Natalie Baszile Pivots from Author to Filmmaker with Documentary ‘Harvest’

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By Noma Faingold

In the documentary, “Harvest,” co-directors Natalie Baszile and her daughter, Hyacinth Parker, let the four Nelson brothers tell and show the story of family farm life in rural Louisiana, revealing all the complexities, struggles, tragedy, resilience and togetherness.

From a stunning view, high above the acres of corn, soy and cotton, the uniformed lines of growth look harmonious. At ground level, the reality isn’t so pristine. “Harvest” opens with the four brothers, who are devoted to farming and to each other, hindered by outdated, faulty machinery. Continue reading →

Afterdeath Communication? — “This Bright Light” Opens A Fascinating Dialogue About Possibilities

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An Interview with Director Alex Lexton

by Geneva Anderson                   (October 9, 2026)

Alexandra Lexton, Photo: In Her Image Photography

An interest in the bonds that tie us to one another eternally and in afterdeath communication drives Sebastopol director Alexandra Lexton’s fascinating docudrama, “This Bright Light,” which has its world premiere at the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF49) on Saturday, October 10th.  Marking Lexton’s fourth film at MVFF, this mostly Bay Area-shot story traces the loving but turbulent sweep of Marin rhythmic gymnast Tamarin Luchessa’s life. Her Olympic dreams were crushed by the onset of increasingly debilitating health issues that plagued her for over two decades until her death at age 42.  Still, she managed to live life with extraordinary intensity.

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San Francisco Plays a Pivotal Role in Beth de Araújo’s Family Drama “Josephine”

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By Noma Faingold.  (October 1, 2026)

Picture Josephine, a sporty eight-year-old girl, without a care in the world, jogging in Golden Gate Park with her father at dawn. Being that it’s a familiar activity, she races ahead to show her athletic dad what she can do. Abruptly, she comes upon a man following a female jogger into a public restroom. The woman screams and frantically tries to get away, but he catches her and forces her to the ground.

Josephine instinctively hides behind a nearby tree and watches it all, a clumsy, violent sexual assault. Josephine, played by newcomer Mason Reeves, is transfixed. She is scared and doesn’t dare move. A variety of subtle expressions roll across her face. Her father, Damien, played by Channing Tatum, comes into view and interrupts the brutal act. After making sure his daughter is out of immediate danger, he chases after the assailant. Damien catches him with the help of police.

Yet Josephine will never be the same.

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“Laura” Noir From The Page to The Big Screen

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In celebration of a new season of You Must Remember This, the podcast’s award-winning creator and host Karina Longworth introduces the Mill Valley Film Festival’s screening of Laura with opening remarks sure to deepen our appreciation and understanding of Otto Preminger’s classic 1944 noir. The showing wil be on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 3:00 at the Lark Theatre.  Info and tickets here.

For film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinematic classics and the enduring love stories that have served as their heart-tugging inspiration. We are proud to present Kristen Lopez’s chapter on the classic film noir Laura from her new book, “But Have You Read the Book? Romance Edition:40 Love Stories That Inspired Our Favorite Films.”

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DEMOCRACY NOIR- A New Dawn

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By Connie Field                 (September 13, 2026)

In April, I watched Viktor Orbán ousted in Hungary by a landslide. I was amazed and ecstatic. This was personal for me. I had traveled there with my Hungarian husband every year since 1990. Over three decades we watched the country change through the eyes of people we loved — through the euphoria of the early post-Communist years and, eventually, through its disturbing turn to autocracy. We watched avidly last year as Péter Magyar, the man who would go on to oust Orbán, traveled all around Hungary drawing bigger and bigger crowds. But I always assumed Orbán would find a way to change the election laws yet again so he’d win no matter how strong the opposition was. He didn’t. Magyar won by a landslide. Continue reading →

Christiane Lyons Finds Deep Meaning in the Exhibition “Superficial Matters”

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By Noma Faingold       (August 14, 2026)

Mill Valley painter Christiane Lyons has dedicated the last 10 years to her series, which she somewhat facetiously calls, “Some Women: A Total Portrait With No Omissions.” The oil paintings are collage-like, yet more refined. There’s also a double or triple-exposure effect in the depiction of the women. The work is figurative, abstract and surreal. It’s easy to be drawn to the colorful, layered pieces. There’s a soft beauty to them. But a closer, more pensive examination reveals an indictment on the objectification of women in history and in current times.

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The Magic of “Like Water for Chocolate”

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“For film buffs and literature lovers alike, Turner Classic Movies presents an essential guide to 40 cinematic classics and the enduring love stories that have served as their heart-tugging inspiration.

What makes a good love story endure? Is it the courtship? The obstacles along the way? The happy endings (or in some cases, heartbreaking conclusions)? Author Kristen Lopez explores 40 beloved screen adaptations of the book world’s great romances to reveal what makes these works resonate across decades. Continue reading →

East Bay Singer Destani Wolf is All About Connection

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By Noma Faingold                                 (updated August 11, 2026)

Singer/songwriter Destani Wolf doesn’t sound like anyone else and that suits her just fine.

The vocals of 45-year-old resident of Kensington (just north of Berkeley) are as smooth as charmeuse, confidently improvisational and seemingly effortless, although her perfectionism leads to a lot of tinkering with songs before Wolf is willing to put them out into the world.

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Margaret Cho: The Outsider Comedian Who Found a Way In

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            “Choligarchy” returns to the Bay Area for a limited engagement, September 15-19, at Berkeley Rep.  Tickets are on sale now here. 

Photo by Albert Sanchez

By Noma Faingold.                                               

 (Updated August 6, 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.

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You Don’t Have To Be………Jewish

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By Gary Meyer.  (updated August 1 ,2026)

Family dramas, Amazing Sea Monkeys, Hollywood censorship, Woody Guthrie, the Middle East conflicts, Berlin’s nightlife, uncomfortable secrets, teenage angst, many kinds of music, short films, Holocaust stories we never knew, New Yorker cartoonists, LBGTQ lives, inside the most famous Catskills summer resort, and family comedies.

These are some of the stories at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival playing through Sunday, August 2. Continue reading →

Captivating Picks from Eclectic Lineup at the Frameline50 Film Festival

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By Noma Faingold                                     (June 13, 2026)

Frameline50, the annual San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, is celebrating its 50th anniversary, June 17-27. The milestone is a big deal for the largest and longest-running queer film festival in the world. Several San Francisco and East Bay venues, including the newly restored Castro Theater, will host 140 films from 35 countries with LGBTQ+ themes by mostly queer filmmakers. Programming for the 11-day event also includes parties, networking events and industry panels.

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