The San Francisco International Film Festival, now in its 67th year, has commenced this week. The festival showcases a diverse lineup of over 80 films, ranging from documentaries to feature-length movies, hailing from 40 different countries. Seven of the films featured in this year’s festival are the creations of Bay Area filmmakers, including Sean Wong, whose recent film ‘DiDi’ earned an Oscar nomination. The festival’s Director of Programming, Jessie Fairbanks, emphasizes the personal and authentic nature of this year’s selections, with many filmmakers drawing inspiration from their own life experiences.
Among the notable films is ‘Seeking Mavis Beacon,’ directed by Jazmine Renee Jones, who has been a part of the festival community since her early career. Her producer honed their skills through the festival’s resident development program. Fairbanks highlights the Bay Area’s thriving creative community, noting that this film was largely shot in the East Bay. Screenings of ‘Seeking Mavis Beacon’ will take place this Friday in Berkeley and Saturday in San Francisco.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with a screening of ‘Thelma,’ featuring the legendary 93-year-old actress June Squibb, who performs her own stunts in the film. All screening details and tickets can be found online.
