SF Film Festival shines with Live Tributes & Music-Film showings at the Castro

The 65th SF Film Festival produced by SF Film as been a whirlwind of cinematic experiences which has included live music and film showcases, tributes and films from around the world to celebrate the festival’s complete public reopening in 3 years. The historic Castro Theatre in San Francisco has been the location of two of the festival’s big events this year!

The tribute to the great Malaysian film star Michelle Yeoh (pictured left-photo: Luis Medina) was a love fest between the San Francisco Film Festival audience and Yeoh. Yeoh ,who looked glamorous in a shiny designer fuchsia-teal mini skirt, was charming, warm and engaging in her interview with the popular tv actress Sandra Oh. Oh was hilarious with great one liners, her vivacious presence and sharp questions about Yeoh’s rise to stardom and stature as a movie star. Yeoh and Oh had a great rapport on stage. The festival put together a fitting tribute to Yeoh featuring a retrospective of clips of her films from her illustrious career. Yeoh shared that her career on film at times were rough especially acting in action and martial arts films with the likes of Jackie Chan and Chow Yun Fat. She often was hurt doing hands-on dangerous stunts in the classic film “Supercop” with Chan. She said that she was amazed watching some of her past stunts in her films and was shocked at the sheer outrageousness of the stunts she did in these films when she was younger. After 75 minutes of the interview and the public Q and A, Yeoh and Oh ended the event on a high, party note dancing to funky music as they got Jessie Fairbanks, Director of Programming for SF Film on stage to join them in the groove. The feeling was contagious as the crowd got up out of their seats to join in on the fun. A great evening to add to the highlights of this 65th San Francisco Film Festival.

Another special live event took place last Sunday evening when filmmaker Sam Green presented a unique live music and film event “32 Sounds“. Green narrated as musician and collaborator JD Samson performed a live score to this absorbing documentary, a poem in audio and images that blended art and science. The audience were given headphones to listen to the soundtrack of this unique presentation as these 32 Sounds took the audience to distinct experiences which were complimented by the gorgeously shot images and the engrossing soundscapes by Samson. Another triumph by Green who is a SF Film Festival favorite who has previously presented special programs like this one in both the 2012 and 2018 SF Film Festivals.

The Castro was a perfect place for this special evening since the theatre is being converted into a night club concert venue by Another Planet Entertainment and the newly added audio equipment enhanced the experience. However, I was saddened by the fact that we are going to miss this majestic Movie palace that has been a personal landmark of classic San Francisco of mine for years. Thanks to SF Film for showcasing film one more time at this great venue of cinema.