The 66th SF International Film Festival-Weekend screenings and Special Presentations

The 66th San Francisco International Film Festival is going strong with a slew of new local, national and international narrative, documentary and short films now through Sunday, April 23rd at various venues. Festival features such as Cine Latino, The Sloan Science On Screen Award Series and special premieres such as the new documentary on folk music icon Joan Baez “I Am A Noise” to be screened this Tuesday, April 18, 5 pm at the Castro Theater. Baez will be in attendance.

I saw a pair of powerful films at the East Bay hub for the festival, Berkeley’s BAMPFA: Cuban director Carlos Lechuga’s “Vicenta B” that focuses on a clairvoyant Santera in crisis and English director Savanah Leaf’s moving and heartfelt film “Earth Mama” chronicles the trails and tribulations of a young pregnant woman of color who is trying to get her children back from an oppressive Foster Care system.

I also caught the absorbing family drama L’Immensita starring Academy Award winner Penelope Cruz and newcomer to watch, Luana Giuliani who were both excellent respectively as a mother in a loveless marriage who puts her family first over her happiness and a daughter that wants to be accepted as a boy that adds stress to an extremely fragile family dynamic.

Hummingbirds is a fun movie to watch featuring the lead actress/director team of Silvia De Carmen Castaños and Estefania “Beba” Contreras who play themselves. Based in the border town of Laredo, these two best friends hang out in bars, drive-thr. us, friend’s couches and the borderlands as they confront the stresses of surviving immigration policies by protest action for legal abortion and against border control abuses. They also enjoy their time together with their antics, laughter, poetry and dreams for a better tomorrow.

There are still many fine films and special showings left in the home stretch of this festival. Do not sleep! For tickets and information, visit www.sffilm.org.