See More SFIFF: Frances Ha

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Watch Exclusive Interview

Frances Ha
Dir: Noam Baumbach
Narrative Feature
USA, 2012

Frances Ha had it's Bay Area premiere at SFIFF56 and will open May 24 at select Landmark Theaters and Rafael Film Center.

Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig at the premiere of FRANCES HA at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival. Photographed by Pamela Gentile.

Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig at the premiere of FRANCES HA at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival. Photographed by Pamela Gentile.

“Frances Ha begins pleasantly enough, but it isn’t until our scattershot heroine sets out on a hilarious, borderline slapstick quest for an ATM machine while in the midst of a platonic dinner date that it really takes off. From there, the picture begins to blossom like a multicolored flower (all the more impressive considering Frances is living in a black-and-white world). Frances is both sloppy and adorable, annoying and endearing. At 27, she’s technically an adult, yet she nonetheless comes across as the gawky adolescent sister you trust will one day figure things out, though that day won’t come for a long time. Because of this, the noticeable lack of sexual content — this movie is about modern 20-somethings in NYC, after all, and yet we see nary a kiss from Frances — doesn’t feel like an omission; considering the protagonist, it feels somehow appropriate.”
— Michael Tully, Hammer to Nail

See More SFIFF: Stories We Tell

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Sarah Polley at the premiere of STORIES WE TELL at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival. Photographed by Pamela Gentile.

Sarah Polley at the premiere of STORIES WE TELL at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival. Photographed by Pamela Gentile.

Stories We Tell
Directed by Sarah Polley
Documentary Feature
Canada, 2012

Stories We Tell had it's Bay Area premiere at SFIFF56 and is currently screening at select Landmark Theatres and Rafael Film Center.

“What is so thrilling about Stories We Tell is not that the film ineffably expresses its themes, but rather how it directly confronts them, constantly calling into question the adequacy of what the film is setting out to do and drawing in different opinions about what might be accomplished by telling Diane and the family’s story. This constant questioning of its own premise and presumptions gives Stories We Tell a real power, forcing viewers to not only examine the film’s storytelling devices and strategies, but ultimately, their own position in their own lives, their own secrets and those of the people they love, the memories that they can no longer fully call to mind, the way in which their own lives are re-created in the stories they tell themselves.”
— Tom Hall, Hammer to Nail

SFIFF56 State of Cinema Address: Steven Soderbergh

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Photos by Pamela Gentile, courtesy of the San Francisco Film Society

“What I LOVED was that he gave an overview on how an organization (he said a hypothetical half a billion dollar funded studio) could develop and support filmmakers to create Cinema over their careers. An organization that was not driven by decision-makers that don’t know or care much about film. An organization that could track and identify talent and give them a place to work. This, in my opinion, is exactly what the San Francisco Film Society has been doing the last half decade. (DISCLOSURE: I am, of course, biased since I have received fifty thousand dollars in grants over the last three years, seek regular advice and counsel from SFFS staff, and go to lots of free events that have made me a better filmmaker.) I am not alone, there is a whole group of us who are either from the Bay, or have been attracted here by the film community and the resources of the SFFS. Our scripts, films, post costs are getting funded by the organization. They are giving us free office space, a staggering amount of year round programming and exhibition and an incredible international festival.”
— Eric Escobar for Pro Video Coalition

MORE ON ERIC ESCOBAR & SFFS FILMMAKER360

Eric Escobar is a previous SFFS/KRF Fillmmaking grant winner for his current project One Good Thing.  Learn more about his current project here.

Filmmaker360 provides unparalleled assistance and opportunities including grants, prizes, development assistance, and residencies for working filmmakers at all stages of their careers.

Some Love from the SFIFF Archives

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Over the years of SFIFF we've seen many forms of love, and we would love to share them with you. Scroll over the images for captions.

Free to Stream: Dozens of Rare Agnès Varda Shorts

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Doc Alliance Films launched a new project The Greats of World Documentary Film with a retrospective of 17 documentary films by Agnès Varda.  Varda is no stranger to SFFS, having five films in SFIFF throughout the years.  These shorts are FREE to stream until February 17!  We agree with our source tipper, Director of Finance Keith Cowling, this is "pretty cool."