13th SF DocFest Schedule Announced!
13TH ANNUAL SF DOCFEST
Unscripted. Uncensored. Unrehearsed. All real.
The 13th Annual San Francisco Documentary Film Festival
New Dates and a New East Bay Venue!
June 5-19
Roxie Theatre in San Francisco
Brava Theatre in San Francisco
Oakland School of the Arts’ Marion E. Greene Black Box Theater
San Francisco, CA (May 7, 2014) – With over 40 films in the official selection, the 13th Annual San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) once again showcases the best documentary features from around the globe. Presented by SF IndieFest, the 13th Edition of the SF DocFest will include films, panels, and events. In addition to the Roxie and Brava Theatres in San Francisco, the festival will also include the Oakland School of the Arts’ Marion E. Greene Black Box Theater as their newest venue.
DOCFEST 2014 OPENING NIGHT
The 13th SF DocFest kicks off on June 5th with Robert Greene’s new film ACTRESS. Using elements of staged melodrama and cinema verite, the compelling documentary follows Brandy Burre, an actress who gave up her role in HBO’s “The Wire” to start a family in upstate New York. When she decides to get back into acting, she comes face to face with difficult compromises and her marriage and family life start to suffer. The film will play as part of a retrospective of Robert Greene’s earlier work and he will be presented with the Non-Fiction Vanguard Award during the Q&A. Screens at 8 p.m., Thursday June 5, Opening Night at the Brava Theater at 7:15 p.m., Friday June 13 at the OSA Black Box Theater in. Prior to the Opening Night screening of ACTRESS, a VIP reception will be hosted at the Brava Theater at 6 p.m.; followed by a post-film opening night party with Robert Greene in attendance and live music by GAUCHO.
DOCFEST 2014 CENTERPIECE
From his help in the development of RSS to his co-founding of Reddit, Aaron Swartz was an influential figure in the Internet world. Directed by Brian Knappenberger, THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ documents Swartz’s life as a programming prodigy and an information activist. Specifically, it follows his groundbreaking work in political organizing combined with his aggressive approach to information access that ensnared him in a two-year legal nightmare. It was a battle that ended with him taking his own life at age 26. Director Brian Knappenberger will be in attendance. Screens at 7 p.m., June 12 and 13 at the Roxie and 7:15 p.m., June 15 at the OSA Black Box Theater.
DOCFEST 2014 CLOSING NIGHT
RICH HILL documents the town of Rich Hill, Missouri, a small town in post-industrial America, struggling to keep a community together despite a rapid decline in employment, troubled schools and a crumbling social and physical infrastructure. It’s a place where simply getting by is considered a success. Directed by Tracy Droz Tragos (an East Bay Area native) and Andrew Palermo, this achingly beautiful Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning film follows three teenage boys living on the fringes of society, struggling with the impediments of poverty and a lack of opportunity as they hope for a better way of life for their families. Screens at 7 p.m., June 19 at the Roxie.
NON-FICTION VANGUARD AWARD: ROBERT GREENE
This year SF DocFest is proud to honor Robert Greene with it’s Non-Fiction Vanguard Award.
As both an acclaimed filmmaker and writer, Robert Greene has quickly become both a champion and chronicler of the documentary renaissance that has taken place over the past decade. SF DocFest’s mission is to recognize those unconventional, creative risk-taking filmmakers that are redefining the nonfiction cinematic form and are someone to watch before they become a household name. Robert Greene is one of those filmmakers.
This award is a celebration of that attitude and Robert Greene’s films that are often beautiful, expressionistic essays of ordinary people. His work in both filmmaking and writing is pushing boundaries and is redefining what people think documentary is.
In addition to premiering his new film, ACTRESS on Opening Night, the festival will present a retrospective of two of Robert Greene’s earlier films KATI WITH AN I (2:30 p.m., June 7 at the Roxie) and FAKE IT SO REAL (4:45 p.m., June 7 at the Roxie) with a discussion with Greene about his work taking place between screenings.
DOCFEST WORLD PREMIERES
ASTOR BARBER ALL-STARS spotlights Astor Barber. Since opening in 1939, the barbershop has remained one of NYC’s most beloved institutions and is responsible for some of the most iconic ‘80s hairstyles. Director Karen Gehres documents the Vezza family, their loyal customers and over 50 stylists through the use of historic footage. Screens at 5 p.m., June 7 at the OSA Black Box Theater and 9:15 p.m., June 15 at the Roxie in San Francisco.
Directed by Michael Nirenberg, the son of one of Hustler’s Art Directors from the ‘70s and ‘80s, BACK ISSUES: THE HUSTLER MAGAZINE STORY reveals the personalities and features that made this one of the most offensive magazine of all time. The story is told by its publisher as well as the editors, cartoonists, models, attorneys, art directors and even competitors for the first time ever. Larry Flynt opens up about the turbulent history of the skin trade and the major impact it has had on his life. Screens at 9:15 p.m., June 8 and 10 at the Roxie and 9:30 p.m. June 15 at the OSA Black Box Theater. Filmmaker in attendance for post-screening Q&A on 6/8 and 6/10
Through scams, green cards, fake marriages, deception, prostitution, sex tourism, and human trafficking, LOVE ME explores the “mail-order bride” industry. Director Jonathon Narducci dives deep into the stories of the many people involved in this world not just the Western men desperate to find love and the people who connect them, but the women on the other side of the websites hoping for a new life. It all culminates on a guided tour to Ukraine and a tropical wedding that may or may not be the real thing. Screens at 9:15 p.m., June 8 and 7 p.m., June 9 at the Roxie.
Filmmaker in attendance for post-screening Q&A on 6/7 and 6/9
URBAN FRUIT follows four Los Angeles urban farmers as they struggle to reclaim a lost way of life. Directed by Roman Zenz, the film follows people like Ron Finley who lives in South L.A., where there are few alternatives to fast food and decides to teach people how to grow food in front of their homes, which turned out to be in violation of the city code. Rishi Kumar encounters similar obstacles from his Mother and Father when he moves back in with them and starts an urban farm in their backyard. Screens at 2:30 p.m., June 7 and 7 p.m., June 11 at the Roxie and 2:45 p.m., June 15 at the OSA Black Box Theater. Filmmaker in attendance for post-screening Q&A on 6/7 and 6/11
In VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE, director Jeremy Snead explores the question of what it means to be a ‘gamer’, a game maker, and where games are headed. Storytelling and the art of the video game medium are explored along with the global culture it has created. The film takes a look back at gaming history through the eyes of game developers, publishers, consumers, and the industry’s early pioneers. Screens at 9:30 p.m., June 8 at the OSA Black Box Theater and 9:15 p.m., June 15 and 18 at the Roxie.
DOCFEST U.S. PREMIERES
Director Mitchell Kezin explores an underground subculture of Christmas music fanatics in JINGLE BELL ROCKS! The film contains irreverent insights and heartfelt confessions of an eclectic group of musicians, obsessed collectors, famous DJ’s, record executives, and other Christmas music obsessives like cult film auteur John Waters. Screens at 7:15 p.m., June 8 at the OSA Black Box Theater and 9:15 p.m., June 13 and 16 at the Roxie.
In THE VISITOR, director Katarina Schroeter and her camerawoman create un-staged improvised wordless encounters with random people in three of the mega cities of the world: Mumbai, Shanghai and Sao Paulo. Shroeter becomes an intruder, friend and even beloved comrades who share the whole daily life of her protagonists, their beds and worries. Screens at 7 p.m., June 7 at the Roxie and 2:45 p.m., June 14 at the OSA Black Box Theater.
FILMS OF LOCAL INTEREST
Marc Halberstadt’s family lost their home to the Nazis and escaped to the US. He hopes to go to Germany and get reparations. In turn, Halberstadt owes Native Americans 65 years of rent. In an effort to cut out the middleman, Halberstadt decides he would like the Native Americans to collect reparations directly from Germany. In COWJEWS AND INDIANS, Halberstadt, a San Francisco State University graduate, documents his trip to Germany along with four Native Americans. Screens at 2:30 p.m., June 15 and 9:15 p.m., June 19 at the Roxie.
In the same year, Oakland was rated one of the top five destinations in the world and one of the top five most dangerous cities in the country. On February 1st, 2013 those two realities met with the fatal shooting of a teenager during First Friday, a monthly arts festival that has become the symbol of the city’s economic and cultural revival. FIRST FRIDAY is a work-in-progress by directors N’Jeri Eaton and Mario Furlon. It follows a diverse group of residents as they work to preserve the event that represents a city’s attempt to transform itself. Screens at 2:30 p.m., June 15 and 9:15 p.m., June 12 at the Roxie and 12:30 p.m., June 14 at the OSA Black Box Theater. Filmmakers in attendance for post-screening discussion at each screening.
IVORY TOWER questions the purpose of higher education in an era when the price of college has increased more than for any other service in the U.S. economy. While many college graduates struggle to find menial employment waiting tables and cleaning toilets, new student loans grow to astounding amounts. Filmmaker Andrew Rossi exposes the instability of traditional college education as he searches the country for alternative forms of cost-effective learning, ranging from concepts of self-governance to unofficial hacker houses. The documentary features Daphne Koller, founder of Coursera, who is based in Mountain View. It also features Dale Stephens, founder of Uncollege and Michael Staton, founder of Learn Captial are both based in San Francisco. Director Andrew Rossi will be in attendance. Screens 7 p.m., June 6 and 9:15 p.m., June 9 at the Roxie and 5 p.m., June 15 at OSA Black Box Theater.
In GOODBYE GAULEY MOUNTAIN: AN ECOSEXUAL LOVE STORY, Bernal Heights-based directors Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle, two devoted ecosexuals, plan to marry in the Appalachian Mountains and join the fight to abolish mountain top removal. Documenting a trip back to Beth’s hometown of Gauley Bridge, West Virginia, the film examines how small communities face destruction for short-term corporate gain. Screens at 2:30 p.m., June 14 at the Roxie and 9:15 p.m., June 19 at the OSA Black Box Theater. Filmmaker in attendance for post-screening Q&A on 6/19
Made from a collection of 9,000 home movies, NO MORE ROAD TRIPS? takes the audience on a journey through 20th-century America. The soundtrack for this fully participatory film will be made fresh by the audience, who will be encouraged to recall our shared past and predict the future. The director Rick Prelinger is based in San Francisco and lives in the Richmond District. Screens at 7 p.m. on June 10 at the Roxie.
Stockton, California, is considered one of the worst cities in the United States, riddled with financial crisis and crime rates rivaling Afghanistan. Where everyone else saw hopelessness, 22-year-old Michael Tubbs saw possibility. In 2012, Tubbs ran for City Council, building his campaign from the ground up. TRUE SON follows Tubbs’s story as he sets out to beat a politician twice his age and bring his community back from bankruptcy. Screens at 7 p.m., June 7 and 11 and 7:15 p.m., June 14 at the OSA Black Box Theater.
SF DocFest Parties and Events
Come to the Roxie Theater for “mass karaoke” at Oh Snap! The ‘90s Sing-a-long Party at 9:15 p.m. on Friday June 5. Lyrics from your favorite indie and pop hits from the ‘90s will be projected on to the big screen for the audience to sing along.
DocFest Game Night takes place on Saturday June 8 at 518 Valencia and will feature Pub Quiz featuring Quiz Master Mike Keegan (from the Roxie) at 7 p.m. and Hey Ho Bingo at 9 p.m.
The Roller Disco Party at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 13 is an excuse to dress up, drink cocktails, and skate around the Women’s Building (3543 18th Street at Valencia) to disco tunes and maybe even talk about documentaries. Disco costumes are encouraged.
Dead Mans Party, the Doc of the Dead after party, will take place on Saturday June 14 at 518 Valencia. The party will feature DJs, costume contests, and drinks specials – all set to the backdroup of zombie/horror decor. Presented by Zombie Prom.
Panels
On Sunday, June 8, filmmakers, academics, and critics discuss what does it mean to be a documentary filmmaker today when the boundaries of what defines non-fiction are being pushed and pulled from all angles.
Who programs these films anyway?
Come and meet festival programmers from the diverse array of film festivals of the Bay Area at 5 p.m. on Thursday June 12.
General Information about DocFest
Regular tickets are $12. Opening Night Film plus the After Party featuring hosted bar and live music by Gaucho is $20. Sat June 14 Doc of the Dead plus Dead Man’s Party to follow is $15. The Roller Disco party is $10.
The DocPass, good for all screenings and parties at the Film Festival, is $180. A RoxiePass is $160, an EastBayPass is $60. Passholders jump to the front of the line at all screenings and parties!
Discount Vouchers: 5Film Vouchers are $55, 10Film Vouchers are $100, redeemable at sfindie.com for regularly ticketed shows.
Advance tickets are available now at sfindie.com and 415-552-5580. Same day tickets are only available at the venue. The box office opens 30 minutes before the first show of the day. For all screenings please arrive at least 15 minutes before show time to assure seating.
This year’s venues include: the Brava Theater 2781 24th St., Roxie Theater 3117 16th St., and The Women’s Building, 3543 18th St. in San Francisco. Films will also screen at OSA’s Black Box Theater 530 19th St. in Oakland.
For more info, visit www.sfindie.com or contact DocFest at 415-820-3907 or info@sfindie.com.
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