24 minutes with “Berlin & Beyond’s” Sophoan Sorn

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An interview by Geneva Anderson.     (March 16, 2026)

Sophoan Sorn. Festival director of Berlin & Beyond at the Castro Theater which screens three German dramas on March 19.   Image: Sophoan Sorn

The director of the beloved Berlin & Beyond film festival (B&B) is excited to celebrate the 30th anniversary with an opening night at the re-vamped Castro Theater this Thursday (March 19) with “Köln 75.” The new drama reveals the exhilarating back story to Keith Jarrett’s famously improvised 1975 concert which became the best-selling solo album in jazz history. There will be an Opening Ceremony and tribute to actor Mala Emde, starring in the film. Continue reading →

Bouquets to Art

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By Noma Faingold.          (February 8, 2026)

More than 100 of Northern California’s top floral designers are donating their talents, time and materials to the 42nd annual Bouquets to Art exhibition. Approximately 50,000 people will tour the de Young and Legion of Honor museums to encounter the enhanced galleries during the exhibition fundraiser, March 3-8.

Installation view of Bouquets to Art 2025, Legion of Honor. Photograph by Randy Dodson

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Be Our Valentine

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Curated by Gary Meyer.     (February 8, 2026)

Several years ago I curated a large selection of odd and ironic Valentine’s Day cards and nostalgia with movie stars and celebrities joining in. Plus a gallery about food and drink as the way to our hearts.

This year we thought a lot more vintage images and some contemporary selections could make your heart laugh and would brighten your week. But be warned, some of these cards are cringy. Others are surprising (women’s suffragettes featured on cards—to balance to the horny little boys that dominated these cards for decades). We have some fun videos, “My Funny Valentine” as performed by two of our favorite singers plus Bad Bunny’s Valentine’s videos. Continue reading →

Harris Dickinson’s “Urchin” is a promising debut defined by empathy

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By Claire Wu                             (February 7, 2026)

Previously known for his roles in popular films like “Babygirl,” “Triangle of Sadness” and “The Iron Claw,” BAFTA-nominated Brit heartthrob Harris Dickinson made his directorial debut with the psychological drama “Urchin.” With “Urchin,” Dickinson demonstrates his artistic prowess beyond his acting versatility, pulling from his own lived experiences while volunteering at numerous homeless charities. Through his lens of empathy, he crafts a compelling narrative following Mike, a homeless youth struggling with the cyclical nature of addiction and incarceration as he traverses the East London streets in search of purpose and connection. Continue reading →

Try This Ida Lupino Noir Bar Cocktail

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“Noir City-Face the Music” is in full swing at the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland as the launch of its eight city tour.

Eddie Muller—host of TCM’s Noir Alley, one of the world’s leading authorities on film noir, and cocktail connoisseur—takes film buffs and drinks enthusiasts alike on a spirited tour through the “dark city” of film noir in this stylish book packed with equal parts great cocktail recipes and noir lore. Continue reading →

Noir City 23 to The Rescue!

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Anticipating This Year’s Music-Themed Fest With Delight

by Meredith Brody.  (January 13,2026)

I love Eddie Muller’s Noir City film festivals; I don’t think I’ve missed a one since his first edition in Los Angeles at the American Cinematheque in 1999, four years before SF’s first Noir City.

I start out perusing the list of 24 films (paired in a dozen double bills) in my usual somewhat-blinkered and mildly narcissistic fashion: which ones are new to me? Since I’ve been seeking out film noir since before I went to college, and my first post-college publication in book form was in Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward’s first “Encyclopedia of Film Noir” back in 1979, it’s not totally a surprise that there are only two that qualify: the British Face the Music aka The Deadly Glove (1954), and The Crimson Canary (1945), neither of which I’ve even heard of.

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The Art of Fingernails with Kristen Valdez-Doherty

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By Noma Faingold.  (December 24, 2025)

Nail artist Kristen Valdez-Doherty is a maximalist in terms of nail design, which is reflected in the kitschy, crowded décor of her Nails of Modern Art Clement Street studio. She’s surrounded by abstract splashes of bright turquoise, chartreuse, hot pink, shades of purple, along with gold and silver metallic accents. Labubu dolls share shelf space with other whimsical pop culture figurines – from Wednesday Addams to Japanese anime characters. Continue reading →