SF International Film Festival Announces 22 Films in Competition
The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival may not begin until April 26 but the films in competition have been announced.
The San Francisco Film Society, purveyor and home of SFIFF, has announced the first 22 films to be screened at the 56th annual festival to be held April 26 through May 9. Ten feature films have been announced, and are all in competition for the New Director’s Prize, a prestige that also comes with $15,000, as well as twelve feature documentaries which are vying for the Golden Gate Award, along with $35,000. Winners will be announced at the yearly Golden Gate Awards on May 8.
The ten feature films hail from twelve countries (a few are co-produced by two countries), with the ten documentaries coming from ten countries. Of particular interest is the debut film of Justine Malle, daughter of the late, great director Louis Malle, Youth, which is a semi-autobiographical tale of a college woman’s sexual coming-of-age, just as her filmmaker father is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Other narrative features, such as Hail, The Foreigner, The Strange Little Cat and Tall as the Baobab Tree will be making their North American or U.S. premieres. The documentaries Chimeras and Rent A Family Inc. will also be making their U.S. premieres.
These are only a fraction of the films that will be playing this year’s festival, so make sure to check back for more news as it comes. In the meantime, head over to the festival’s official site for more information on these films in competition.
