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  • Bong Joon-ho's Latest, 'Mother', Pleases

    Already one of the heroes of South Korean cinema’s recent creative renaissance, Bong Joon-ho had an international success well beyond arthouse parameters with 2006’s The Host. That delightfully old-fashioned (albeit... more

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  • "An Afternoon with Aasif Mandvi"

    Aasif Mandvi, writer and star of the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival’s opening night film, Today’s Special, charmed the audience during an interview with Festival Director Chi-Hui Yang.

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53rd San Francisco International Film Festival to Present Founder's Directing Award to Walter Salles

Press Release: The San Francisco Film Society announced this week that Walter Salles will receive the Founder’s Directing Award at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival. The Founder’s Award will be presented to Salles at Film Society Awards Night, the organization’s annual black-tie fundraiser, Thursday, April 29 at the Westin St. Francis. Also honored at the gala event will be James Schamus, recipient of the Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting, and the soon-to-be-announced recipient of the Peter J. Owens Award for excellence in acting. Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein are chairs of this year’s Film Society Awards Night, and Penelope Wong and Timothy Kochis are the honorary chairs. More at the San Francisco Film Society.

San Francisco Film Society Announces Finalists for Film Arts Foundation Documentary Grant

Press Release: The SFFS announced last week the 11 finalists and one honorable mention for the SFFS/Film Arts Foundation Documentary Grant, the newest grant to be offered by its expanding Filmmaker Services program. The grant will award a total of $25,000 for documentary feature films in postproduction. This one-time grant will be awarded to filmmakers residing in the United States whose work expresses both a unique personal perspective and an artistic approach to their chosen subject. The finalists and honorable mention for the SFFS/FAF grant that follow were selected from more than 220 applications. Finalists are: Christian Bruno, Nancy Buirski, Eugene Corr, Steve James, Julie Kahn, Dara Kell, Pete Nicks, Göran Olsson, Tristan Patterson, Brian Truglio, and David Weissman. An honorable mention went to Karen Johnson. More at the San Francisco Film Society.

SF Chronicle: "Oscars 2010: Historic win for 'Hurt Locker''

"In a David versus Goliath triumph, The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow’s adventurous study of the warrior personality, picked up six Oscars at Sunday night’s Academy Awards, beating out James Cameron’s Avatar for best picture," writes Mick LaSalle. More at SFGate.

Current: "Purposeful Loni Ding"

"Loni Ding, 78, a filmmaker who brought issues of Asian American identity to the surface, and to PBS, and helped win legislation backing independent producers, died Feb. 20 in a hospital in Oakland, Calif.," reports Steve Behrens. "She had recovered well from a stroke in April but friends said she did not regain consciousness after a second stroke in December." More at Current.org. Funeral services will be held at the Green Street Mortuary 649 Green Street in San Francisco on Sunday March 14 at 2 p.m. More at Media Alliance.

Roger Ebert to Receive Novikoff Award at SFIFF53

Press release: "Roger Ebert will receive the Mel Novikoff Award at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival (April 22-May 6). The award, named for the pioneering San Francisco art and repertory film exhibitor Mel Novikoff (1922-87), acknowledges an individual or institution whose work has enhanced the filmgoing public’s knowledge and appreciation of world cinema. The Novikoff Award will be presented at An Evening with Roger Ebert and Friends, Saturday, May 1 at 5:30 p.m. at the Castro Theatre. Confirmed guests to date include directors Jason Reitman and Terry Zwigoff, with others to be announced soon." More at SFFS.

"Link TV to launch ViewChange.org"

Press release: "[San Francisco’s] Link TV announced it will soon launch ViewChange.org, a new digital initiative that uses films to help raise public awareness of global development successes and encourage policymakers to support development efforts. Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ViewChange.org will aggregate documentaries and film shorts focusing on global development and will offer visitors cutting-edge search and engagement Web tools." More at Link TV.

James Schamus to receive Kanbar screenwriting award at San Francisco International

Press release: "The San Francisco Film Society announced today that James Schamus will be the recipient of the Kanbar Award for excellence in screenwriting at the 53rd San Francisco International Film Festival (April 22 – May 6). The Kanbar Award, which acknowledges the crucial importance of a script in the production of an exceptional film, will be presented to Schamus by John Waters at Film Society Awards Night Thursday, April 29 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel." More at SFFS.

SJ Mercury News: "New movie ties Taiwan's messy politics to a Bay Area murder"

"Twenty-five years ago, Taiwan’s messy political history spilled over into the Bay Area in a real-life story of espionage and murder," writes John Boudreau. "Now, a group of Taiwanese-Americans is bringing a version of that tale to the big screen — backed in large part by Silicon Valley money." More at MercuryNews.com.

SF Chronicle: "Kevin Epps' film about black Alcatraz inmates"

"From prison walls to computer chips, Kevin Epps turns knowledge of the hood into celluloid excellence," writes Zoneil Maharaj. "The documentary filmmaker walks San Francisco’s South of Market streets like a politician, shaking hands, giving daps and pounds, saying "what’s up" to nearly everyone on the street. Though he grew up in Hunters Point housing projects, Epps now calls this industrial and nightclub district home. He’s like a tour guide." More at SFGate.

Irma Shenson Levin, 1916-2010

SF Chronicle reports: "Irma Shenson Levin passed away peacefully at home on February 5, 2010. A third generation San Franciscan, she was born October 29, 1916, to the late Viola and Shy Shenson. Preceded in death by her loving husband of 58 years, Irving Bud Levin, whom she met at Lowell High School, and her brother Walter Shenson. After graduating from CCA, she designed hats for Paramount Studios and continued to be creative throughout her life. Irma worked tirelessly alongside her husband who founded the [San Francisco] International Film Festival in 1957. Together they were instrumental in fundraising efforts for the Blind Babies Foundation. In 1962, Irma was designated one of the [San Francisco] Examiner’s Distinguished Women of the Year in San Francisco. She is survived by her devoted sons Larry Levin (Betty Jean) and Fred Levin (Nancy Livingston), five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Many nieces, nephews, cousins and close friends also survive her. Private services were held. Donations in Irma’s memory may be made to The Shenson Music Fund at Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake Street, San Francisco." More at SFGate.

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