San Francisco Independent Film Festival

Last updated

San Francisco Independent Film Festival
6f036cf8f5a316f82f08932ea8bbd63d--typography-inspiration-work-inspiration (1).jpg
Official 2005 poster
Genre Film Festival
DatesFebruary
FrequencyAnnual
Location(s) San Francisco, California, United States
Years activeJanuary 1999 – present
Founded1998
FounderJeff Ross
People
  • Jeff Ross, Director
  • Catie Roads-Redhouse, Operations Manager [1]
Website sfindie.com

The San Francisco Independent Film Festival, known as San FranciscoIndieFest, is an annual film festival that recognizes contemporary independent film. Established in 1998, it is run by SF IndieFest, a non-profit organization, and based at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, California. [2]

Contents

History

The San Francisco Independent Film Festival was founded in 1998 by Jeff Ross, operations manager of the San Francisco International Film Festival and office manager of the San Francisco Film Society, [3] [4] at the end of a decade when independent films had increased in importance. [5] The impetus was that San Francisco independent filmmaker Rand Alexander was unable to find a venue in the city to show Caged, which had premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival. [6] [7]

The first festival took place in January 1999 [8] [9] [10] and comprised 20 films, [6] with a focus on experimental and otherwise unconventional works. [11] The second IndieFest was held in January 2000, [3] expanding from four days to nine, [12] and the festival has continued to take place in January or February and further expanded to two weeks. [7] [13] The 2000 IndieFest added animated shorts; [3] in 2002, despite losing corporate sponsorship in the wake of 9/11, the festival added foreign films. [14] Ross directed the festival alone until a program director, Bruce Fletcher, was added. [9]

IndieFest is now based at the Roxie Theater in the Mission District; it began at the Victoria, also in the Mission, [8] and has used other Bay Area theaters including the United Artists Galaxy, the Castro Theatre, [14] the Brava, [11] [15] the Alamo Drafthouse, [15] the Lumiere, and the Fine Arts Cinema in Berkeley. [3] [12] It has become known for the associated parties, particularly the Big Lebowski party. [3] [9] [13] The 20th IndieFest, in 2018, included a film from each previous festival. [16] The 2021 festival, held during the COVID-19 pandemic, was streamed. [17] [18] The 2022 festival had a mix of screenings at the Roxie and virtual events. [19]

Associated events

SF IndieFest also runs the spin-off film festivals DocFest, the SF Documentary Film Festival, started in 2001, [4] [20] Another Hole in the Head, a horror and science fiction festival started in 2003, [4] [21] the San Francisco Independent Short Film Festival, started in 2019, [22] and the Livable Planet Festival, which was launched in 2021 as a replacement for the San Francisco Green Film Festival, which folded after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the 2020 festival, [23] and was rebranded in 2022 as the Green Film Festival of San Francisco. [24] The first Decibels Music Film Festival took place in fall 2021 at the Roxie and online. [25] [26] Past associated festivals included the Northern California Action Sports Film Festival and the US edition of the International Short Film Festival. [1] A week-long Winter Music Fest was added in 2010, taking place the week before the film festival; [27] starting in 2011, it ran concurrently and the number of music-related films was increased. [8] Ross also started A Mighty Ruckus, a rock festival. [28]

Film categories

The San Francisco Independent Film Festival has separate film entry categories for general entrants and for Bay Area filmmakers. Both have sub-categories for length (features and shorts) and genre (narrative fiction, documentary, and animation). [29]

Awards

The SF IndieFest awards panel confers the following awards:

Jury Prize

Audience Award

Screenplay Competition

Vanguard Award

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castro Theatre</span> Historic movie palace in San Francisco

The Castro Theatre is a historic movie palace in the Castro District of San Francisco, California. The venue became San Francisco Historic Landmark #100 in September 1976. Located at 429 Castro Street, it was built in 1922 with a California Churrigueresque façade that pays homage—in its great arched central window surmounted by a scrolling pediment framing a niche—to the basilica of Mission Dolores nearby. Its designer, Timothy L. Pflueger, also designed Oakland's Paramount Theater and other movie theaters in California during that period. The theater has more than 1,400 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxie Theater</span> Movie theater in San Francisco, California

The Roxie Theater, also known as the Roxie Cinema or just The Roxie, is a historic movie theater, founded in 1912, at 3117 16th Street in the Mission District of San Francisco. It is a non-profit community arthouse cinema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Chen</span> Chinese-American actress and director

Joan Chen is a Chinese-American actress and film director. In China, she starred in the 1979 film Little Flower and came to the attention of American audiences for her performance in the 1987 film The Last Emperor, which won nine Academy Awards including Best Picture. She is also known for her roles in Twin Peaks, Red Rose White Rose, Saving Face and The Home Song Stories, and for directing the feature film Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.

The Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival is an annual independent film festival held each March in San Jose, California and Redwood City, California. The international festival combines the cinematic arts with Silicon Valley’s innovation. It is produced by Cinequest, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is also responsible for Picture The Possibilities and the distribution label Cinequest Mavericks Studio LLC. Cinequest awards the annual Maverick Spirit Awards. In addition to over 130 world or U.S. premieres from over 30 countries, the festival hosts writer's events including screenwriting competitions, a shorts program, technology and artistic forums and workshops, student programs, and a silent film accompanied on the theatre organ. Founded in 1990 as the Cinequest Film Festival, the festival was rebranded in 2017 as the Cinequest Film & VR Festival and expanded beyond downtown San Jose to Redwood City. It took its present name in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mill Valley Film Festival</span> Annual film festival held in Mill Valley, United States

The Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) is an annual film festival organized by the California Film Institute. It takes place each October in Mill Valley, California and welcomes more than 200 filmmakers, representing more than 50 countries, each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Fong-Torres</span> American rock journalist

Benjamin Fong-Torres is an American rock journalist best known for his association with Rolling Stone magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The San Francisco International Film Festival, organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and video production with an emphasis on work that has not yet secured U.S. distribution. In 2009, it served around 82,000 patrons, with screenings held in San Francisco and Berkeley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Asmussen</span> American cartoonist (1962–2021)

Donald Asmussen was an American cartoonist working for the San Francisco Chronicle and Universal Press Syndicate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Siebel Newsom</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1974)

Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom is an American documentary filmmaker and actress who is the first partner of California, as the wife of Governor Gavin Newsom. She is the director, writer, and producer of the film Miss Representation (2011), which premiered in the documentary competition at the Sundance Film Festival. The film examines how the media has underrepresented women in positions of power. The Mask You Live In (2015), the second film that she wrote, produced and directed, scrutinizes American society's definition of masculinity.

Outside Lands, formerly known as the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, is a three-day music, art, food, wine, beer and cannabis festival held annually in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Multi-genre and multi-generational, it is the largest independently owned music festival in the United States. It was founded in 2008 by Another Planet Entertainment, Starr Hill Presents, and Superfly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco Green Film Festival</span> American environmental film festival from 2011 to 2019

The San Francisco Green Film Festival was an environmental film festival which was held annually from 2011 to 2019.

The San Francisco Transgender Film Festival (SFTFF) is the world's oldest transgender film festival. Originally named Tranny Fest, the Festival was co-founded by Christopher Lee and Alex Austin in 1997, with Elise Hurwitz as technical director. Lee and Austin produced the Festival until 2002; in 2003, Shawna Virago took over as Artistic Director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adele Romanski</span> American film producer

Adele Marie Romanski is an American independent film producer. She is best known for producing the acclaimed films Moonlight, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, and Aftersun. Moonlight received eight Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, winning Best Picture for Romanski, along with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Talbot (filmmaker)</span> American filmmaker (born 1990)

Joseph Lyle Talbot is an American filmmaker. His debut feature film, The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019), which he co-wrote and directed, won the Best Director prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film is loosely based on the life of his childhood best friend, Jimmie Fails.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom E. Brown</span> American film producer

Tom E. Brown is an American director, screenwriter, producer, and actor.

Deborah Lum is an American documentary filmmaker based in San Francisco. Her projects frequently explore subject matters within the Asian and Asian American community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Hammond (filmmaker)</span> American filmmaker

Jonathan Hammond is an American film director, film editor, screenwriter and film producer who directed the films Expect A Miracle: Finding Light in the Darkness of a Pandemic (2020), Isabel (2018), Kathy (2018) and We All Die Alone (2021). Hammond won the Copper Wing Award for short film directing at the Phoenix Film Festival and received multiple nominations for a Pacific Southwest Emmy Award at National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Black Mothers Love & Resist is an American documentary film released in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Utah (San Francisco, California)</span> Historic building in San Francisco

The Hotel Utah is a historic mixed-use building known as a saloon bar, live music venue, and residential hotel, built in 1908 and located in the South of Market neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It is known for its diverse open mic nights, which have historically attracted some people who have later become famous. It is also known as The Utah Inn, The Hotel Utah Saloon, and simply The Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Freeman (film director)</span> American filmmaker

Alexander Freeman is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter with cerebral palsy.

References

  1. 1 2 "About". SF IndieFest. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  2. ↑ "British Council Film: San Francisco Independent Film Festival". British Council Film. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 James Sullivan (January 6, 2000). "IndieFest Aspires to Be A Good Party / 'Light, fun films' picked for second annual festival". San Francisco Chronicle . Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 Matthew Toffolo (February 4, 2016). "Interview with Festival Director Jeff Ross (SF IndieFest // SF DocFest // Another Hole in the Head)". Festival Reviews. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  5. ↑ Sandy Yang (May 24, 2000). "Independent films changed face of '˜90s movie industry". Daily Bruin . University of California, Los Angeles. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  6. 1 2 Delfin Vigil (February 4, 2007). "Zombies, Swingers, Punks: it's Indiefest". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  7. 1 2 Emily Wilson (February 9, 2012). "Jeff Ross Says SF Indiefest Couldn't Happen in Any Other City But San Francisco". SF Weekly . Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 G. Allen Johnson (February 3, 2011). "S.F. IndieFest: Expanded version adds MusicFest". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  9. 1 2 3 Pam Grady (February 5, 2015) [January 28, 2015]. "5 questions for IndieFest founder-director Jeff Ross". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  10. ↑ G. Allen Johnson (February 5, 2012). "SF IndieFest a showcase for digital filmmakers". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  11. 1 2 G. Allen Johnson (February 6, 2013). "S.F. IndieFest shows experimental films". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  12. 1 2 Wesley Morris (January 7, 2000). "Indie Fest disarms and charms". San Francisco Examiner . Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021– via SFGate.
  13. 1 2 David Lewis (February 5, 2019) [January 21, 2019]. "Datebook: An insider's guide to SF Indie Fest". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  14. 1 2 Carla Meyer (January 31, 2002). "IndieFest goes for broke / Down on funds, event keeps growing". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  15. 1 2 David Lewis (January 25, 2017). "Facts about SF IndieFest". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  16. ↑ G. Allen Johnson (January 31, 2018). "Crash course in indie film as 20th IndieFest screens a film from each festival". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  17. 1 2 Pam Grady (February 4, 2021) [February 1, 2021]. "Datebook: A conquistador visits modern Mexico in Oakland filmmaker's unconventional '499' at SF Indie Fest". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ Rice Stoughtenborough (February 1, 2021). "Dozens of offbeat flicks online in SF IndieFest". San Francisco Examiner. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  19. ↑ Pam Grady (February 3, 2022) [February 2, 2022]. "Datebook: 6 films to catch at 2022 SF IndieFest". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  20. ↑ Lei Wang (September 30, 2014). "San Francisco events calendar". TimeOut San Francisco . Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  21. ↑ Richard von Busack (March 17, 2004). "Horror Heaven: Another Hole in the Head film festival in San Francisco deliver the scares and gore". Metro Silicon Valley . Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  22. ↑ G. Allen Johnson (September 17, 2019) [September 11, 2019]. "Datebook: SF IndieFest brings first all-shorts program to Japantown's New People". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  23. ↑ Pam Grady (May 10, 2021) [April 21, 2021]. "Datebook: 6 films to catch at the Livable Planet Film Festival". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  24. ↑ G. Allen Johnson (March 16, 2022). "Datebook: Like spring itself, Bay Area film festivals about to experience a warming trend". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  25. ↑ Mick LaSalle. "Datebook Pick: Decibels Music Film Festival". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  26. ↑ Pam Grady (October 26, 2021) [October 25, 2021]. "Datebook: In 'Oh, It Hertz!' an obscure conspiracy theory provides a lesson in listening". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 26, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  27. ↑ Aidin Vaziri; Robert Hurwitt (January 22, 2010). "Date Lines: IndieFest adds Winter Music Fest". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  28. ↑ Aidin Vaziri (September 17, 2006). "ON THE TOWN: With Jeff Ross / Festival of tastes suits this Mission dweller". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
  29. ↑ "SF IndieFest Submissions". FilmFreeway . October 16, 2021. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.