Releases
55th San Francisco International Film Festival Announces a Riveting Roster of Late Show Features
Pitch-Black Comedy and Musical Madness Shake Up This Year’s Late Show Program
3/27/2012
The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 19–May 3) has announced its annual Late Show program, a selection of the cream of the crop in bizarre and berserk international features. This year’s program delivers frantic action and a splash of black humor in Headhunters, tense thrills and bone-rattling screams in Last Screening and campy delight in Acid Queens: Peaches & Tommy, a Peaches Christ–hosted homage to Ken Russell’s psychedelic masterpiece Tommy.
“Pinball wizards, homicidal projectionists and art thieves on the run are only some of the characters you’ll encounter in this year’s Late Show—it’s an exciting and diverse line-up with a special appearance by the Bay Area’s own Peaches Christ,” said Rod Armstrong, programmer for the San Francisco Film Society. “Fans of the section also won’t want to miss Festival offerings in the World Cinema section such as Coppola’s creepy Twixt, the dystopian Russian epic Target and the Hong Kong action spectacle Wu Xia.”
Headhunters, Morten Tyldum (Norway 2011)
An art heist goes terribly wrong in this darkly comic, fast-paced thriller adapted from Jo Nesbø’s bestselling novel and featuring a winning, no-holds-barred performance from Norway’s most popular actor, Aksel Hennie.
Last Screening, Laurent Achard (France 2011)
Don’t look now: Informed that the movie palace where he works will soon be closed, a devoted (but psychopathic) projectionist is driven to homicide. Full of movie references and stylistic homage, this cinephilic horror film is clever, entertaining and suspenseful.
Acid Queens: Peaches & Tommy (USA 1975)
As her very name suggests, midnight movie maven Peaches Christ has a passionate understanding of cinematic religiosity and cult rites. These enthusiasms also run wildly through the outrageous career of Ken Russell (1927–2011), including one of Russell’s greatest commercial successes, the 1975 rock opera Tommy. Ann-Margret, Roger Daltrey and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen are all at the peak of their sex appeal in this musical tale of pinball wizardry and modern idolatry gone mad. For one night only, the Kabuki will be the Church of Ken Russell, and Peaches will be your preacher. A restored print of Tommy screens.
For tickets and information visit festival.sffs.org.
To request interviews or screeners, contact your SFIFF publicist.
For photos and press materials visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.
55th San Francisco International Film Festival
The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 19–May 3 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the Castro Theatre, SF Film Society Cinema and SFMOMA in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Held each spring for 15 days, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards and $70,000 in cash prizes, upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests and diverse and engaged audiences with more than 70,000 people in attendance.
San Francisco Film Society
Building on a legacy of more than 50 years of bringing the best in world cinema to the Bay Area, the San Francisco Film Society is a national leader in exhibition, education and filmmaker services.
The Film Society presents 365 days of exhibition each year, reaching a total audience of 130,000 people. Its acclaimed education program introduces international, independent and documentary cinema and media literacy to more than 15,000 teachers and students and presents 100 classes and workshops annually. Through Filmmaker360, the Film Society’s filmmaker services program, essential creative and business services and funding totaling millions of dollars are provided to deserving filmmakers of all levels.
The Film Society seeks to elevate all aspects of film culture, offering a wide range of activities that engage emotions, inspire action, change perceptions and advance knowledge. A 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, it is largely donor and member supported. Patronage and membership provides discounted prices, access to grants and residencies, private events and a wealth of other benefits.
For more information visit sffs.org.
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“Pinball wizards, homicidal projectionists and art thieves on the run are only some of the characters you’ll encounter in this year’s Late Show—it’s an exciting and diverse line-up with a special appearance by the Bay Area’s own Peaches Christ,” said Rod Armstrong, programmer for the San Francisco Film Society. “Fans of the section also won’t want to miss Festival offerings in the World Cinema section such as Coppola’s creepy Twixt, the dystopian Russian epic Target and the Hong Kong action spectacle Wu Xia.”
Headhunters, Morten Tyldum (Norway 2011)
An art heist goes terribly wrong in this darkly comic, fast-paced thriller adapted from Jo Nesbø’s bestselling novel and featuring a winning, no-holds-barred performance from Norway’s most popular actor, Aksel Hennie.
Last Screening, Laurent Achard (France 2011)
Don’t look now: Informed that the movie palace where he works will soon be closed, a devoted (but psychopathic) projectionist is driven to homicide. Full of movie references and stylistic homage, this cinephilic horror film is clever, entertaining and suspenseful.
Acid Queens: Peaches & Tommy (USA 1975)
As her very name suggests, midnight movie maven Peaches Christ has a passionate understanding of cinematic religiosity and cult rites. These enthusiasms also run wildly through the outrageous career of Ken Russell (1927–2011), including one of Russell’s greatest commercial successes, the 1975 rock opera Tommy. Ann-Margret, Roger Daltrey and Tina Turner as the Acid Queen are all at the peak of their sex appeal in this musical tale of pinball wizardry and modern idolatry gone mad. For one night only, the Kabuki will be the Church of Ken Russell, and Peaches will be your preacher. A restored print of Tommy screens.
For tickets and information visit festival.sffs.org.
To request interviews or screeners, contact your SFIFF publicist.
For photos and press materials visit sffs.org/pressdownloads.
55th San Francisco International Film Festival
The 55th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 19–May 3 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the Castro Theatre, SF Film Society Cinema and SFMOMA in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Held each spring for 15 days, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in one of the country’s most beautiful cities, featuring 200 films and live events, 14 juried awards and $70,000 in cash prizes, upwards of 100 participating filmmaker guests and diverse and engaged audiences with more than 70,000 people in attendance.
San Francisco Film Society
Building on a legacy of more than 50 years of bringing the best in world cinema to the Bay Area, the San Francisco Film Society is a national leader in exhibition, education and filmmaker services.
The Film Society presents 365 days of exhibition each year, reaching a total audience of 130,000 people. Its acclaimed education program introduces international, independent and documentary cinema and media literacy to more than 15,000 teachers and students and presents 100 classes and workshops annually. Through Filmmaker360, the Film Society’s filmmaker services program, essential creative and business services and funding totaling millions of dollars are provided to deserving filmmakers of all levels.
The Film Society seeks to elevate all aspects of film culture, offering a wide range of activities that engage emotions, inspire action, change perceptions and advance knowledge. A 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, it is largely donor and member supported. Patronage and membership provides discounted prices, access to grants and residencies, private events and a wealth of other benefits.
For more information visit sffs.org.
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