by Claire Wu
(May 18, 2026)
Created over the span of 16 years, “Yo (Love is a Rebellious Bird)” is a stunning patchwork of vérité footage, handmade dioramas and puppets, animation sequences and collages. This is not simply a film about grief, but rather a piece of ritual art that continuously meditates on all the highs and lows of Yo’s vibrant life and the integral role she played throughout the filmmaker’s lives as their dear friend.
Photo by Andy Mitchell
Photo by Albert Sanchez
By Noma Faingold.
(May 15, 2026)
Trailblazing comedian Margaret Cho has always made sure her brazen stand-up material aligns with her feminist, politically progressive and all-inclusive views on sexuality. What is radically different about the 57-year-old San Francisco native is that her once chaotic, dangerous life has gradually evolved into a that of a serene homebody, who surrounds herself with animal and plant life.
By Noma Faingold. (May 5, 2024)
As far as ancient history, the Romans and the Greeks seem to get all the attention culturally, with respect to architecture, artifacts, precious jewels, inventions, the alphabet, religious ritual and even the Gods.
Until now.
The new exhibition at the Legion of Honor Museum, “The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy,” opened May 2 and continues through September 20. Continue reading
By Gaetano Kazuo Maida. (May 5, 2026)
In these heady days of the astonishing exploits of the Japanese baseball phenom Shohei Ohtani, now with the Los Angeles Dodgers (he’s a unique double-threat: an overpowering pitcher and a home run hitter who steals bases), it may be hard to fathom the early days of Japanese players here—indeed, of Japanese baseball itself. Continue reading
By Geneva Anderson (April 29, 2026)
Film Schools like to feature the successful alumni who attended their programs. But none have guided so many to success as the Sundance Labs program where new filmmakers are mentored by established cinema artists under the sensitive yet firm direction of one person.
Robert Redford and Michelle Satter at the Director’s Lab (2011). Photo by Fred Hayes. Courtesy of Sundance.
Michelle Satter, one of the world’s most important and influential champions of independent film is the recipient of SFFILM’s 2026 Mel Novikoff Award and will be honored on Thursday, April 30, at a special evening that includes Satter in conversation with award-winning Oakland filmmaker Peter Nicks, followed by a screening of Benh Zeitlin’s 2012 film “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a wildly successful project supported by both Sundance Institute and SFFILM. Continue reading
“Artists are the gatekeepers of truth, the anchor of civilization and the compass for humanity’s conscience”
-Michelle Satter
Geneva Anderson interviewed a selection of the many filmmakers who have been through Sundance Labs to accompany her interview with Michelle Satter . Continue reading
(April 25, 2026)
Leonard Maltin has been in love with the movies since he was a kid, publishing a magazine, Film Fan Monthly, when he was 15 and at 18 completing the first edition of his long-running Movie Guide, considered essential next to every film buffs’ TV, on their desks, on the bed table, and even as a bathroom reading staple. And more books kept coming. 
When “Entertainment Tonight” asked him to become their film critic he and his wife Alice moved to Los Angeles and his numerous projects continued, including often appearing on Turner Classic Movies and appearing at the TCM Festivals and Cruises. Probably he and Alice’s proudest “project” is their daughter Jessie who has worked with her dad developing a popular podcast, a film festival, websites and now, FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT MENUS: Recipes & Films for Unforgettable Times Together. Jessie has been seeing movies with her parents as long as she can remember and her daughter Daisy is following in her footsteps. Continue reading
By Geneva Anderson (April 24, 2026)
The 69th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM 69) returns to the Bay Area Friday, April 24, and runs 11 days through Monday, May 4, featuring 79 sharply-curated film programs from 40 countries screening in seven Bay Area theaters. The world cinema line-up of 32 narratives and 11 docs is phenomenal, with original stories that crystalize into masterful portraits of individuals and place. Continue reading
By Noma Faingold (April 11, 2026)
Chilean-born filmmaker Andrés Gallegos chose San Francisco in 2014 to continue his education, earning an MFA in Cinema at San Francisco State University. He had visited prestigious film schools in New York and Los Angeles, but the Bay Area instantly felt like home. “I liked the program at State, but I fell in love with what was happening here,” he said. “The richness of the culture and the creative community made me want to stay.”
By Noma Faingold. (April 8, 2026)
John at the Castro screening of “Serial Mom.” Photo by Noma Faingold.
“Pope of Trash,” “Prince of Puke.” “People’s Pervert,” “King of Sleaze” and “Filth Elder” are all monikers apropos for prolific filmmaker, author, photographer, visual artist, provocateur and true original, John Waters, who turns 80 this month.
By Noma Faingold. (March 18, 2026)
Claude Monet of France (1840-1926), the founder of Impressionism and the movement’s most prolific painter, reluctantly visited Venice in October of 1908. At the time, he had grown disenchanted with the way his “Water Lilies” paintings were progressing. His dealer, Paul Durand-Ruel, rejected the work, leading Monet to cancel the upcoming show at the Paris gallery and to destroy many of the paintings in the series.
