From ‘Dry Wood’ to ‘Blossoms of Fire,’ filmmaker’s documentaries capture golden moments of art and culture.
Movies
Humanitarian aid trip to Transylvania makes for must-see cinema at SF Film Festival
The annual celebration of cinema plants its East Bay flag at Pacific Film Archive. The festival runs through May 1.
Brooklyn love letter from Oakland-trained filmmaker to air at Pacific Film Archive
‘Blue In the Face,’ a series of improvised vignettes from director Wayne Wang, has an eclectic cast — Madonna, Rosanne Barr, RuPaul, Harvey Keitel and more.
‘Ahed’s Knee’ is a semi-autobiographical tale of artistic license and Israeli censorship
The film, a bitter personal reflection on the “dumbing down” of Israel, comes to the Shattuck Cinemas on Friday.
Long-forgotten Dennis Hopper film to play in Oakland
‘Out of the Blue,’ the uncompromising filmmaker’s searing family drama, will screen at Oakland’s New Parkway Theater Thursday.
Predicting the winner of 2022’s Oscar-nominated short films
Our reviewer calls the winners of three categories, assuming the Academy will follow its penchant for inspirational sports shorts and cutesy animals.
A bewitching celebration of filmic folk horror
A magisterial documentary screening Sunday at San Francisco’s Roxie Theater examines the influence of folklore on horror cinema.
Berkeley musician’s drunken odyssey through ‘Russialand’ is amazing but alarming
The scion of an old Berkeley family, Alex Carlin comes off as a bit of a holy fool in his new documentary. The film shows the 64-year-old rock ‘n’ roller’s bacchanal by rail from Siberia to the Black Sea.
A standout film at SF IndieFest, ‘The Sleeping Negro’ shows struggles of an Everyman
Writer-director Skinner Myer’s ‘The Sleeping Negro’ — the title riffs on a famous James Baldwin quote — is the closest thing this year’s festival has to a must-see feature.
Is ‘Bad Luck Banging and Loony Porn’ the most enlightening film of the year?
The Romanian film puts the relatively minor sin of consensual sex in its proper perspective.
F.W. Murnau’s film of infidelity, redemption is set to live piano music at Pacific Film Archive
‘Sunrise,’ a perfect film for the new year from the director of ‘Nosferatu,’ is screening at the Pacific Film Archive on Jan. 8 and Feb. 18.
Our movie critic’s favorite films of 2021
Here are Berkeleyside movie writer John Seal’s 15 favorite films of the year. He makes no claims on picking the “best.”