Harmony Korine and Val Kilmer at the World Premiere of THE FOURTH DIMENSION, photo by Tommy Lau
Lorelei Lee and Stephen Elliott, cowriter and director of CHERRY, photo by Pat Mazzera
Chris Nilan, subject of the documentary THE LAST GLADIATORS, at the 55th SFIFF, photo by Pamela Gentile
The Opening Night party for the 55th San Francisco International Film Festival, photo by Pamela Gentile
Rachel Rosen, director of programming for the SF Film Society, Benoit Jacquot, & Melanie Blum
Judy Davis, recipient of the Peter J. Owens Award for excellence in acting, arriving at the Castro Theatre, photo by Tommy Lau
Founder's Directing Award recipient Kenneth Branagh arrives at the Castro Theatre, photo by Tommy Lau
Over 3600 K-12 students attended fest screenings through the Schools at the Festival program, photo by Pamela Gentile
Rosemarie DeWitt, star of Centerpiece film YOUR SISTER'S SISTER, photo by Pamela Gentile
Lorelei Lee, cowriter of CHERRY, participating in the Porchlight storytelling program, photo by Tommy Lau
Festivalgoers happily re-entered Sundance Kabuki Cinemas after a fire alarm emptied the theater, photo by Tommy Lau
Barbara Kopple, recipient of the Persistence of Vision Award, photo by Tommy Lau
Jonathan Lethem delivering the State of Cinema Address, photo by Tommy Lau
Peaches Christ & other performers rocked the house at 'Acid Queens: Peaches and Tommy,' photo by Tommy Lau
Peaches Christ performing at 'Acid Queens: Peaches and Tommy,' a tribute to Ken Russell, photo by Tommy Lau
tUnE-yArDs & guitarist Ava Mendoza performing their live score to Buster Keaton shorts, photo by Pamela Gentile
The electric red billboards around the city were hard to miss for this year’s SF International Film Fest, which took place over the last two weeks and finishes up tomorrow. The festival went big this year, plopping a massive video box down in Union Square to draw visitors to its Japantown home base and welcoming a grip of big name guests from a newly rejuvenated Val Kilmer to Directing Award recipient Kenneth Branagh to hundreds of screenings, events, and galas. We collected some celebrity scenes from the SF International, check them out above.
The 55th edition of the city’s largest film festival announces its award winners tonight and closes tomorrow at the Castro with a screening of Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey, a doc about the band and the rags-to-riches rise of their new Filipino lead singer, Arnel Pineda, who was discovered by the band on YouTube(!). Prepare for some Castro congestion because all the members of (arguably) San Francisco’s biggest musical export, will be at the screening in person, and everyone but diehard Perry-heads will be crowding in to refresh blurry memories from the Shoreline Jumbotron. The festival’s closing party will go down after the screening at ritzy downtown nightclub Sloan Square(d)--this might be your only chance to visit without ending up trapped in a tacky party pic that your coworkers will forever ridicule.
Tickets here.
