This year’s San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) opens this coming Tuesday, April 13, and runs through April 23. The fest is in-person, centered at the CGV San Francisco (the former AMC multiplex on Van Ness). Other venues include the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland, the Dolby Cinema @ 1275 Market, the Castro Theatre, the Premier Theater, The Walt Disney Family Museum, and Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA).
The menu at SFFILM includes films from 37 countries from over 5,000 submissions and invitations. Peruse the program and buy tickets at SFFILM.
Here are more special elements of this year’s SFFILM:
- The festival opens with the hometown premiere of the documentary Stephen Curry: Underrated.
- Closing night features a major sneak of the anticipated Prime Video series I’m A Virgo from Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You).
- Again, SFFILM has highlighted a cross section of movies and events as Family-friendly, something that more film festivals should do. Introduce the kids to good cinema! The highlight is a free community screening of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. starring Academy Award winner Kathy Bates, and Academy Award nominee Rachel McAdams
As usual, I’ll be looking for under-the-radar gems and posting my recommendations just before the fest’s opening. My coverage will be linked on my SFFILM 2023 page.