleton Twins, a sibling drama starring SNL favorites Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, who will be in attendance at the fest; Young & Beautiful, a drama from Francois Ozon (Swimming Pool) billed as “a portrait in four seasons and four songs”; and Boyhood, Linklater’s unprecedented coming-of-age story filmed over 12 years.

For the full schedule, check out sffs.org

The 57th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs from April 24-May 8, has announced its opening night film as The Two Faces of January, starring Oscar Isaac, Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst, which will be making it’s North American premiere at the fest. Closing out the festival will be Alex of Venice, the directorial debut of actor Chris Messina starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Don Johnson.

“We are delighted to offer these exceptional films by first-time directors who are best known for their work in other areas of the film world,” said San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Noah Cowan. “Championing talented artists who aren’t afraid of taking risks is at the heart of the Film Society’s mission and our ongoing support of filmmakers around the world. I can’t think of a better pair of films to kick off and wrap up what is going to be an amazing festival.”

The Two Faces of January (above) marks a directorial debut as well, in this caseof screenwriter Hossein Amini (Drive). Set in Greece, the thriller sees Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst play a couple who fall into a dangerous dilemma with an Athens tour guide (Oscar Isaac) following a murderous incident at their hotel.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars in Chris Messina’s Alex of Venice as a workaholic environmental lawyer whose husband (Messina) is fed up with being a stay-at-home father and decides to stay elsewhere. Winstead is left at home with her son and actor father (Don Johnson) and is forced to hold the family together all by herself.

For more festival info, visit sffs.org

The San Francisco Film Society will honor Richard Linklater with the 2014 Founder’s Directing Award at the 57th annual San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs from April 24-May 8. Linklater wowed the SFIFF festival goers last year with the excellent Before Midnight and looks to do the same this year with the ambitious Boyhood. His incredible catalogue of films also includes Slacker, Dazed & Confused, Waking Life, Before Sunset/Sunrise, and many more.

For more info, visit sffs.org

From the official press release:

San Francisco, CA — The San Francisco Film Society announced today that filmmaker Richard Linklater will be the recipient of the 2014 Founder’s Directing Award at the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival(April 24 – May 8), honoring the quintessentially American director’s expansive body of work and celebrating the upcoming release Boyhood, his groundbreaking new film. The award will be presented to Linklater at Film Society Awards Night, Thursday May 1 at The Regency Center.

Linklater will also be publicly honored at An Evening with Richard Linklaterat the Castro Theatre, Friday May 2, 7:00 pm. An onstage interview and a selection of clips from his notable directing career will be followed by a screening of Boyhood. Filming over the course of 12 years, Linklater and his cast depict a young man’s journey from a 6-year-old boy to 18-year-old college freshman. The resulting film “has no precedent” according to the Hollywood Reporter’s Todd McCarthy. “Never has the long arc of the journey from childhood to college been portrayed as cohesively and convincingly as Richard Linklater has done.”

“Richard Linklater is one of our country’s great creative minds,” said San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Noah Cowan. “His curiosity about cinema’s endless possibilities and his landmark collaborations with many of the world’s most interesting actors mark him as a profound and important force in our medium. It is our great honor to welcome him here to accept the 2014 Founder’s Directing Award.”

One of the most profound and prolific American independent filmmakers of the last 20 years, Richard Linklater first burst onto the scene with his scrappy time capsule of Austin weirdness, Slacker (SFIFF, 1991). Since then Linklater’s work has graced international film festival lineups, helped launch the careers of a number of prominent movie stars (Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Parker Posey) and garnered multiple Oscar nominations. Boyhood is his 18th feature film.

The Film Society and its year-round programs in exhibition, education and filmmaker services will benefit from the Film Society Awards Night fundraiser honoring Linklater. The star-studded event will also honor the recipients of the Peter J. Owens Award for excellence in acting and the Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting. Honorees in recent years have included Harrison Ford (Owens Award 2013), David Webb Peoples (Kanbar Award 2012), Judy Davis (Owens Award 2012), James Toback (Kanbar Award 2009), Robert Redford (Owens Award 2009) and Robert Towne (Kanbar Award 2007). Victoria Raiser and Todd Traina are co-chairs of this year’s gala.

The Founder’s Directing Award is presented each year to a master of world cinema and is given in memory of Irving M. Levin, visionary founder of the San Francisco International Film Festival in 1957. It is made possible by Irving’s son and current SFFS board member Fred M. Levin and Fred’s wife Nancy Livingston. The award was first bestowed in 1986 on iconic filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, and for many years carried his name.

The award has brought many of the world’s most visionary directors to the San Francisco International Film festival over the years. Previous recipients are Philip Kaufman, USA; Kenneth Branagh, England; Oliver Stone, USA; Walter Salles, Brazil; Francis Ford Coppola, USA; Mike Leigh, England; Spike Lee, USA; Werner Herzog, Germany; Taylor Hackford, USA; Milos Forman, Czechoslovakia/USA; Robert Altman, USA; Warren Beatty, USA; Clint Eastwood, USA; Abbas Kiarostami, Iran; Arturo Ripstein, Mexico; Im Kwon-Taek, Korea; Francesco Rosi, Italy; Arthur Penn, USA; Stanley Donen, USA; Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal; Ousmane Sembène, Senegal; Satyajit Ray, India; Marcel Carné, France; Jirí Menzel, Czechoslovakia; Joseph L. Mankiewicz, USA; Robert Bresson, France; Michael Powell, England; and Akira Kurosawa, Japan.

The 57th annual San Francisco International Film Festival has announced the slates for its 2014 New Directors Prize and Golden Gate Award for Documentary Feature. The festival runs April 24-May 8.

From the official press release:

San Francisco, CA — The 57th San Francisco International Film Festival(April 24 – May 8) today announced the films in competition for the New Directors Prize and the Golden Gate Award (GGA) contenders in the documentary feature category. SFIFF will award nearly $40,000 in total cash prizes this year. The New Directors Prize of $10,000 will be given to a narrative first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility and deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. The GGA documentary feature winner will receive $10,000 and the GGA Bay Area documentary feature winner will receive $5,000. A total of 25 countries are represented in this year’s competing feature films. Independent juries will select the winners, which will be announced at the Golden Gate Awards, Wednesday, May 7.

In conjunction with the announcement of the feature film competition slates, SFIFF has launched the sale of CineVoucher 10-packs. These discounted ticket bundles are now available for $120 for SFFS members and $140 for the general public. CineVouchers can be redeemed for film tickets beginning April 1 for SFFS members and April 4 for the general public. For more information and to purchase CineVoucher packages, visit sffs.org.

2014 NEW DIRECTORS PRIZE (NARRATIVE FEATURE) COMPETITION

The Amazing Catfish, Claudia Sainte-Luce, Mexico
Set in Guadalajara, The Amazing Catfish follows the quiet transformation of a solitary young woman informally adopted and absorbed into a rambunctious matriarchy in a state of crisis. Filmed by Claire Denis’ long-time cinematographer, Agnès Godard, Claudia Sainte-Luce’s debut feature, based loosely on events from her own life, blends a wry and moving naturalism with moments of inspired comedy.

The Blue Wave, Zeynep Dadak and Merve Kayan, Turkey/Germany/Netherlands/Greece
In this low-key, loosely plotted coming-of-age tale, a Turkish teenage girl wrestles with mood swings, unfocused restlessness, familial responsibilities, shifting friendships and romantic complications during a year of quiet tumult.

Difret, Zeresenay Berhane Mehari, Ethiopia
In a contemporary Ethiopian village, a 14-year-old girl is abducted from school in an attempt at forced marriage, a tradition in her community. Her efforts to free herself from a preordained future set off a legal firestorm in this powerful drama inspired by a true story that pits the law against an entrenched cultural mindset.

The Dune, Yossi Aviram, France/Israel
Delving into issues of identity and aging, this nuanced relationship drama portrays the personal crises faced by an aging gay cop in France and a younger Israeli man who is found on the beach, mute and without any identification.

History of Fear, Benjamín Naishtat, Argentina/France/Germany/Uruguay/Qatar
Paranoia runs rampant in this accomplished first feature, instilling a disorienting sense of dread in the viewer. Are the strange occurrences in an affluent Buenos Aires suburb evidence that the skittish residents are actually being targeted? Naishtat foregoes ready explanations or assurances in favor of foreboding suggestions in a film that is sprawling both in scope and implications but astonishingly exacting in its execution.

Manos Sucias, Josef Wladyka, USA/Colombia
A reluctant smuggler and his eager neophyte brother shepherd a dangerous narco-torpedo up the coast of Colombia, posing as fishermen. Paramilitary, guerrillas and hardscrabble desperation suffuse every inch of the jungle and waters that surround them, eager to separate the siblings from their only opportunity to escape the circumstances of their lives.

Of Horses and Men, Benedikt Erlingsson, Iceland/Germany
The relationship between man and beast is explored in a series of dryly humorous, linked episodes set in a small Icelandic hamlet. With its idiosyncratic portrait of village life, this remarkable debut features several unforgettable visual tableaux.

Salvation Army, Abdellah Taïa, Morocco
Adapting his autobiographical novel, director Abdellah Taïa tells the story of a gay Moroccan boy finding self-realization and personal strength within a society that shuns him. Shot by the brilliant Agnès Godard, the film takes the form of a diptych, telling the protagonist’s story in two different time periods and locales.

South Is Nothing, Fabio Mollo, Italy/France
Miriam Karlkvist took a well-deserved Shooting Star award at the Berlinale for her portrayal of an androgynous teenage girl negotiating life in a mafia-controlled town whose code of silence is destroying her family. Filmed in Reggio Calabria, this debut feature combines poetic realism with hard-edged cynicism.

Trap Street, Vivian Qu, China
What’s it like to be a 21st-century young adult-with access to gadgets, the Internet and other high-tech conveniences — within China’s surveillance state? First-time writer-director Vivian Qu’s taut, slow-building noir cleverly uses a simple boy-meets-girl tale to unearth a hidden world of government control lurking just under the surface.

White Shadow, Noaz Deshe, Italy/Germany/Tanzania
Inspired by news reports of the ongoing perils faced by albinos in Tanzania, Noaz Deshe’s film depicts a fractured and uneasy world, where superstition and the rule of law collide. An albino youth named Alias must learn to navigate through a culture not just unsympathetic to his condition, but actively violent towards it.

In addition to these 11 first features in competition, the New Directors section of SFIFF57 includes 14 out-of-competition films, which will be announced at the Festival’s press conference Tuesday, April 1.

2014 GOLDEN GATE AWARDS DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

Coast of Death, Lois Patiño, Spain
From the first entrancing images of trees being cut down in a fog-filled forest to the later blues of the sky and ocean fusing to erase the horizon, the always static frames of this documentary offer a meditative and prismatic view of Spain’s much storied and dangerous “Coast of Death.”

The Last Season, Sara Dosa, USA
Every September, over 200 seasonal workers, many of them Cambodian, Lao, Hmong, Mien and Thai, descend upon the tiny town of Chemult, Oregon, to search the woods for the rare Matsuke, a fungus highly prized in Japan. This documentary examines the bond between two of these hunters, an elderly Vietnam vet and a survivor of the Khmer Rouge, during one unusually hard season.

The Overnighters, Jesse Moss, USA
Unemployed men and women across America want new oil jobs in North Dakota, but housing is at a premium. Enter Pastor Jay Reinke. Despite protests from his own congregation, he opens up his church to “overnighters” — people in search of a second shot at the American Dream. The film expertly and compassionately depicts the conflict between locals, these new residents and Pastor Reinke’s controversial policy.

Return to Homs, Talal Derki, Syria/Germany
Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Sundance, this dispatch from the besieged Syrian city of Homs is both an elegy and a call to action. Filmed between 2011 and 2013, it presents a visceral eyewitness account of the conflict as a peaceful uprising descends into civil war and idealistic young men are transformed into revolutionary martyrs.

Soul Food Stories, Tonislav Hristov, Bulgaria/Finland
Muslim, Christian, Roma and atheist Communists live together peacefully in Satovcha, a Bulgarian village. They have differing theologies and politics, but are united by a love of food and the eternal mystery of being men and women. Beautifully shot, the film unfolds like a 10-course meal, with observations of food preparation and religious diversity laced into the recipes.

Stop the Pounding Heart, Roberto Minervini, USA/Italy/Belgium
This unique hybrid of documentary and narrative offers an evocative portrait of the quotidian lives of a devout young Christian goat farmer and the bullriding cowboy who lives nearby. As much a portrait of the East Texas town where they live as it is a relationship drama, the film combines ethnography and budding romance to compelling effect.

Three Letters from China, Luc Schaedler, Switzerland
Luc Schaedler’s latest work presents distinct and illuminating portraits of contemporary life in China. Attentively observing life on a parched farm, a grim industrial zone, a rural village and a booming megacity, the documentary expressively reveals the upheaval and uncertainty of a rapidly changing nation through the deeply engrossing stories of its people.

We Come as Friends, Hubert Sauper, France/Austria
South Sudan may have declared its independence but that hasn’t stopped multinationals and missionaries from laying claim to its natural resources and influencing its people’s religious beliefs. Employing intrepid techniques and striking visuals, documentarian Hubert Sauper (Darwin’s Nightmare) delivers another piercing examination of the human cost of neocolonialism that will provoke both thought and outrage.

In addition to these eight features by emerging filmmakers in the documentary competitions, the Golden Gate Awards also will include competitors in six other categories. These films will be announced at the Festival press conference on Tuesday, April 1.

“My biggest fear is for my mind to control me and not the other way around,”Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Silva told us at FilmHouse in San Francisco, when asked about the inspiration behind his 2013 psychological creeper Magic Magic, starring Juno Temple and Michael Cera. We spoke with him at the beginning of his tenure as the San Francisco Film Society’s 2014 artist in residence, which runs through the end of the week. Including student lectures, a screening of Magic Magic, an intimate artist talk, and filmmaker networking events, the residency program is an opportunity for emerging filmmakers to spread their knowledge across the Bay Area filmmaking community.

In Magic Magic, Temple plays Alicia, an American who travels to Chile to visit her cousin Sarah (Emily Browning). During her stay, Alicia’s mind begins to crack when her interactions with Sarah’s friends turn adversarial. The film also stars Silva’s brother, Agustin, Cera, and Catalina Sandino Moreno. Magic Magic is one of two collaborations Silva had with Cera last year, the other being kooky road trip movie Crystal Fairy, based on a real-life experience Silva had in with a girl named Crystal Fairy (played by Gaby Hoffmann).

During our chat we talked about Silva reconnecting with the real Crystal Fairy, the gift of spontaneity, his residence in San Francisco, questioning his craft, Juno Temple’s tortured acting style, and more.

For More info about Silva’s residence, visit sffs.org.

When I spoke to you last year at the San Francisco International Film Festival, you were hoping that the real Crystal Fairy was going to show up to the film’s screening that night, as you were led to believe she lived in the area.

Sebastian: She didn’t show up at that screening, but we eventually heard from her. Gaby emailed me that she had contacted the real Crystal Fairy and that she was living in Vermont. She sent me her number, and I was petrified. I wasn’t ready to talk to her, you know? I had no idea whether she liked the movie or not. I told Michael [Cera] that I had her number, and he said, “Let’s call her!” We called her on speakerphone, and she said she loved the movie. She freaked the fuck out.

She had no idea you made this movie about her, right?

Sebastian: No! I lost contact with her 13 years ago, but now she’s in my phone.

What I enjoy about this pair of movies you’ve made is that they depict Chile so differently.

Sebastian: One is “feel-good”, and one is “feel-bad”. Crystal Fairy is handheld, improvised, and Magic Magic is the most expensive movie I’ve made, with a rockstar DP, precious photography, artificial lighting…they were very different processes. They do share a lot of similarities; a girl comes to Chile in search of herself, and Michael plays an antagonist to them. There are a lot of similarities, but the movies make you feel very different.

You made Crystal Fairy fairly quickly, and filmed Magic Magic shortly thereafter. Do you think that, because the two processes were so disparate, you felt refreshed going into Magic Magic and that it helped that film?

Sebastian: Definitely. Crystal Fairy was the first movie where I explored improvisation so deeply. We had an outline, but we didn’t have a screenplay. I had to be so much more aware of my surroundings. I was making it on the go. You just feel so much more alive, and it was very challenging. That formula helped me to be more loose and open to change things in Magic Magic, which had a very rigid screenplay and shooting plan. Having shot Crystal Fairy so recently, it made me work more loosely. I’d delete entire scenes, shoot scenes on the front porch instead of the dining room. That spontaneity was a gift from Crystal Fairy, and I’m treasuring it.

I love the chemistry Michael has with Gaby and Juno, but I actually particularly enjoy the dynamic between he and your brother, Agustin.

Sebastian: It’s a great dynamic. He’s a good kid. Such a natural. He and Michael are great friends.

Gaby and Juno both give very intense performances, with Gaby’s character being an extremely positive person and Juno’s being a deeply tortured soul. 

Sebastian: Gaby’s a bit older than Juno, and Juno seems to be a more sensitive, fragile creature. For her, I think this character was a little bit of a spiritual burden, and she was sometimes overwhelmed by it. I’d give her directions to cry, act scared, act insecure, and it would bring her spirit down. Gaby’s character was ridiculous. She was preaching shit that she wasn’t doing herself, a forgivable hypocrite. They are very different women doing very different roles. It’s hard to compare them, in that sense. Gaby is one of those actresses who does a character. She doesn’t become Crystal Fairy. She’s doing a job. On the other hand, Juno started suffering like her character Alicia. When I asked her to cry, she couldn’t stop crying afterwards. She’d go to places that weren’t very healthy to get the emotions I was asking for.

You’re going to be here in San Francisco for a while as the SFFS artist in residence. You have a lot of activities lined up, including lectures for students. Have you ever spoken to students in this kind of forum before?

Sebastian: No, never. But I’ve done a lot of Q&A’s and press. It’s kind of the same. I didn’t prepare or anything. I wouldn’t know how to start a lecture. I’d rather go “Crystal Fairy” on them and improvise the lectures.

Would a younger you have enjoyed having access to a filmmaker like this?

Sebastian: It would have been nice to hear about stuff that isn’t easy, for instance. Tips I know are very useful for if you’re making your first feature, or writing your first script.

Do you think that watching a lot of movies keeps your filmmaking skills sharp?

Sebastian: I don’t really watch a lot of movies. I’m not a cinephile. I even question my craft every day. “What am I doing? Should I just paint?” It’s become my life and my craft, but I don’t completely love it. I find it very superficial at times. I have a love-hate relationship with making movies. I guess some filmmakers are sharper that way. I remember a Chilean filmmaker telling me, “If you want to shoot a car scene, just watch how Quentin Tarantino does it and copy it!” I’d never copy something. If I have to shoot a car scene, I’d figure it out on my own.

I love Michael’s character in Magic Magic, Brink.

Sebastian: He’s the best. I love Brink, too. Michael and I got so addicted to him. He’s such a closeted gay. Very creepy. I love him.

Was it your idea from the beginning to dye his hair dark?

Sebastian: Yeah. I wanted to transform him. I asked him to gain a lot of weight, but he said, “No fucking way.”

Tell me about your next project, Nasty Baby.

Sebastian: We’re locking picture at the end of March. We shot it in my neighborhood in New York, and I’m starring as the main character with Kristen Wiig and Tunde Adebimpe, the lead singer of TV On The Radio. I think we did a really good job. It’s very naturalistic and funny, but it gets a little dark. It’s not a comedy, it’s not a drama. It’s just a piece of life that goes wrong. By the end it becomes a sort of thriller.

This is your first time starring and directing, so that’s another unique filmmaking experience under your belt.

Sebastian: You want to keep it fresh, so that’s why I decided to act. It’s a very small movie so there was no risk. Co-starring with Kristen was very comfortable. She’s a great improvisor and made me feel very safe. The DP I work with on most of my films came from Chile, so I felt at home. Very comfortable. But it was very overwhelming to be directing and acting. I had no monitor to see what I was doing, see the takes. I had to just trust my co-actors. I told them, “If I’m embarrassing myself, just let me know I’m doing a shitty job.”

A special preview screening of Richard Linklater’s ambitious new project, Boyhood, has been added to the Sundance 2014 lineup.

The film, also known as the “12 Year Project”, is an unprecedented undertaking: for the past 12 years, Linklater has made one short film a year that follows a boy named Mason (played by Ellar Coltrane), along with his sister Samantha (Lorelei Linklater, the auteur’s daughter), as he navigates the rocky road from boyhood (age 6) to adulthood (age 18).

Coltrane, who began filming in 2000, ages with his character in real time, an idea that, if nothing else, will be visually unlike anything ever seen on film. Playing Coltrane and Linklater’s parents (and aging along with him during the shoot) are Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette. To watch Coltrane physically transform from a tiny tot into a young man within the running time of a feature film, “like timelapse photography of a human being”, as Hawke told The Playlist last year, is a uniquely compelling incentive to keep our eyes on Linklater’s latest.

ABOVE: Linklater in San Francisco, April 2013

This is the auteur’s second project to utilize the real-life passing of time as a storytelling device, following his Before series (whose latest entry, Before Midnight, was my favorite film of 2013), a trio of romance movies separated by 9 years each starring Hawke and Julie Delpy. That series celebrated its 18th birthday last year (a somewhat poetic coincidence). We chatted with Mr. Linklater about the series in an extended interivew last April at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

Linklater has a long-standing relationship with the festival, premiering several of his films there: Before Sunrise (1995), subUrbia 1997, Waking Life (2001), Tape (2001), and Before Midnight (2013).

Boyhood premieres Sunday, January 19th, rounding out the 121 feature-length film lineup. The 2014 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 16th-26th in Park City, Utah.

Director PJ Raval’s Before You Know It is a beautiful, grounded documentary highlighting a very specific group of Americans—elderly gay men. Seniors are desexualized and largely neglected by society already—when I see seniors in public, the people around them typically act as if they’re invisible—so being an elderly gay man comes with an extra set of challenges.

Dennis Creamer —an avid Star Trek fan and one of the subjects in Before You Know It—is a prime example. He came out when he was 70 after his wife died and became fond of cross-dressing. The film follows him on his path of self-discovery along with two other subjects. Robert is a no-bullshit, sassy bar owner in Texas, and Ty is a gay rights activist from Harlem. It’s fascinating to watch the three subjects react to America’s ever-changing social climate (Ty’s segments were filmed as gay marriage passed in New York).

Raval and Dennis took time with Way Too Indie to talk about the making of the film, the inspiration behind it, what it’s like to explore your sexuality at an advanced age, the importance of colonizing Mars (yup), and more.

WTI: Let’s start off with the most basic of questions, PJ—how did this project come about?

PJ Raval: I made a film called Trinidad, and while touring with it I was at a reception at the Hudson Valley LGBT community center where about 85% of the crowd was gay seniors. I think it was the first time that I was in an environment where I recognized such a large number of members of that community. The wheels started turning. Why hadn’t I seen this before, and why hadn’t I heard about this community? I went around [at the reception] thanking people for throwing it and heard all these amazing stories.

Around the same time, I was volunteering for an organization to teach queer youth filmmaking. There was a person in there who was 14, and I started thinking about if this [kid] was even aware of the [senior gay community]—the other end of the spectrum and some of the stories these seniors have. I started thinking particularly about this senior population and how they had seen such a large amount of change in such a short amount of time. [I thought about] them being born pre-civil-rights [and living] all the way up to things like gay marriage and seeing gay characters on television. That’s such a large change that they’ve seen in their lifetime.

I had also started having conversations with my mom. She was thinking about retiring, what goes into that, the emotional and financial changes that occur, and I started thinking about where things are going to be when I’m 74. Putting all of [those events] together, I began to think about making this documentary and how it would be an opportunity to explore the aging process and other things people don’t want to think about through the stories of these people I follow through the film.

WTI: Why don’t people want to think about those things?

PJR: It’s interesting. Early on, when I interviewed Dennis, he had a quote—“I think young people don’t want to look at us because it makes them think of how they’ll grow to be old too.” We live in a very youth-obsessed culture, and I think part of that is not acknowledging the aging process. There’s a lot of power to youth, but I think there’s a lot of power to aging [as well]. There’s a lot to learn from the senior population.

WTI: Dennis, how did you become involved in the film?

Dennis Creamer: I had moved out to Rainbow Vista (a retirement home for gay seniors), but still spent a lot of time at my [Florida home]. PJ came out to film, and I gradually became a part of the program. I came out and started cross-dressing fairly late in life, after my wife passed away. It was a gradual process. Little by little, I became more out-of-the-closet.

WTI: What did you think of the film?

DC: My self-image is of a much younger person, so when I’m confronted with reality, it’s…dramatic (laughs).

WTI: It’s beautiful to watch you discover new things about yourself so late in life.

DC: Thank you. It’s the filmmakers who make me seem somewhat sympathetic (laughs). It was their artistry that did that.

WTI: PJ, what drew you to the other two subjects in the film?

PJR: [The filming process] actually unfolded the same way it does in the film. I discovered SAGE while doing internet research. It’s a New York-based organization that serves LGBT elders. I discovered that they had a Harlem division, and I came into contact with Ty. The funny thing is that he was actually supposed to be the person to connect me to potential “characters” to follow. After meeting him, speaking to him, and following him around for half a day, I realized that he was the character I was looking for. He had such an interesting background.

I was filming [Ty] and Dennis simultaneously for about another year. I decided at the start that I wanted to do three characters and kind of round it out that way. I [also] knew that I wanted to look at communities that were outside of these known gay communities like San Francisco, a place that people wouldn’t think of first in terms of a gay community.

WTI: That was your aim for the third character.

PJR: Yeah, that was my aim for sure. I wanted to look at a different culture entirely. I had urban culture in Harlem, and Dennis, who was living between Miami and Portland. I’d heard a lot about Galveston [Texas] and the gay community down there, so I went down there on a hunch. Within 24 hours I met Robert, who became the third character.

WTI: Let’s go back to Ty. His portion was filmed during the passing of gay marriage in New York. This is a huge deal, but your film isn’t about gay marriage—it’s about Ty, Dennis, and Robert. Talk about the focus on your subjects.

PJR: I like making films that are intimate character portraits. I’m not interested in putting the issues at the forefront. I think it’s more interesting to observe someone’s life and see the issues that they face on and daily basis. I like to introduce the issues that way. I was very intrigued by Ty because he very much has this attitude of “I never thought I would see these things in my lifetime. I never thought a large group of my community would die off during the AIDS crisis. I never thought I would see gay marriage getting legalized, and here I am now wrestling with the idea of getting married myself.” Ty is a public figure and an advocate, so it was very interesting to see him out there pushing for visibility and rights and then, at the end of the day, go home and wrestle with these issues personally. Each of the characters represents a different stage in life, and Ty represents very much that idea of partnership.

WTI: Dennis, what did you think of Ty and Robert?

DC: I thought they were very interesting people. I’m facebook friends with some of the people from the film. It was interesting seeing some of the struggles that Robert had, and also Ty with the marriage question. For myself, I really don’t think marriage is an option since I’m pushing 80.

WTI: You’ve done so much in the past 10 years, discovered so much.

DC: I’ve seen huge changes in my lifetime, not only in the gay/straight relationships, but also in the country.

WTI: What does Rainbow Vista mean to you?

DC: I lived in Florida, and I’d go a week without speaking to anyone. The chance to go to Rainbow Vista and interact with other people my age and of the same inclination is wonderful. It’s like being liberated. I’ve seen a lot of changes at Rainbow Vista also. All in all, it’s wonderful. We help one another out.

WTI: Community is a big theme in the movie.

PJR: Absolutely. It takes a village to raise a child, but I think it takes a village to let someone age properly also. Community is such a big aspect of that. At both ends of the spectrum, youth and aging, you’re in very vulnerable positions. It requires a good support system. For Dennis, it’s Rainbow Vista. For Ty, it’s SAGE. One of the original gay communities is the bar culture. So much of the gay community started as bar culture, so I wanted to show that it’s still a very vibrant and needed community, specifically in Galveston.

WTI: What has the production of this film meant to you personally?

PJR: It’s been amazing. Not only have I met some really amazing people, but I’ve experienced things in my own lifetime. I never thought I would be in New York when gay marriage passed. I never thought I’d end up marching in a gay pride parade in Portland. It’s been a great way to explore what I think about the aging process and things that I want to make sure are in place for myself [when I become elderly]. Prior to making this film, I never thought about that.

WTI: Why aren’t you in the film?

PJR: I don’t know, maybe I don’t think I’m that interesting! (laughs)

WTI: It was a choice, right? You could have made that film, but you wanted to make this film about the subjects.

PJR: Yeah, I very much wanted it to be about the subjects.

WTI: Dennis, why do you love Star Trek so much?

DC: I’ve seen all the Star Trek movies. If I see them again, I’ll know what’s happening. I’m a space fanatic. I belong to many organizations—the NASA Space Society, The Planetary Society—and I go to conventions. I think it’s very important. I think humans need to colonize mars and other planets. Finding extra solar planets is…hundreds of solar planets have been found. Eventually, we’ll find another earth out there!

WTI: What’s the most exciting thing you’ve seen in terms of space travel?

DC: The landing on the moon. That was something else, the high point of humanity’s existence, I think. Since then we’ve gone backwards.

WTI: How so?

DC: The space shuttle, what I call the “orbiting space hotel” is meaningless. I hope NASA’s getting back on the right track. Mars is the goal, another habitable world. People say we need technology to live there, but the same can be said for Minnesota in the winter! (laughs)

WTI: PJ, how does it feel to give a voice to a community that hasn’t had one in cinema?

PJR: One of the things I discovered while making Before You Know It is that a lot of the concerns that seniors have are concerns we all have. The discovery process doesn’t change. I’d like to think that the film is a celebration of life. There’s still a lot to do in your lifetime, and you should reflect back on the highlights as well. Robert created this really wonderful community [that will exist beyond him]. There’s a certain aspect of legacy in Robert’s storyline.

WTI: An elderly family member once told me “I’m 70, but in my mind I’m still 25.” Do you feel like that, Dennis?

DC: Yeah. At my age, my self-image is that of a much younger person. When I look in the mirror, I say “Someone’s made a terrible mistake! That can’t be me!” (laughs). When I saw my image in the film, I thought “Gee, is that really me?”

WTI: The film moved me because I always had a fear that I would stop growing as a person when I reached an advanced age. Seeing Dennis discover so many new things about himself late in life is inspirational.

PJR: When I was doing research for the film, I came across a lot of statistics. There’s an estimated 4.5 million LGBT Americans over the age of 55. I thought, “Well, that could be argued, because it’s only counting people who are out, comfortable telling another person.” LGBT seniors are twice as likely to live alone. After a while, these numbers are just abstract, and you want to be able to put a face to them, hear some actual stories. I wanted the audience to experience these issues by witnessing someone else deal with them. Maybe it will get them to think about it in their own life. Even though I’m looking at a very specific community, their stories are universal—everybody ages. Everyone faces these challenges. I wanted to reach out to everyone.

I think sometimes there’s a pressure to be very general [when making a film], to create something that isn’t too specific because someone won’t be able to relate to it. I think the more specific you get, the more intimate—the more real and emotional [the film] becomes. By looking at these three stories, you get a sense that you know these people.

WTI: Let me ask both of you—what is the most valuable thing you’ve taken from the experience of making Before You Know It?

PJR: The best thing for me was sharing the film with the people who are in the film. I had been working in it for so long, so it was a great experience to finally screen the film with them there, for them to see each others’ stories, and to just celebrate.

DC: I feel honored to be in the film. It’ll live on after I’m gone. One of the people in the film has passed away at the age of 94. Hopefully, people will see it and say “They lived.”

I saw Before You Know It at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and it will be the opening night film at Denver’s Cinema Q.

The thing I’ll remember most about this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival were the amazing conversations I had with some of the talented filmmakers in attendance during the festival’s two-week stretch. Everybody was open and willing to share their enthusiasm about film and filmmaking, and all of the good vibes were fueled by the festival’s exceedingly strong program. Film after film, I was thoroughly entertained and excited.

The list below is my top 5 films from the festival, but only spots 1 and 2 were a lock for me. The other three spots could have easily gone to a number of other films at the festival. John Vogt-Roberts’ The Kings of Summer showcases three of the most promising young actors in the game right now standing toe to toe with some of the funniest people on earth. Morgan Neville’s Twenty Feet From Stardom was a sleeper for me, packing more emotional punch than I expected from a documentary about backup singers. Atiq Rahimi’s achingly gorgeous The Patience Stone is a force of nature that grows on me more and more as I sit with it. Prince Avalanche is flat-out one of David Gordon Green’s best films. And the list goes on.

I encountered a few clunkers at the festival, but there were too many excellent films for the bad ones to sour the experience. Overall, SFIFF 2013 was an excellent two weeks at the movies, and I highly recommend you make the trip out here next year. It’s a big festival with a lot of buzz and fantastic guests, but with none of the stressful chaos or hectic energy of other, more popular festivals. It was a complete blast, and I look forward to next year.

Though the festival is over, make sure to stay tuned to Way Too Indie in the coming weeks for tons of amazing content coming out of the festival. We’ve got a FLOOD of great interviews from SFIFF coming your way in the coming weeks—

Michael Cera & Sebastian Silva—Crystal Fairy
Richard Linklater & Julie Delpy—Before Midnight
Sarah Polley—Stories We Tell
David Gordon Green—Prince Avalanche
Alexis Denisof & Amy Acker—Much Ado About Nothing
Nick Robinson, Gabriel Bassos & Moises Arias—The Kings of Summer
Onata Aprile, David Siegel & Scott McGehee—What Maisie Knew
Atiq Rahimi—The Patience Stone
Jeremy Teicher—Tall as the Baobab Tree
PJ Raval & Dennis—Before You Know It

Way Too Indie’s Top 5 Films at the San Francisco International Film Festival

#5 – Much Ado About Nothing

What I found impressive about Joss Whedon’s Shakespeare adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing was that it felt more ‘Joss’ than ‘William’. Whedon and his merry band of thespians do what they do best—tell a story with uncanny wit, sass, silliness, and humanity. Shakespeare’s play is timeless, and Whedon respects this. Modernity plays no role here, and the focus is squared solely on the ever-shuffling relationships of the marvelously acted characters.

I hesitate to say that there is a standout in the cast—everyone has moments of greatness. The film’s leads, Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker, are prime examples of how Whedon extracts every bit of potential out of his actors. They transition from brutally disdainful to drunkenly flirtatious on a dime, effortlessly, and they pull off hilarious slapstick gags that would be cringe-worthy in the hands of most. These physical bits are Chaplin-funny. By the end of the film, I felt great—completely satisfied and wholly content. I hope this isn’t the last we see of Mr. Whedon on the independent scene.

#4 – Tall as the Baobab Tree

Jeremy Teicher’s Tall as the Baobab Tree explores the transitional social climate of a small village in Senegal where the recent introduction of education into the village by way of a newly constructed school has shaken up old traditions. Previously, girls had commonly been forced into early marriage, but with education now accessible to them, the prospect of early marriage has become far less appealing. A new, fortuitous future is now within their grasp, but the old ways of the village can’t be undone so easily.

Teicher, only 24, depicts Senegal and Africa in a refreshingly optimistic and respectful light in his narrative feature debut, eschewing the heart-wrenching, pitying depictions seen in most films about the community. He shows his characters happily sitting and sharing a meal with one another, laughing and teasing, making plans for the future and enjoying the present. This is universal stuff, a family story. Few things excite me more than when a young filmmaker finds his voice early, and Teicher’s staggering potential shines bright like the sun in Baobab.

#3 – You’re Next

Festivals like SFIFF are often inundated with weighty films that can leave you mentally and emotionally exhausted, so it’s an absolute treat when a film can leave you physically exhausted—You’re Next had everybody who watched it at the festival breathing heavy, jumping, screaming, and occasionally running. Seriously. The guy sitting next to me literally leaped over his seat and darted for the exit. It was hands down the most fun I had at the festival.

Adam Wingard’s gorefest—in which a rich white family taking a vacation is terrorized by crossbow-wielding freaks—deserves its spot on the list because it’s the best example of the genre in years. Not only does Wingard instill fear with style and cinematic inventiveness, he does it with a sharp intellect—nothing is dumbed down here. None of the kills in You’re Next are revolutionary, but they feel revolutionary because they’re filmed so freakin’ well. The when you see an axe kill, it feels like your first time seeing an axe kill—brutal, brutal, brutal. Also, the hero that emerges from the group of victims is one of the baddest butt-kickers since Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. Ladies, prepare to feel empowered.

#2 – Before Midnight

One of the first films I saw at SFIFF this year was Richard Linklater’s third installment in his wonderfully improbable ‘Before’ romance series, Before Midnight. It set the bar sky high for the rest of the festival, enchanting me with stars Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy’s effortless, impassioned performances and Linklater’s silently spectacular direction.

Set (and filmed) 18 years after Jesse (Hawke) and Celine (Delpy) met on a train in Vienna in Before Sunrise, and 9 years after their fateful reunion in Before Sunset, Before Midnight follows the duo, now parents of twin girls, as they find their youthful affection for each other battered by the stresses of reality. Hawke, Delpy, and Linklater have all upped their game to unbelievable heights here—an almost 15-minute-long shot of Jesse and Celine driving down a winding road while having an immaculately acted conversation is simply breathtaking. It’s the best film in the series, and I’m completely aware of how bold that statement is. Just watch it—you’ll understand.

#1 – Stories We Tell

Though I find Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight to be virtually flawless, Sarah Polley’s Stories We Tell feels just a hair more special to me right now, in this moment. Linklater’s romance saga has been moving me for nearly two decades, but Polley’s film touched me deeply and swiftly, in a way that no other film did. For this festival, in these two weeks filled with dozens of films, Stories We Tell was my favorite film.

In an intrepidly naked and personal documentary, Polley skillfully weaves together a tapestry of memories of her late mother Diane, contributed by members of her family and old friends. We walk beside Polley as she doubles back on her family’s history, uncovering life-altering secrets as she conducts breathtaking—and sometimes heartbreaking—interviews with her subjects.

The immediacy of the film is what makes it so engaging—there wasn’t a single moment where I wasn’t completely glued to the screen. I hung on every word, every image, and marched to every single beat of Polley’s drum. You can’t ask for much more from a film or a director. It’s got everything—suspense, laughter, tears, betrayal, heartache, and one of the most richly textured voice-overs I’ve ever heard, provided by Polley’s father, Michael. I wouldn’t dare to delve into what makes this film truly special, as I’d be robbing you of one of the most thrilling movie experiences of the year. It was a close race between spots one and two on the list, but Polley’s willingness to graciously invite us deep into her personal life solidified her top spot.

Way Too Indie was on the red carpet of the San Francisco International Film Festival to capture photos of Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof from Much Ado About Nothing as well as legendary award winners such as Harrison Ford, George Lucus, and Philip Kaufman. We also have some more exclusive photos from private interviews with Michael Cera, Sebastian Silva, Richard Linklater, and Julie Delpy.

Crystal Fairy

The ever-awkward Michael Cera plays Jamie, a self-absorbed asshole who goes on a road trip through Chile with some friends to find some San Pedro—a cactus which, when ingested, sends you on a different kind of ‘trip’ altogether. The problem is, on the eve of their quest for the cactus, Jamie—in a drunken stupor—invites a hippie-ish wild child named Crystal Fairy (Gaby Hoffmann) to join them on their journey. Much to Jamie’s surprise, Crystal Fairy takes him up on his drunken offer, and the two develop a harsh, contentious relationship. Tensions rise, and when the group finally acquire the precious plant, things escalate even further.

Cera, typically cast as the good-hearted, smiling, neurotic type, gets a change of pace in this role, playing one of the most dislikable, insensitive people you could imagine. You know, he’s that guy. A group of friends are having a good time, joking around. Then, his ornery ass starts walking their way. “Oh god, here he comes. This asshole.” He’s that guy. Hoffmann is just as convincing as the cloyingly spiritual Crystal Fairy. She’s obsessed with everything astral and cosmic, and relentlessly pushes her strange lifestyle on the group—”Smell this! It’s chamomile. Chaaaaamomile.”

Director Sebastian Silva shows a lot of creativity in how he crafts a story, turning left when you think he’ll turn right, zigging when you expect him to zag. His visual style is tasteful (you’ll find no clichéd psychedelic trip-out scenes here), and he captures Jamie and Crystal Fairy’s opposite energy perfectly.

Look for our full review around the film’s release in July, along with an interview with Michael Cera and Director Sebastian Silva.

Before You Know It

Some of my favorite documentaries are ones that give a voice to the voiceless. Following three very different subjects, all gay men in their twilight years, Before You Know It sheds light on a community that deals with a difficult paradox—they are desexualized by society because they are old, and yet, their sexuality is one of the driving forces in their lives.

Dennis is a lonely widower who discovered his sexuality after his wife’s death. Robert is the matron of a bustling community of drag queens who gather at his bar, ‘Robert’s LaFitte’. Ty, Harlem born and raised, is the head of SAGE, a group that serves aging, gay members of the community. All three have unique lifestyles, but the common thread is that they all belong to a group of people who are doubly neglected. As we observe them struggle with their issues, as we go through their daily routines with them, as we learn their histories, we suddenly find ourselves familiar with a group of people most of us likely never paid any mind. This film helps to make sure these people are neglected no longer.

Director PJ Raval applies very little spin to the film, simply placing us in the subjects’ world to sit, watch, and absorb their lives. Ty’s story is filmed during an historic time in gay rights history, but Raval admirably keeps the film focused on Ty. The closer Raval zooms in his camera on the characters, the more we relate to them. The film is about a very specific community, but there’s a universal message being delivered here—they’re old, and we will be too someday.

RATING: 7.8

Stay tuned to Way Too Indie for an interview with director PJ Raval and subject Dennis.

Nights With Theodore

Centered on a couple’s obsession with spending long nights in a park in Paris, Sebastien Betbeder’s kooky, messy romance feels like an overly-fluffed and elongated short film. A couple meets at a party, hook up in a spooky park, and the nocturnal trysts slowly but surely begin to poison their lives in vaguely supernatural ways. The idea is intriguing, but Betbeder mucks it up by adding in pretentious asides and flourishes that feel like extra weight.

Betbeder inserts footage of a real-life interview with a psychiatrist who specializes in environmental psychology. The segment does add a strange gravity to the film, though what it adds is heavily outweighed by what it detracts, as it is as jarring a scene as I’ve seen in years, killing what little momentum the film had. The film’s opening, detailing the park’s long and storied history, is actually quite nice, creating an air of mystery that unfortunately dissipates quickly.

Aesthetically, Nights With Theodore is shoddy. A lot of the nighttime shots look downright murky, and though a foggy Parisian park at night should be a cinematographer’s dream, most of the shots are as uninteresting as the flat characters.

Pio Marmai and Agathe Bonitzer as Theodore and Anna, respectively, are talented, but are never given the opportunity to let their characters breathe. Odd distractions like the psychiatrist scene break up any connection we begin to make with the two, and there’s a pervading sense of distance between them and us that feels a little off. The pair do have some legitimate chemistry, but the thin story gives them little to chew on. Is it a movie about a park or a summer romance? Who knows? Betbeder certainly doesn’t.

RATING: 5

Inequality for All

Inequality for All’s message—about the threat of the expanding income gap between the middle class and top 1% in the United States—is delivered by an extraordinarily charismatic and inspirational messenger, Robert Reich. Director Jacob Kornbluth couldn’t have found a better, more qualified face for his statistics-driven documentary. Reich has an uncanny gift for making complex, vast, potentially confusing ideas and distilling them down into easily digestible morsels. A former Secretary of Labor during the Clinton administration, author of 14 books, and current professor at UC Berkeley, Reich lends invaluable experience and unstoppable vigor to what could have been a cold, dismaying film. You can’t help but be inspired by his conviction. Reich makes the film, much like Philippe Petit did for James Marsh’s incredible Man on Wire.

Reich’s ability to inspire is made more impressive by how serious and concerning the film’s subject matter is. The United States’ widening income gap is damaging our economy’s health more than anything else, and we as a country need to rectify this quickly. The first step in doing this is to become knowledgeable about how we got to this point, and Inequality of All is a powerful tool in this education.

The graphics employed to illustrate the dismal state of the economy are stylistic and engaging, aided greatly by Reich’s textured voice. The film’s most resonant graphic—cleverly superimposing the economy’s rollercoaster rises and dips over an image of the Golden Gate Bridge—is powerful and surprisingly emotional. Kornbluth spends a little too much time drawing parallels between Reich’s personal life and the US middle-class, but nevertheless, the documentary ultimately achieves its main goal of making us care.

RATING: 7.9

Prince Avalanche

Set in 1988 Texas one year after a devastating forest fire, David Gordon Green’s Prince Avalanche follows two road maintenance workers (Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch) as they form a bond through shared loneliness and displacement. Though the plot doesn’t go anywhere particularly interesting, it’s pleasantly minimalist and the characters grow on you nicely. Considerably more artful than his recent studio works (Your Highness, Pineapple Express), Prince Avalanche carries genuine emotional gravity, though there are still plenty of laughs throughout.

Green lets loose creatively in Prince Avalanche, casting Rudd and Hirsch in character types they don’t typically play (Rudd is bitter and stern, Hirsch is the off-beat comic relief). He gives them lots of room to work, fitting in quirky character moments and extended, humorously idiotic dialog about nothing in particular. They fuss and fight over the most mundane of issues (Rudd yells at Hirsch for writing in his vintage comic books), and their squabbles quickly escalate toward the end of the film in a battle over who will be crowned ‘king of the stupids’.

Hirsch is hilarious, playing the role of buffoon without ego—he scrunches his chubby face as he strains to articulate even the simplest thought, and eventually spews out words even dumber than his dopey mug. Rudd doesn’t offer anything particularly noteworthy, though he sets up Hirsch like a pro.

Green uses splashes of primary colors throughout the movie (the duo’s clothes, yellow road paint) that really pop on the muted landscape. Explosions in the Sky provide the film’s understated, ethereal score, which lends itself perfectly to the peaceful setting. A haunting scene involving Rudd interacting with an elderly woman searching the burned remains of her home sticks out like a sore thumb (in a good way) and gives the film a unique shape that distinguishes it even more from Green’s studio work.

RATING: 7.2

You’re Next

Throughout the first week of SFIFF, as I walked, drove, and BARTed my way around the city, there was one thing I heard more than anything else from fellow festival-goers—“You need to see You’re Next!” No other film at the festival garnered such buzz, which compelled me to check it out, though I was positive the film couldn’t live up to the hype. Just like always (ask my wife), I was wrong. Adam Wingard’s indie-horror kill-fest blew me away with its watch-through-your-fingers scares and creative kills.

The plot of You’re Next isn’t groundbreaking—a rich, sweater-wearing family is attacked in their cushy vacation home by psycho killers with crossbows wearing animal masks that look like they were bought at a Party America Halloween sale. It’s creepy stuff, but again—nothing groundbreaking. What makes this movie so effective and feel so fresh is that the bloody massacre is supported by sound, savvy filmmaking by Wingard.

Unfortunately, most horror films exchange artistry for mindless gore, but You’re Next makes no such compromise. Some of the kills (there’s a load of ‘em) have been seen before in older, more popular films, but here they feel extra violent and hit with a bone-rattling jolt. The film’s focus is on extreme, visceral violence, not gore. The sharp editing and flawless sound design are the keys to achieving such raw levels of intensity.

The cast, a tight-knit troupe of indie directors (Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, Ti West), give excellent, ego-less performances (Seimetz is hilarious), and it was surely a huge asset for Wingard to have such talent on hand. Over the past few months, I’ve been touched and moved by some of the cast members’ artsy, weighty films, so it was a lot of fun to watch them run wild in such a crazy, brutal movie. It’s fantastic news that the film is finally being released (it’s been in studio-limbo since 2011), and I can’t wait for you all to see it. Time to sack up, folks.

Museum Hours

An American woman (Mary Margaret O’Hara) is called to Austria to visit an ailing friend, and while visiting the Vienna’s world famous Kunsthistorisches Museum, meets Johann (Bobby Sommer), a genial patrolman. The two quickly become friends and engage in a days-long, existential discussion that leads to endless self-discovery. The museum and the snow-blanketed city feel unstuck from the world, a sanctuary for the two to explore and mold each other through the art they ponder and the life experiences they exchange. As they make their deep connection, mortality looms in the form of Anne’s dying friend.

The brilliant works of art in Museum Hours are beautifully captured (jaw-dropping), and director Jem Cohen and DP Peter Rohsler echo the immense artistry of the art in their gorgeous cinematography. Every damn shot is breathtaking and immaculately composed. Cohen intermittently cuts in thoughtfully selected close-ups of paintings, which jogs our memory and emotions. It’s completely engaging and makes this movie not only thoughtful, but sensual. Sommer and O’Hara move effortlessly throughout the film, endearing us to them with every passing moment. Their relationship feels real and isn’t easily defined. There’s something uniquely charming about the way Sommer speaks and holds himself. His voice carries empathy and wisdom, and his monologues feel as profound as the museums’ works, though he carries no pretension. Of all the films at SFIFF, this is the prettiest I’ve seen.

Stay Tuned to Way Too Indie for our full reviews of You’re Next and Museum Hours.

Twenty Feet From Stardom

If you’re a music fan, names like Tata Vega, Merry Clayton, and Darlene Love should be familiar to you, but chances are they aren’t. That’s because these ladies—powerhouse singers and masters of their craft—have spent their entire careers in the background, literally and figuratively, as underappreciated background singers. Director Morgan Neville plucks the gifted ladies from their usual wingwoman positions and gives them their own stage to shine on, in Twenty Feet From Stardom.

You could say that, at one time, background singers were the backbone of pop music. However, they seldom received the credit they deserved. They sang the unforgettable hooks to classic songs and got no credit, while the lead singer preened and pranced on the track and on stage. Darlene Love, a legendary background singer, was a victim of a nasty form of this musical hierarchy. She sang lead vocals on the Phil Spector hit ‘He’s a Rebel’ with her group, The Blossoms, but the song was released as a Crystals (one of Spector’s girl groups) song. Love’s name was nowhere to be found on the record.

Neville captures the undervalued vocalists exhibiting their colossal power in awe-inspiring studio session segments, but most notably, showcases their heartwarming personalities. To watch Darlene love reunite with The Blossoms after years apart and see the youth in their eyes sparkle as they reminisce makes the heart swell. Twenty Feet From Stardom will likely change the way you listen to music, which is priceless.

RATING: 7.8

The Kings of Summer

Three teenage friends (Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias), feeling suffocated by their overbearing parents, decide to build a house of their own out in the woods where their parents can never bother them again. After building their DIY bro-shack, they throw sharp objects at things, jump off of things, hit things with sticks, and live off the land (and, occasionally, a nearby Boston Market.) They’re living the dream. Then, they invite girls over. So much for the dream! Damn you, hormones!

The plot offers nothing new, nothing exciting to latch on to. This year alone, I’ve seen at least four coming-of-age stories of teenagers in revolt. The good news is, The Kings of Summer is the cream of the crop. Though the story is old hat, the sharp writing and uproariously funny cast make it feel new again, and every scene feels fresh. I rarely find movies about kids to be genuinely funny (they’re usually full of corny-cute gags), but The Kings of Summer has an intelligent, razor-sharp wit and embraces the bizarre with such fearlessness that it had me laughing every step of the way.

What’s impressive about the film’s comedic success is that its stars are relative newcomers to the game, yet deliver their lines with skill beyond their years. This is apparent in scenes where Robinson, the Bueller of the trio, hangs beat for beat, quip for quip with the seasoned Nick Offerman, who plays his wise-ass, bully father. Their scenes are the funniest in the film, and it’s impressive to see such a young talent excel with such maturity. The film is surprisingly gorgeous, with Malick-ian nature shots scattered throughout, which can feel a little out of place at times.

Stay tuned to Way Too Indie for our full review and an interview with the cast.

On Saturday night, SFIFF was all about the screening of Joss Whedon’s much buzzed-about Shakespeare adaptation, Much Ado About Nothing, and the excitement emanating from the gorgeous Sundance Kabuki Cinema was infectious. There was a line stretching down the block of excited Whedon-ites (and Shakespeare…um…heads?) who were itching to pile into the theater to watch the highly-anticipated film.

The film’s stars, Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof, were in attendance, and I was waiting for them on the red carpet, shaking with anticipation. Why the shaking, you ask? The two also starred in Angel, Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off, which is one of my favorite television shows of all time. I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan (my wedding invitations were Buffy-themed), so it was a special (and surreal) moment for me to take their picture as they posed in front of the SFIFF banner.

Before the screening, Acker and Denisof were asked to introduce the film and thought out-loud that they wished Mr. Whedon were there to help, as he is better at this kind of thing. So, naturally, they called his cell, put him on speakerphone, and had a hilariously awkward conversation in which Whedon seemed to have absolutely no idea what was going on. It was one of the most bizarre film introductions I’ve seen, but it was fun and entertaining nonetheless. They held a Q&A after the film and spoke at length about their previous roles together on Angel, much to my excitement.

Now, on to my impressions of the film.

Much Ado About Nothing

Contrary to what you may have read about Joss Whedon’s take on Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing isn’t simply a ‘contemporary’ interpretation—it’s a purely Whedon interpretation. It’s full of his playful wit, his best friends (who happen to be fantastic actors), and gorgeous views of his home, in which the entire film was shot. The film feels personal because of its history—Whedon and his friends have been holding Shakespeare readings at his house for years, and this film had always been a dream project for him.

Benedick (Denisof), Claudio (Franz Kranz) and Don Pedro (Reed Diamond) arrive at the home of Leonato (Clark Gregg). During their visit, Beatrice (Acker), Leonato’s neice, and Benedick engage in a biting war of words (it’s revealed in the opening scene that they’d had a one-night-stand) while Claudio finds himself falling for Leonato’s daughter, Hero (Jillian Morgese). The two pairs flaunt, taunt, and flirt with each other until calculated deceptions by the malevolent Don John (Sean Maher) introduce deadly implications into the game.

Whedon’s take on the story is as timeless as the source material, which can be mostly attributed to Whedon’s uncanny ability to create on-screen magic with his actors. Denisof is simultaneously dashing and bumbling, and Acker is a silver-tongued vision in a summer dress. Their wordy quarrels are as engaging and vicious as a fight scene, but when they fall for each other, they morph into juvenile, giddy sweethearts. The duo’s charming, Chaplin-esque physical performances are highlighted by Whedon. There are almost too many noteworthy performances to mention, but Kranz is a surprising standout, with his impassioned delivery and ability to handle any mood or tone thrown at him.

Shot in classy black and white, Whedon’s photography is super-smooth, and he proves that he knows how to use his camera wisely (an eavesdropping scene with Denisof is spotless.) Much Ado About Nothing is the perfect alternative to the modern ‘rom-com’, and is a joy to watch with an audience. Whedon handles the cherished source material with finesse and makes it look like he was born to do it.

Stay tuned to Way Too Indie for our full review and an interview with Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker!

The San Francisco International Film Festival is the biggest festival of the year in the Bay Area, and my SFIFF experience got off to a great start. My festival activities began at the gorgeous Fairmont hotel where I conducted an interview with the team of Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Bee Season) directors of SFIFF’s opening night film, What Maisie Knew, and Maisie herself, the adorable 7-year-old Onata Aprile. It was a pleasure to speak with them, and Onata handled the interview with the poise and experience of a pro. Scott and David were fantastic as well, and it was a blast to get to talk to such talented filmmakers. Stay tuned to Way Too Indie for the full interview in the coming weeks.

Next up was the opening night screening of What Maisie Knew at the Castro Theater, which is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorites in the Bay. Before the screening, SFIFF executive director Ted Hope addressed the large audience with a warm and appreciative introduction to the festival. Next, Ted made the surprise announcement that the recipient of the 2013 Peter J. Owens Award for Acting goes to…Han freaking Solo! Harrison Ford will be in esteemed company, with previous recipients like Sean Penn, Robert Redford, Annette Bening, and Kevin Spacey.

The film was followed by a Q&A with my old friends, McGehee, Siegel, and tiny Miss Onata, conducted by SFIFF director of programming, Rachel Rosen. Onata was asked of her four co-stars—Alexander Skarsgard, Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan, and Joanna Vanderham—which she liked the best. She paused for a while, not sure of how to answer the question, when Siegel suggested that we all knew it was a “tall Swedish man.” Onata paused for a while longer, and finally answered she liked “all of them.” Priceless.

After the Q&A, the celebration continued down by the water at Temple Night Club. I stuffed my face with delicious mung bean salad, artichoke bites, beer, and gelato. Needless to say, there’s a rumbly in my tumbly, and it’s not a pleasant one…

Anyway, on to my impressions of What Maisie Knew…

What Maisie Knew

The film tells the story from the perspective of Maisie, a six-year-old girl whose parents—now separated—constantly bicker and fight over and around Maisie as if she was some sort of trophy. The parents (Moore and Steve) each find light-haired, young hard-bodies (Skarsgard and Vanderham) and marry them, in hopes of winning sole custody over Maisie in court. As her parents’ war rages on, Maisie finds that her step-parents may be the parents she’s deserved all along.

Aprile positively makes this film. It wouldn’t have worked without her. All of the dramatic material works because she’s so darn cute and lovable. You just can’t help but want her to be happy. When her parents spit and curse around her, she simply observes with a straight face, turns around, and goes to her room to play. Aprile seems more comfortable and natural in her scenes than any of her cast mates, including Moore. It’s incredible to watch. Her chemistry with Skarsgard feels so genuine it’s startling.

The four adults do very good work as well (Moore’s final scene is a showstopper), but Aprile handily outshines them. The story the actors have to work with isn’t particularly interesting, but they do their best. What elevates What Maisie Knew are the excellent performances put forth by the actors and quality camerawork by the co-directors. Above all else, Maisie provides an early look at one of cinema’s future superstars.

RATING: 7

In a few days, San Francisco will be flooded with film geeks, critics, filmmakers, hobos (they’re always there), and film lovers of all kinds for the 56th annual San Francisco International Film Festival. San Francisco hosts a huge number of film festivals throughout the year, and SFIFF is the biggest and brightest the city has to offer. I’ll be on hand throughout the festival to provide you with the usual good stuff—recaps, reviews, and interviews.

In this festival introduction, I’ll be highlighting a few of the films I’m looking forward to checking out at the festival. From veterans like Richard Linklater (Bernie, Dazed & Confused) and Joss Whedon (Serenity, Avengers) and their latest works, to some exciting, innovative films from fresh talents like indie-horror maverick Adam Wingard, there’s a lot to look forward to from some of the industry’s best.

Before Midnight

18 years after Before Sunrise and 9 years after Before Sunset, ‘90s independent film godfather Richard Linklater invites us again to eat, drink, walk, and talk with Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), one of the most unforgettable couples in modern film. As we check in on the couple for the third time, we find them in Greece, middle-aged, with children, and at odds with each other due to their divergent plans for the future of their family. With their once unstoppable passion buckling under the pressures of their long-term commitment to one another, they begin to question how long their commitment will last.

I was about 11 when I saw Before Sunrise, and returning to this series twice now, with more experienced eyes each time, has been an incomparable cinematic experience that I’ll always treasure. It’s fascinating to see the actors age along with the story, and it’s even more fascinating to watch as their skills—along with Mr. Linklater’s—mature over time.

Much Ado About Nothing

In a break from the CGI spectacle of his gargantuan superhero endeavors, Joss Whedon sheds the spandex in his retelling of Shakespeare’s brilliant comedy. Though the scale and setting of Much Ado About Nothing is much more contained than his recent work, Joss still has his favorite toys to play with here—witty dialog and a talented ensemble cast of Whedon familiars. Filmed as an escape during the production of The Avengers, Much Ado is a passion project for Whedon that looks to be a perfect fit for his directorial skill set. He should be able to handle Shakespeare’s comedy well, especially with the gifted brigade of actors at his disposal.

You’re Next

Few things scare me more than murderous home invaders. Director Adam Wingard has created a godforsaken concoction, a film about murderous home invaders with—wait for it—crossbows and creepy-ass animal masks! The victims of the bizarre band of psychos are the Davisons, a family on vacation in their secluded country home. They’re played by some familiar faces on the independent scene—Joe Swanberg, Amy Seimetz, Ti West—and one of them just might be badass enough to give the mask-wearing freaks a taste of their own medicine.

Twenty Feet From Stardom

I’m a sucker for music documentaries, and Morgan Neville’s Twenty Feet From Stardom looks to shine the spotlight on a group of musicians seldom given the attention they deserve—background singers. Following industry legends like Tata Vega (Elton John, Michael Jackson), Darlene Love (Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra), and Merry Clayton (Joe Cocker, Rolling Stones), Twenty Feet gives insight into the lives of these unheralded masters of their craft. Fifty years ago, background singers provided the melodic backbone for countless pop hits, but their role in the music industry taking a back seat in recent years. There are a myriad of interesting stories to unearth here, and Neville, a veteran in the music-doc scene, is sure to present them stunningly.

Museum Hours

A security guard is patrolling the Viennese museum where he works when he meets a mysterious woman who he shares life-changing conversation with as they stroll through the museum and the city surrounding it. I love a good walk-and-talk film, and along with Before Midnight I’m sure Museum Hours will satiate my appetite for long, interpersonal, existential dialog. Every time I try to strike up a conversation like this in real life, all I get are bored, vacant stares, so I try to live vicariously through films like this to make me feel better about myself. Also, the premise is simply irresistible and I’ve always wanted to visit Vienna. This is the power of films, folks.