San Francisco Film Society

Copresented with New Italian Cinema Events and the Italian Cultural Institute, New Italian Cinema celebrates the rich cinematic tradition of Italy and brings the country's newest directors and films to audiences in San Francisco. A prestigious jury selects the best Italian entries from the year’s major European film fe...stivals to compete for the City of Florence Award. Attendees enjoy not only a vibrant cinema showcase, but an immersion into Italy’s rich and storied culture with directors present to illuminate their work in lively question-and-answer sessions.

Commemorate the best in contemporary Italian cinema on Opening Night, Sunday, November 15 at 8:00 pm with acclaimed director Marco Risi and his latest film Fortapàsc.
Join us for a fabulous reception either before or after the 6:00 and 9:00 pm screenings. Partake of delicious complimentary appetizers from Fuzio Universal Bistro, Moretti beer and wine from Siena Imports.

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One of the most fertile practices in contemporary film and television, animation occupies a unique space between artistic, experimental, commercial and industrial media. The five-day San Francisco International Animation Festival celebrates San Francisco’s prominence as a hub for one of the most creative cinematic form...s.

Kickoff Celebration!
Mezzanine, 8:00 pm on Wednesday, November 11
Come out for a special night of live music and animation. American underground avant-garde legend Lawrence Jordan will present live animation for the first time in his 50-plus-year career, improvising the frame rate and rhythm to his cutout short film Ein Traum der liebenden (A Dream of Lovers), with local duo Pale Hoarse. This historic performance will be followed by 2 Blessed 2 Be Stressed, a collaboration between Paper Rad founding member Jacob Ciocci and musician David Wightman.Read More

This exciting three-day showcase highlights the best of contemporary Taiwanese cinema and provides Bay Area audiences with unique opportunities to view bold new Taiwanese films and engage with visionary filmmakers. Advance sales begin Tuesday, September 29 for San Francisco Film Society members; tickets go on sale to t...he general public October 6.

Join us for Opening Night on November 6, starting at 6:30 pm with a screening of Wei Te-sheng’s spirited small-town epic CAPE NO. 7, Taiwan’s biggest-ever box-office sensation and official entry for the 2009 Academy Awards. Following the film, a limited number of tickets is available to an exclusive reception with complimentary wine and appetizers from 9:00–11:00 pm at Bambuddha Lounge. For tickets and information, visit http://www.sffs.org/content.aspx?pageid=1360.

Check out Taiwan Economic & Cultural Office (TECO)'s blog on Taiwan Film Days (in Chinese!): http://www.2009tfd.blogspot.com/
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French Cinema Now—a new seven-day annual festival copresented with the French-American Cultural Society—brings the most significant new work from one of the world’s most renowned filmmaking countries to discerning Bay Area audiences. French Cinema Now covers a broad spectrum of subject matter and genres and builds a co...mprehensive picture of the current moment in French cinema.

Commemorate the best in contemporary French cinema with the Opening Night film The French Kissers and an exclusive post-screening reception at Restaurant Cassis.
Très magnifique!
Get your VIP tickets here:
http://www.sffs.org/content.aspx?catid=8,38,56&pageid=1348

For complete festival information & tickets:
http://www.sffs.org/screenings-and-events/fall-season/french-cinema-now.aspxRead More

All year long, the SFFS Screen at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas features the San Francisco Film Society's acclaimed film programs and events.

October 2
OBLIVION (El olvido)
Heddy Honigmann, Netherlands 2008
Documentarian Heddy Honigmann returns to her native Peru for her latest humanist exploration of everyday resilience and... resignation. In Lima, “the forgotten city,” in the shadow of the presidential palace, bartenders and buskers create their own reality to survive an economy in ruins.

October 9
THE WEDDING SONG (Le chant de mariees)
Karin Albou, France/Tunisia/USA 2008
The Nazi occupation of Tunisia strains the bonds of friendship between a Muslim woman and a Sephardic Jewess who are both preparing for their marriages.

October 16
BIRDWATCHERS (La Terra Degli Uomin Rossii)
Marco Bechis, Italy/Brazil 2008
Tensions escalate when a tribe of indigenous Guaraní Indians attempts to re-inhabit their ancestral land—which lies on the border of a wealthy landowner's fields—in this powerful critique of contemporary life in the Amazon.

October 23
THE VANISHED EMPIRE (Ischeznuvshaya imperiya)
Karen Shakhnazarov, Russia 2008
Set in the 1970s, this coming-of-age drama profiles a group of young Russians dealing with love in turbulent times. The main character, a callous youth, can be seen to represent Russia at this turning point in her history.

For more information about these films, or about SFFS Screen in general, visit http://www.sffs.org/screenings-and-events/sffs-screen.aspx
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