Mill Valley Film Festival 2014

Marin Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to the 37th

MVFF

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

Home, the Ultimate Luxury Address.

Design for Life

Introducing Miele’s new generation of built-in kitchen appliances – products that flawlessly complement one another in terms of form, function and fit. Look for these new models in any of our Standards of Excellence showrooms.

Let the Show Begin

WELCOME. It is an honor for Marin Magazine to partner this year with the California Film Institute and the Mill Valley Film Festival to produce our first-ever MVFF Guide. In these 48 pages we include a bit of practical information about the 37th edition of the famous festival — including a schedule of films and a list of events — and take a deeper look into Marin’s long relationship with the silver screen. Did you know that most of the 1914 silent film Salomy Jane was shot in San Rafael? And while it’s well known that high school dance scenes from George Lucas’ American Graffiti were filmed at Tamalpais High, it is less known that Goldie Hawn drove along Conzelman Road in the opening credits for the 1974 movie Foul Play. We also uncover the inner workings of how films are chosen for MVFF, talk to cofounders Mark Fishkin and Zoë Elton and celebrate the festival’s uncanny knack for debuting Oscar-winning films. Whether you are a seasoned festival-goer or a first-timer, we hope you will enjoy this look at filmmaking and film appreciation in our county.

— Marin Magazine Staff Editors

TABLE OF CONTENTS

8 ROBIN WILLIAMS

A tribute to the actor and comedian.

10 SIX QUESTIONS FOR Meet the producers of Low Down, a film about jazz pianist Joe Albany.

12 A REEL EDUCATION

CFI Education explained through the seven plotlines.

14 HIS & HER STYLE Oscar party fashion.

19 ROAD TO THE OSCARS

The golden man favors films debuting in Marin.

24 MVFF SCHEDULE When and where to see your favorite films.

28 FIVE QUESTIONS FOR Meet director of programming Zoë Elton.

31 MARIN FILM HISTORY

From Salomy Jane to Star Wars and beyond.

34 EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Galas, tributes, movies, hikes and more.

36 MARIN FILMMAKERS

Local artists who create movie magic.

38 LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION Marin is a popular place to make movies.

40 HISTORY OF THEATERS

Film festival venues with storied pasts.

42 TOP 10 FESTS Other great spots to experience movie magic.

44 GETTING PICKED What it takes to get presented.

46 THE FIRST FEST A festival with staying power makes its debut.

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE 37TH MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Wood

Editorial

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mimi Towle

MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Jewett

FASHION EDITOR

Veronica Sooley

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Calin Van Paris

COPY EDITOR

Cynthia Rubin

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Peter Crooks, Marc Hershon, Laura Hilgers, Cynthia Rubin, Calin Van Paris

Art

DESIGNER

Victor Maze

ART DIRECTOR

Veronica Sooley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Alex French

Advertising

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Debra Hershon

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Michele Geoffrion Johnson

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER

Leah Bronson

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Dana Horner

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Matt Clifford

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR

Alex French

Administration/Web

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

Leigh Walker

OFFICE MANAGER/SOCIAL MEDIA

Kirstie A. Martinelli

One Harbor Drive, Suite 208 Sausalito, CA 94965 MARINMAGAZINE.COM

We had the best seats in the house, and I thought to myself: remember this .

Remember that lunch—before it was served—was caught. Planning tomorrow’s memories today. Or, discovering that the best way to see nature is on nature’s terms.

It’s funny; I don’t remember a single thing from our Celebrity cruise—I remember everything.

Announcing our 2015 Alaska cruises on Celebrity Infinity, sailing to and from San Francisco.

CELEBRITY CRUISES IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 37TH MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL. Be sure to stop by our booth to enter for a chance to win a 7-night cruise for two!

©2014 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador.

Ron Yerxa & Albert Berger

BY MARC HERSHON

THE ROLE OF PRODUCER on a film is largely unsung. Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa’s dynamic-duo production team has brought a number of memorable films, including last year’s multiple-Oscarnominated Nebraska, to the screen. Both they and their movies have made the trek to the Mill Valley Film Festival several times in the past. This year they’ll be bringing their new film Low Down, based on Amy Albany’s memoir about her father, jazz pianist Joe Albany.

1

How did you two initially meet? RY: 1982, New Year’s Day, in Chicago at Albert’s parents’ house. Albert was a graduate student at Columbia University and I was a new junior executive at a production company. By 1989, we were ready to go to the Sundance Film Festival together as producers.

2

How did you guys get connected to Low Down, about the life of pianist Joe Albany? AB: We both read the book and got very excited about it. We went to Book Soup (an L.A.-area bookstore), where Amy Albany was reading and convinced her to let us option it.

3

How did you then get Jeff Preiss on board to direct? AB: Amy suggested Jeff. He had shot a documentary, Let’s Get Lost, about Chet Baker.

4

Musicians Anthony Kiedis and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers are on board as executive producers. And Flea is in the movie, too. How did these two get involved? AB: Amy knew Flea from growing up as a kid in Hollywood. And Flea had gotten his start as a jazz trumpet player. Amy very much had in mind that Flea would be wonderful in the part of Hobbs, as well as somebody who might very well

support the movie. Flea said, “If there’s any way I can help beyond acting in the movie, please let me try.” We needed contacts for various music issues or money situations and, every time, Flea came through trying to get this movie made.

5How is the Mill Valley Film Festival experience for you? RY: It’s

great. We’re both big fans of Mill Valley. We’ve known Mark Fishkin for a long time. It also became the premiere location for our movie Election, the year they opened the Rafael Film Center. They closed down the street and we had a tremendous premiere. It’s a great festival that has a community feel but is also very sophisticated.

6 Happy about presenting at the MVFF?

RY: Even though it’s an L.A.-based story, it feels like it will really be great for audiences in Northern California.

AB: This was a project 10 years in the making. The story is very moving and, ultimately, very optimistic. We’re just happy, after such a long time, to be able to share it with everyone. ■

It’s a great festival that has a community feel but is also very sophisticated.

Ron Yerxa (left) and Albert Berger

Argo Slumdog Millionaire The Artist The King’s Speech

5 of the last 6 OSCAR® winners for Best Picture screened right here. Odds are, you could be watching next year’s OSCAR winner right now. Enjoy!

Wells Fargo is proud to sponsor the 37th annual Mill Valley Film Festival.

A Reel Education

Plotting a course to film literacy with Mark Fishkin.

BY MARC HERSHON

AN OLD MAXIM of the screenwriting game states that each story told is based on one of only seven basic plotlines. The secret to entertaining an increasingly savvy audience is to bend, warp and even blend those plots together in new and unexpected ways. Similarly, CFI Education, which, like the Mill Valley Film Festival, is under the umbrella of the California Film Institute, seeks new ways to teach mainly young people to understand and appreciate the art and science of filmmaking.

1 CONQUERING THE MONSTER

PLOT: The hero sets out to defeat an enemy that threatens the hero and his homeland.

CLASSIC: Nicholas Nickleby

RECENT: Star Wars IV: A New Hope

REAL LIFE: In the case of the MVFF, the “monster” could be seen as audiences who are content to watch studio blockbuster films filled with empty characters and hackneyed stories. “Our mission has always been to celebrate and promote film as art and education,” says Mark Fishkin, CFI executive director, and one of the MVFF founders. Education programs began soon after the MVFF began in 1978. “Events like Music and the Movies at The Warfield, a tribute to late concert promoter Bill Graham, or workshops — we did 11 workshops for kids within the first two or three years.”

PLOT: A poor protagonist acquires money, power or a mate, and then loses it all but gets it back once she has learned and grown as a person.

CLASSIC: Cinderella RECENT: Limitless

REAL LIFE: Fishkin relates, “We wanted to do things outside the purview of the festival to expand our base. It was all tied into the fact we knew we wanted to be a yearround organization.” George Lucas funded the first program. “That has since gone on to become CFI Education, which serves about 6,500 kids a year,” says Fishkin. While CFI never “lost it all,” it saw only limited growth at first, but hit its stride after acquiring the Rafael Film Center.

PLOT: The hero and companions journey to locate a valuable object. Along the way they face roadblocks and temptations.

CLASSIC: Jason and the Argonauts RECENT: Lord of the Rings

REAL LIFE: According to Fishkin, the quest for CFI is to safeguard the valued cinematic experiences of the community. “I’ve come up with this phrase for us that people have been using: trusted curator. Based on a 125-word description in a program, people come to see a movie. They trust it’s going to be worthwhile. With the Internet, and blogs, and these kinds of recommendations, it’s even more important that you have a defined taste and perspective.”

4

VOYAGE AND RETURN

PLOT: The hero heads off to a strange land and, after overcoming its challenges, he returns richer for the experience.

CLASSIC: The Odyssey

2 RAGS TO RICHES 3 THE QUEST 5 COMEDY 6 TRAGEDY 7 REBIRTH

PLOT: Two protagonists, destined to be in love, are kept apart by circumstances until the end of the story.

CLASSIC: A Midsummer Night’s Dream RECENT: The Five-Year Engagement

REAL LIFE: My Place/My Story is a program that gives at-risk youth access to digital filmmaking equipment as a way to learn how to tell stories. “One young girl got kicked out of school for taking a knife to class because she was being bullied,” remembers Fishkin. “She made a film about it, they showed it to the administrators, and they let her back in school.” Film educators believe that once kids can learn to tell their stories and understand their world they can never be kept from the good things they want in life.

PLOT: The protagonist is a villain who falls from a position of power, and whose death makes for a satisfying ending.

CLASSIC: Bonnie and Clyde RECENT: Scarface

REAL LIFE: It’s tricky to pull a flawed character off well. It’s the sort of thing that can be learned in programs such as A Place in the World and Future Professionals. Innately embedded in all these programs is a degree of film literacy. It’s “really important now for kids to understand what’s going on because you’re bombarded with images every day,” explains Fishkin. “These programs help them open up to the world and other kids. What they do is break up into small groups to talk about things like what makes a good film.”

RECENT: The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

REAL LIFE: Every year, Fishkin voyages to Midway, Utah, where he serves on the board of the Art House Convergence and brings back ideas to keep CFI sustainable. “More than 450 people representing 700 movie screens,” says Fishkin. Why do these independent operators come together? “It’s about how do you make a sustainable organization? How do you expand your mission? And how do you operate year-round?”

PLOT: A villain or unlikable character is able to redeem him- or herself by the story’s end.

CLASSIC: Beauty and the Beast

RECENT: Ghost Town

REAL LIFE: CFI Education is not all about film; sometimes it's about using the medium to understand broader concepts — maybe even using that understanding to improve the earth. With the Environmental Youth Forum, “we wanted to create something that would work with the schools and have young kids raise their consciousness about what’s going on with the environment,” says Fishkin. “We have people from different environmental organizations there so they can engage with the kids, who can then learn directly about what’s being done on the ground.” ■

Men’s Red Carpet Style

BY

Black tie doesn’t mean boring — flashy accessories will help you stand out among the crowd.

VERONICA SOOLEY

Wool cashmere tuxedo by Brunello Cucinelli, $5,925, at Saks Fifth Avenue (SF), 415.986.4300.

Feather Edge strap belt, $175, at John Varvatos (SF), 415.986.0138.

Ludlow bib tuxedo shirt by Thomas Mason for J.Crew, $168, at J.Crew (Corte Madera), 415.927.2005.

Captoe Derby lace-up shoe, $740, at Salvatore Ferragamo (SF), 415.391.6565.

Tahitian mother-of-pearl cuff links in 18k yellow gold, price upon request, at Kathleen Dughi (Mill Valley), 415.383.0462.

Color Splash tie by Planet Freddo, $55, at macys.com.

Bow tie by Dion, $150, at Gene Hiller (Sausalito), 415.332.3636.

Women’s Red Carpet Style

Glamour and diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

BY VERONICA SOOLEY

Stops Traffic crystal strappy sandal by Stuart Weitzman, $380, at Shoe Stories of Sausalito (Sausalito), 415.332.1662.

Gown by Karen Caldwell, price upon request, at 415.531.6755.

Parentesi 18k white gold bangle with pavé diamonds, $27,200, at Bulgari (SF), 415.399.9141.

Cleo suede and acrylic clutch, $1,225, at Jimmy Choo (SF), 415.391.3300.

Marchesa marquise diamond and 18k white gold necklace, price upon request, at Kathleen Dughi (Mill Valley), 415.383.0462.

Beaded sleeve gown by La Femme, $505, at Saks Fifth Avenue (SF), 415.986.4300.

Jewelry couture bow d’orsay pump by Valentino, $1,095, at Nordstrom (Corte Madera), 415.927.1690.

Black diamond drop earrings set in 22k gold and blackened silver, $9,100, at Alix and Company (Mill Valley), 415.380.0880.

Road to the Oscars

The golden man seems to favor films debuting right here in Marin.

BY CYNTHIA RUBIN

BESIDES INTRODUCING the world to indie treasures like Strictly Ballroom and Stand and Deliver, the Mill Valley Film Festival has a notable Midas touch for picking future Oscar wins. Five of the last six Best Pictures previously showed here, with directors and actors attending, and Variety recently called the festival “a strategic pit stop en route to the Academy Awards.” Indeed, 2013’s Oscar winner, 12 Years a Slave, drew prior festival representation here by director Steve McQueen and actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’o, who won the best supporting actress prize. Here’s a look at the latest finds, in the festival’s famously noncompetitive showcase, that went on to win the industry’s most competitive contest of all.

BEST PICTURE FEATURE FILMS

Slumdog Millionaire, 2008. Also won for best cinematography, director (Danny Boyle), screenplay, editing, original score, sound mixing, song A Mumbai slum boy aces India’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire — only to be arrested and skeptically interrogated for his trouble. Autobiographical flashbacks prove he didn’t cheat. Like its hero, a true sleeper hit, and it won eight Oscars — the most for any movie that year.

The King’s Speech, 2010. Also won for best actor (Colin Firth), director (Tom Hooper), screenplay (David Seidler). Historical drama about England’s stammering King George VI, who, thrust into the throne, engages a speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush) in order to

orate in his new job. Major gig: radio declaration of war on Germany in 1939. Director Hooper appeared at MVFF that year.

The Artist, 2011. Also won for best director (Michel Hazanavicius), best actor (Jean Dujardin), original score, costume design. Silent film star meets ingénue dancer in this French comedy-drama; when the talkies arrive, their career paths diverge. First all-blackand-white Best Picture since The Apartment in 1960.

Argo, 2012. Also won for screenplay (Chris Terrio) and editing. Proving that truth is stranger than a Hollywood science-fiction film, Ben Affleck directed this real-life thriller about a CIA agent posing as

location-scouting movie producer to rescue diplomats in the 1980 hostage crisis in Iran. Tense, even though we kind of know how it ends. Bryan Cranston appeared for the MVFF screening.

12 Years a Slave, 2013. Also for supporting actress (Lupita Nyong’o), screenplay (John

Ridley). Wrenching drama based on a memoir by a free African-American man abducted into slavery in 1841 . His ordeal puts him in the path of plantation owners, overseers and other troubled Southerners (Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender, Paul Dano) before his eventual release.

Lupita Nyong’o appears for 12 Years a Slave

FESTIVAL APPEARANCES BY OSCAR WINNERS

• Geoffrey Rush, Best Actor, Shine, 1996

• Bill Condon, Best Screenplay, Gods and Monsters, 1998

• Forest Whitaker, Best Actor, The Last King of Scotland, 2006

• Helen Mirren, Best Actress, The Queen, 2006

• Tom Hooper, Best Director, The King’s Speech, 2010

• Ang Lee, Best Director, Life of Pi, 2012

• Jared Leto, Best Supporting Actor, Dallas Buyers Club, 2013

• Lupita Nyong’o, Best Supporting Actress, 12 Years a Slave, 2013

AND THE NOMINEES ARE….

Scores of other Mill Valley Film Festival selections later got Oscar nods, in one or more categories. Some of the best-known contenders:

Agnes of God, 1985

Matewan, 1987

The Accused, 1988

Longtime Companion, 1989

Reversal of Fortune, 1990

Short Cuts, 1993

The Piano, 1993

Heavenly Creatures, 1994

Red, 1994

Mighty Aphrodite, 1995

Breaking the Waves, 1996

Secrets and Lies, 1996

Shine, 1996

The Sweet Hereafter, 1997

The Wings of the Dove, 1997

Gods and Monsters, 1998

Little Voice, 1998

Pleasantville, 1998

Snow Falling on Cedars, 1999

Billy Elliot, 2000

Requiem for a Dream, 2000

You Can Count on Me, 2000

Amélie, 2001

In the Bedroom, 2001

Y Tu Mamá También, 2001

City of God, 2002

Frida, 2002

Spellbound, 2002

Girl With a Pearl Earring, 2003

In America, 2003

The Barbarian Invasions, 2003

Finding Neverland, 2004

Pride and Prejudice, 2005

BEST DOCUMENTARIES AND FOREIGN FILMS

IN 2013 THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL held a special tribute to Costa-Gavras, whose 1969 film Z rivaled the best anti-establishment films of its day, including Easy Rider and Midnight Cowboy. That’s fitting, since, as Variety noted, the Greek-born director of political (and Oscar-winning) thrillers is famous for “truly revolutionary” films. Marin’s cutting-edge festival has always proudly presented films that take the bigger worldview — embodied by its issues-oriented Valley of the Docs, World Cinema and Active Cinema programing categories, introduced respectively in 2000, 2001 and 2008. Those films, too, have won Oscars and brought high-profile stars to Marin, including Michael Moore. In a surprise guest appearance and Q&A after 2002’s Bowling for Columbine, Moore used a question from actor Ed Asner as an opportunity to thank him for being the only one to respond — with a check — to early funding pleas for Roger and Me Here are the beyond-Hollywood Oscar winners screened at MVFF:

FOREIGN FILMS:

• Cinema Paradiso, 1988

• No Man’s Land, 2001

• The Barbarian Invasions, 2003

• Amour, 2012

DOCUMENTARIES :

• Common Threads: Stories From the Quilt, 1989

• Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport, 2000

• Bowling for Columbine, 2002

• Born Into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids, 2004

Transamerica, 2005

Babel, 2006

The Queen, 2006

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 2007

Gone Baby Gone, 2007

I’m Not There, 2007

Into the Wild, 2007

Michael Clayton, 2007

Happy-Go-Lucky, 2008

Precious, 2009

Up in the Air, 2009

Blue Valentine, 2010

Margin Call, 2011

My Week With Marilyn, 2011

Life of Pi, 2012

Silver Linings Playbook, 2012

12 Years a Slave, 2013

August: Osage County, 2013

Nebraska, 2013

Philomena, 2013

Helen Mirren shares a laugh with Mark Fishkin. She later took home a Best Actress award for The Queen.

Ang Lee went on to win Best Director for Life of Pi.

Jared Leto discusses Dallas Buyers Club.

TH I N K S T R AT EGIC & P R OACTIV E

Think Zephyr.

Highly competitive and famously complex, the San Francisco real estate market can be both challenging and rewarding. Zephyr turns savvy, informed Bay Area urbanites into successful homeowners, investors and sellers

ZephyrSF.com

Do you know where your food comes from? Tyler thayer, of aim farmers markets, does.

Imagine setting foot on every farm that feeds you. More specifically, visiting the 230 farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and dairy producers of the Marin Farmers Markets on their home turf. Sounds like quite an endeavor, right? Exciting, educational and . . . time intensive. That’s where Tyler comes in. Since AIM launched its Farm Audit Program in 2010, Tyler and his team have done just that. Check √.

Why? Because the foundation of any farmers market community is trust. In 2010, NBC did an undercover investigation of farmers markets in Southern California and revealed that some vendors had been lying to customers, selling produce they had not grown themselves. The proverb “one bad apple spoils the barrel” rang true, and public trust in farmers markets took a hit.

In an effort to be proactive in ensuring the integrity of our own farmers markets, AIM created the Farm Audit Program. The goal is to verify that all the goods brought to market by the producer are indeed being grown, raised, fished, and cultured by that same producer. This helps guarantee that AIM’s farmers markets are transparent, fair, and trustworthy, in addition to being fresh, local, and delicious.

Starting this fall, you will notice the new green “AIM Checked” signs displayed at AIM’s farmers markets, signifying that the vendor has been verified by our Farm Audit Program. To learn more about the people and programs that support the Marin Farmers Markets, visit agriculturalinstitute.org.

Photo by Gary Yost

Festival At a Glance

Festival At a Glance

mvff.com | 877.874.MVFF (6833)

BOX OFFICES

SAN RAFAEL

Smith Rafael Film Center 1112 Fourth Street

Sept. 7 2:00 – 6:00 (Premier Patron and above)

Sept. 8 5:00 – 9:00 (Directors Circle and above)

Sept. 9 5:00 – 9:00 (Gold Star and above)

Sept. 11 5:00 – 9:00 (All CFI Members)

Sept. 14 – 29, 5:00 – 9:00 (General Public)

1020 B Street

September 30 – October 12:

10:00 to 15 minutes after last show starts

MILL VALLEY

ROOM Art Gallery 86 Throckmorton Avenue

September 14 – 30, 11:00 – 3:00

Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center 85 Throckmorton Ave.

October 1, 11:00 – 3:00

October 2 – 12, 10:00 to 15 minutes after last show starts

CORTE MADERA

Microsoft Store The Village at Corte Madera, 1640 Redwood Highway

September 14 – 30, 3:00 – 7:00

Other venues with on-site box offices, including: Corte Madera Cinema, Lark Theater, Throckmorton, open one hour before first screening of the day

Zoë Elton

BY MARC HERSHON

FOR M

ILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL director of programming

Zoë Elton has been with the event since its beginning in 1978. Originally from England, Elton took a year off to visit America, where her goal was to hitchhike from San Francisco to New York. Since her arrival in the United States, she has traveled thousands of miles to film festivals all around the world, including Cannes, Berlin and Venice, in her search for selections to premiere in Mill Valley. She has yet to embark on her hitchhiking adventure.

1

What was your involvement in the Mill Valley Film Festival in the beginning? I was in charge of what became the Videofest. That was in the first year of the festival — it’s amazing to look back at those first three days. You can see the nuggets, the little seeds, that have grown into a much different kind of oak tree at this point.

Area. That’s part of our mission. There’s an energy that a film festival can help create for a filmmaker. It’s the energy of connecting with an audience.

3

How vital is it to you that the MVFF gets to be the one to premiere a movie? It’s pretty important, as part of our mandate has always been to introduce films to the San Francisco Bay

2

Are there times in the process where there are surprising highs? Something like that happens every year. Last year was a real standout year for me with 12 Years A Slave When we see films, it’s before anyone else has seen them. There are no reviews. There is nothing to affect your relationship to it. So when we previewed 12 Years A Slave , I felt it was a game changer.

4

The MVFF is a noncompetitive festival — there are no awards, or winning and losing. What’s the response from filmmakers to that approach?

Getting recognition is super-important. We hope that having the Mill Valley stamp of approval helps in

recognition. Getting awards is a whole other thing. We are recognizing great work.

5

How does that recognition manifest itself?

As soon as we see a film, the conversation begins, and it’s a conversation that continues onstage

with the filmmakers. The conversation is the important thing, not the awards. It’s a viral thing, spreading the nature of what the work is about and the passion of the work. The truth of what the work is about — through every person who engages with it. ■

There’s an energy that a film festival can help create for a filmmaker. It’s the energy of connecting with an audience.

You Ought to Be in Pictures

Exploring Marin’s rich cinematic history.

BY PETER CROOKS

THE MOVIE’S FIRST SHOT IS tightly focused on the base of an enormous Sequoia sempervirens, the type of redwood found in Muir Woods. An actress emerges from a large crack in the massive tree’s interior, then approaches the camera. The film cuts to a long shot of the actress standing at the base of the tree, and the camera slowly pans up to show the massive height of the redwood from base to tip, then slowly pans down again. This shot lasts well over a minute.

“It’s one of my favorite shots in the film. If you think about it, this is how many people around the world saw a redwood tree for the first time,” says Laurie Thompson, librarian in the Anne T. Kent California Room at the Marin Country Free Library. “Salomy Jane was distributed around the

world, so audiences in New York, or even Australia, who watched the film saw footage from California that had never been seen by most of the world.”

Australia is an important reference, because the only existing six-reel print of Salomy Jane was discovered in a film vault Down Under about 15 years ago. The feature-length film was quickly shipped to the U.S. Library of Congress for restoration, and it has been preserved in both celluloid and digital formats. Thompson has hosted two screenings over the past few years.

“The audience was very enthusiastic; both screenings sold out,” Thompson says. “There’s a stagecoach chase along Fairfax-Bolinas Road and other scenes featuring recognizable locations. It was quite an experience to see these up on the big screen.”

Salomy Jane was the first production of the wildly ambitious California Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC), a silent film studio that set up shop in San Rafael in 1914. The production studio, founded by a group of wealthy investors, had a stated mission to create films that showed the world life in the West. George Middleton, a Peninsula-raised man with a background in advertising and auto sales, was both a founder of the company and the director of Salomy Jane and the studio’s other pictures. His wife, actress Beatriz Michelena, was the studio’s star — she played Salomy Jane.

According to a March 20, 1914, issue of the Marin Journal, the studio’s founders (who included Henry T. Scott, president of the Mercantile National Bank, and Charles Templeton Crocker, director of Crocker National Bank) scoured the state for an ideal location and settled on San Rafael.

“The choice of San Rafael as a studio site was made after the producers had searched all the more attractive spots in California,” the Journal’s article said. “Arthur Cadwell, who helped develop the technical end of the motion picture industry in this country after a long schooling in France and who is chief of

Peters and Michelena in Salomy Jane. Scene filmed at Lake Lagunitas.

Beatriz Michelena, Matt Snyder and William Nigh in Salomy Jane.

House Peters in 1914’s Salomy Jane.

this department for the California Motion Picture Corporation, declares the light and atmospheric conditions at San Rafael ideal for camera work. Scenic advantages were also influential in determining the new firm to locate in Marin County.”

The CMPC built an elaborate western set, known as Hangtown, located near Lagunitas, and a state-of-the-art glass production studio in San Rafael. Sadly, the company ran out of cash and shut down by 1921. In a fire thought to be caused by kids playing with fireworks, a storage facility housing much of California Motion Picture Corporation’s film stock burned to the ground in 1931.

Salomy Jane was not the first film from Marin County, nor was the CMPC the area’s first production studio. Thomas Edison had shot footage of Mount

Tamalpais as early as 1898, and the Edison Electric Theater was showing short films on Fourth Street in San Rafael by 1903.

The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company, producer of the popular “Broncho Billy” short films, set up shop in San Rafael in 1911 for less than a year before relocating to the East Bay town of Niles — where the studio hired a young actor/director named Charlie Chaplin to film his breakthrough 1921 movie, The Kid.

During the next half-century, the film business burrowed itself into the Hollywood system. Occasionally, Hollywood would come to Marin County to film on location — Humphrey Bogart shot at San Quentin for both San Quentin (1937) and Dark Passage (1947), John Wayne came to Belvedere Island and San Rafael for Blood Alley (1955) and Alfred Hitchcock came to Muir Woods to shoot scenes for Vertigo (1958) and to Bodega Bay for The Birds (1963).

But for the most part, Hollywood soundstages were suitable for moviemaking, and the filmmaking industry in the North Bay was nonexistent. That is, until the California contingent of the great maverick directors of the late 1960s came along. This movement, which included Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, was led by energetic and talented young filmmakers (Steven Spielberg

and Martin Scorsese were also among them) who did not want to make the safe and predictable movies the Hollywood studio system had been cranking out.

In 1969, Coppola and Lucas formed American Zoetrope, an independent film studio based in San Francisco. The company’s first two movies were Coppola’s acclaimed 1969 drama The Rain People and Lucas’ first feature, THX-1138.

Lucas filmed scenes from THX-1138, a thriller set in a sterile, dystopian future, in the Marin County Civic Center. (The Frank Lloyd Wright building was also featured prominently and for futuristic effect in the 1997 film Gattaca.)

THX-1138 was a flop, but Lucas’ follow-up wasn’t — in 1973, he cowrote and directed the smash American Graffiti. Coppola produced the film, which earned five Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay.

Lucas’ coming-of-age classic was a reflection on the filmmaker’s teen years in Modesto. But Lucas, then living in Mill Valley, wanted to shoot the film in the North Bay, preferably San Rafael.

“We started filming in San Rafael, but a bar owner complained that all the film trucks and equipment were bothering his customers,” says Candy Clark, who was

Three-day festival debuts, with folding chairs, at Oddfellows Hall.

Event moves to Sequoia Theater.

Videofest shows electronic Coppola work — the digital cinema age begins.

Bill Graham tribute attracts Jerry Garcia and Carlos Santana; premiere of John Sayles’ The Brother From Another Planet

Birth of “summer blockbuster” (Star Wars, Jaws) prompts gradual festival reschedule to fall.

Festival is now an 11day event.

Rafael Film Center added as a venue.

Valley of the Doc(umentarie)s category introduced.

Arthur Cadwell, who helped develop the technical end of the motion picture industry in this country, declared the light and atmospheric conditions at San Rafael ideal for camera work.

Kim Novak stands under the Golden Gate Bridge in 1958’s Vertigo

nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her work in American Graffiti. “So we packed up and moved the production to Petaluma.”

Petaluma, more receptive than San Rafael, welcomed the film crew to come shoot every night for a month. When American Graffiti hit theaters it was a box office hit, surprising the Southern California studio that had put up the film’s modest budget.

“Universal thought the movie was only going to play at drive-in theaters,” says Clark, laughing. “They even hated the title and wanted to change it. I remember Francis coming to the set and asking if we liked the title Rock Around the Block more than American Graffiti. I said, ‘Don’t you dare call it Rock Around the Block!’ ”

The success of American Graffiti was followed by Lucas’ best-known brand — and a seismic shift in contemporary movies. After Graffiti, he holed up in a house in San Anselmo, working on a screenplay for Star Wars. Lucas’ space opera was both a nostalgic nod to the Flash Gordon serials, westerns and samurai films and a quantum leap forward in the possibilities of visual effects and sound design.

When Star Wars hit theaters in May 1977, it became the most successful movie of all time, breaking the box office record set by Spielberg’s Jaws two years earlier. Thanks to a brilliant business move, Lucas retained the merchandising rights to all things Star Wars — so while the film studio 20th Century Fox kept the money earned from ticket sales, Lucas cleaned up on T-shirts, lunch boxes and action figures.

the ultimate production house in what is now known as Skywalker Ranch. This 4,000-acre paradise became home to Lucas’ special-effects studio Industrial Light and Magic, as well as Skywalker Sound and various other high-tech setups. Filmmakers from around the world use the facilities for all stages of production.

Over the past four decades, the worldwide cinematic impact of Skywalker Ranch has been staggering. In addition to the Star Wars films, Lucas’ production studios have performed digital sorcery on countless movies, including the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, the liquid-metal T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and every flying Quidditch broom in Harry Potter. Even the massively successful Pixar Animation Studios began as part of

George Lucas in front of Mel’s Drive-in during the filming of 1973’s American Graffiti.

Industrial Light and Magic, when Pixar founder John Lasseter oversaw a breakthrough computer-generated imagery sequence in the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes. Pixar was sold in 1986 and relocated (as did Essanay Studios) to the East Bay, eventually settling in Emeryville.

In 2012, Lucas sold his Star Wars franchise to Disney for a reported sum of just over $4 billion. In addition to his artistic and technological achievements, Lucas has made remarkable efforts as an educational philanthropist.

Skywalker Ranch, that magical and creative playground, remains Lucas’ home. It is also one of the world’s cinematic wonders. The founders of the California Motion Picture Corporation would be proud. ■

As Lucas started production on his Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, he began purchasing parcels of land near Nicasio and developing both his home and

Jared Leto honored for Dallas Buyers Club; sends MVFF staff two-dozen thankyou Cronuts next day. MPTVIMAGES.COM

Jonathan Winters tribute includes surprise visit by Robin Williams.

Sequoia’s roof caves; temporary move to Regency.

Audience Awards launched; Claire Danes attends for Shopgirl, Jeff Daniels for The Squid and the Whale

Ang Lee receives the first Mill Valley Film Festival Award. Lee’s Lust, Caution shows opening night.

Festival hit Slumdog Millionaire wins multiple Oscars; closing-night Hornblower party witnesses Angel Island on fire.

Tributes to Uma Thurman, Woody Harrelson, Clive Owen.

Dustin Hoffman, Ben Affleck, Allison Anders, Bradley Cooper attend. 2001 2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013

PHOTO CREDIT

Event Highlights

Where

to go and what to do to make sure you have the ultimate MVFF experience.

THE 11-DAY EVENT offers much more than just movies and popcorn. Check out these event highlights and mark your calendar to enjoy galas, tribute parties, movies, hikes and more. For more details go to mvff.com.

Opening Night Gala

Oct. 2, 9:30 p.m.–midnight, Town Center, Corte Madera

Kick off the festival with food, drink and live music.

COST: $125 general, $110

CFI members FILMS: The Homesman and Men, Women & Children

Active Cinema Nature Hike October 4, 10:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Tennessee Valley Trailhead, Mill Valley John festival staff and guests as they discuss filmmaking ideas, resources and strategies for action on this hour-long hike. Don’t forget your water and sunblock. COST: Free

Last year’s closing night party featured a screening of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and included a visit from Ben Stiller.

Spotlight: Elle Fanning

October 4, 7 p.m., Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael

Enjoy a Spotlight program featuring a conversation with Elle Fanning and a screening of Low Down. Fanning will be presented with the MVFF Award, designed by Mill Valley artist Alice Corning. Swing by Il Fornaio in Corte Madera after the program. COST FOR PROGRAM AND PARTY: $85 general, $75 CFI members

COST FOR PROGRAM ONLY: $45 general, $40 CFI members

3 Still Standing — Onstage!

October 4, 8 p.m., 142 Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley

This live comedy event follows the world premiere of the film 3 Still Standing Performers include Will Durst, Larry “Bubbles”

Brown, Johnny Steele and special guests. COST: $45 general, $40 CFI members

Special Screening

October 5, 5 p.m., Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael

MVFF is proud to honor the contributions of renowned filmmaker Wayne Wang and the subject of his new film, culinary artist Cecilia Chiang, with this onstage conversation and screening of Soul of a Banquet Following the program head to Cavallo Point in Sausalito.

COST FOR PROGRAM AND PARTY: $85 general, $75 CFI members COST FOR PROGRAM ONLY: $45 general, $40 CFI members

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

October 6, 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Century Cinema, Corte Madera

Dust off your light saber and join MVFF in celebrating Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen. Skywalker Sound veterans Matthew Wood and David Acord will discuss the sounds of the Star Wars universe.

COST: $15 general, $14 CFI members, $10 children

A Musical Celebration of JACO

October 6, 9 p.m., Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley MVFF and Steep Productions present a musical celebration honoring the pioneering jazz musician Jaco Pastorius and the work-in-progress screening of JACO. This evening features numerous performers and benefits the California Film Institute.

COST: $150 (available at sweet watermusichall.com; festival badges not valid)

The Art of Amazing 4K Showcase

October 9, 7 p.m., CineArts at Sequoia, Mill Valley

Sharp’s Art of Amazing 4K Film Competition, which asks filmmakers to highlight the benefits of ultra-high-resolution entertainment through compelling short 4K films, will culminate with a screening at MVFF. COST: Free, but ticket required

Closing Night Party

October 12, 7:30–10 p.m., Elks Lodge, San Rafael

Immediately following the screening, celebrate the culmination of the 37th MVFF with live music, food and cocktails at the Elks Lodge.

COST FOR PROGRAM

AND PARTY: $85 general, $75 CFI members

FILM CURRENTLY

SCHEDULED: Wild

DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

Marin’s Filmmaker Hall of Fame

Local residents who create movie magic on their home turf.

BY LAURA HILGERS

FILMMAKER DESCRIPTION OF FILMS

Do you need to ask?

Lucas has created action-packed American classic franchises such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones.

LAST FIVE FILMS

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Red Tails

TOP THREE ALL-TIME FILMS

American Graffiti

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Raiders of the Lost Ark

One of Pixar’s go-to guys and the director of fun animated kids’ films.

The Iron Giant

The Incredibles

Jack-Jack Attack (a short)

Ratatouille

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol

Chicken Run

The Iron Giant

The Incredibles

Ratatouille

Pixar’s first female director has worked on or created many of Disney’s and Pixar’s top films.

With nine Oscars to his name, Muren has created stunning visual effects for the films of Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and George Lucas.

Stanton helped put Pixar on the map, directing or teaming with other artists to create many of its most memorable films.

The Road to El Dorado

Cars Up Brave

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Hulk

War of the Worlds

Paranormal Activity

Super 8

Finding Nemo

WALL-E

Toy Story 3

John Carter

Party Central (a short)

The Lion King Up

Brave

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Jurassic Park Monsters, Inc.

Finding Nemo

WALL-E

Lima has directed quintessential Disney films and designed the characters for movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast

Tarzan

102 Dalmations

Eloise at the Plaza

Eloise at Christmastime

Enchanted

The Jungle Book

102 Dalmations

Enchanted

GEORGE LUCAS Director, Screenwriter, Producer

BRAD BIRD Director, Screenwriter

BRENDA CHAPMAN Director, Screenwriter, Storyboard Artist

DENNIS MUREN Visual Effects Artist

ANDREW STANTON Director, Producer, Screenwriter

KEVIN LIMA Director, Animator

*Am. Leather* Marin Mag Mill Valley Film Festival Ad 2014.pdf 6 9/4/14 3:41 PM

Location, Location, Location

Want to see Marin County on screen? Check out these classics.

BY PETER CROOKS

HOLLYWOOD HAS HEADED north many times. Whether it’s a trip through the Waldo Tunnel to show travel to S.F. or a futuristic ape colony in the forests of Mount Tamalpais, Marin has always been more than ready for its close-up. Queue this lineup of movies that were filmed right here.

DARK PASSAGE (1947)

Bogart and Bacall’s third film was this Bay Area–based thriller with scenes shot in Fort Baker’s Waldo Tunnel and San Quentin State Prison.

EXPERIMENT IN TERROR (1962) Director Blake Edwards’ film noir thriller features Bay Area locations like the Marin Town and Country Club’s swimming pool in Fairfax and San Francisco’s soon-to-beextinct Candlestick Park.

THE BIRDS (1963) Alfred Hitchcock’s last great movie would be a postcard-pretty

visual love letter to Sonoma County’s Bodega Bay, were it not for the flock of murderous crows. The schoolhouse, scene of a particularly tense sequence, is still intact and sells Birds memorabilia in the gift shop.

DIRTY HARRY (1971) Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry was a San Francisco cop, but much of the action occurred in the North Bay, with memorable scenes shot in the Waldo Tunnel, a rock quarry in Larkspur, some military bunkers in the Marin Headlands and picturesque Mill Valley.

FOUL PLAY (1978) Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn shared a charming chemistry in this film. There’s an openingcredits drive along Conzelman Road (set to Barry Manilow’s “Ready to Take a Chance Again”), and Chase’s bachelor pad is a houseboat in Sausalito.

THE FOG (1980) Cult director John Carpenter created one of the most successful horror films ever made. The film is a virtual travelogue of coastal North Bay locations, with Point Reyes and its fog-engulfed lighthouse being the spookiest.

INDIANA JONES Trilogy (1981–1989) Indiana Jones was known for globe-trotting, but the hero of director Steven Spielberg’s adventure films has plenty of ties to Marin. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indy’s house was in San Anselmo, near Drake High School. The

sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, used Novato’s Hamilton Air Force Base as a Shanghai airport.

RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) That awesome speedy bike chase through the forests of Endor? A redwood grove near Skywalker Ranch.

BLUE JASMINE (2013) Cate Blanchett won an Oscar for her performance, but scenes shot along Britton Avenue in Belvedere, as well as locations in Larkspur and Tiburon, could have been nominated for Best Supporting Background.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2014) In this summer’s smash sequel, a tribe of quickly evolving primates have turned Mount Tamalpais into an eco-friendly communal living compound ■

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (left) and Dirty Harry both include scenes filmed in the Bay Area.

Watch for our week-long 20th anniversary celebration kicking off with Downton Abbey’s Mrs. Patmore, Lesley Nicol, on November 29th!

80 Throckmorton Ave | Mill Valley, Ca 94941 415 . 388 . 8776 | www.sofiajewelry.com

JUNE 6, 2015 IN CONCERT

Your Marin Symphony’s Love it LIVE! season finale takes you out of this world to a place where no orchestra has gone before. We’re honored to bring the world premiere of Star Trek in Concert to our stage, in our community of Marin. This exciting multimedia, multi-sensory experience will totally immerse you into the music of Star Trek—spanning decades of movies and TV—loved by generations of fans. Tickets are on sale now. Call 415.473.6800 or order online.

M S

MARIN SYMPHONY

ALASDAIR NEALE | MUSIC DIRECTOR

marinsymphony.org

Mill Valley’s destination jewelry store since 1994.

Local Theater History

Like film itself, these venues share a storied past.

BY CALIN VAN PARIS

AUDIENCES FLOCK TO the Mill Valley Film Festival

to see incredible stories come alive on the big screen — but did you know that the theaters that house the films have equally compelling tales to tell? Here are some fun facts about the spaces that will showcase must-see movies throughout the festival.

Corte Madera

CENTURY CINEMA CORTE MADERA

A county favorite for its one-movie-at-atime mentality, the 800-seat Corte Madera theater features a giant screen and high-quality sound good enough for George Lucas to occasionally hold screenings there. 41 Tamal Vista Boulevard, 415.924.6505, cinemark.com

Larkspur

LARK THEATER Always a center of entertainment, the Lark Theater was built on top of a horseshoe pit. The art deco–style theater opened in 1940 and has functioned as both a movie theater and an arts venue over the years. The building lost its luster in the 1990s and was slated for demolition in 2003, but the community rallied to launch the “Save the Lark” campaign, which succeeded in bringing the iconic theater back to life. The Lark is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a winner of the Art Deco Society Preservation Award. 549 Magnolia Avenue, 415.924.5111, larktheater.net

Mill Valley

142 THROCKMORTON THEATRE

Initially called the Hub Theatre, 142 Throckmorton is one of Marin’s oldest — it celebrated a centennial this year. Back in 1914, the Hub played host to silent films starring actors like Charlie Chaplin; this year, MVFF will screen a variety of pictures in the historic venue. 142 Throckmorton Avenue, 415.383.9600, throckmortontheatre.org

CINEARTS @ SEQUOIA The Sequoia, another downtown Mill Valley gem, opened in 1929 as a mecca for lovers of silent films, talkies and live performances. The theater was such a success, in fact, that it put the Hub out of the movie business. In 1975 the theater was “twinned” or split into two theaters, but the exterior design remained — and continues to remain — faithful to the original vision. 25 Throckmorton Avenue, 415.388.1190, cinemark.com

San Rafael

CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER Founded in 1920 as the Orpheus, the Smith Rafael Film Center was birthed from a fire, which forced the closure of the original theater in 1937. When the doors opened again in 1938, the space was called the Rafael. After the Loma Prieta earthquake rocked the foundation in 1989, the San Rafael Redevelopment Agency and the Film Institute of Northern California (now the California Film Institute) teamed up to rebuild the theater. Planning and construction took six years (1993–1998), but in 1999 the Rafael Film Center was, once again, open for business. The theater elongated its moniker to the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in 2003 — Smith, a Tiburon philanthropist, donated $500,000 to the film center in 2000. These days, the Smith Rafael shows a variety of award-worthy films and recordings of live performances from across the pond (think Royal Shakespeare Company) and serves as base camp for the Mill Valley Film Festival. 1001 Lootens Place, 415.454.1222, cafilm.org ■

From top to bottom: The Lark Theater in 1946; the Sequoia in the 1950s; the Rafael in the 1940s.

Step

OctO ber 18, 2014–JA nuA ry 18, 2015

Legion of Honor

Lincoln Park • legionofhonor.org

10 Best Fests

How MVFF stacks up to festivals near and far.

BY PETER CROOKS

SINCE ITS INCEPTION in 1978, the Mill Valley Film Festival has been delighting movie lovers from all over. But if 11 days of cinematic celebration aren’t enough for you, don’t worry: There’s a whole world of great film festivals. Here are 10 fests — some requiring a passport to get to; others, just bridge toll — to check out between now and next year’s MVFF.

1. Sundance Film Festival

WHEN: Mid-January WHY: Launched in 1978, Sundance is the best-known independent festival in the country. Held in charming Park City, Utah, this is the event when film lovers meet the new mavericks of the medium. Consider the talent Sundance has launched: Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell,

Steven Soderbergh and Paul Thomas Anderson each premiered breakthrough films here. sundance.org

2. Noir City San Francisco

WHEN: Late January/early February WHY: Most film festivals showcase new works; Noir City San Francisco showcases and preserves the black-and-white world of

Hollywood’s film noir movement of the 1930s–1950s. Nightclub parties and tours of the city’s great noir locations complement the 10-day fest. noircity.com

3. Berlin International Film Festival

WHEN: February WHY: The first big overseas fest of

the year is in West Berlin, where filmmakers have competed annually for the Golden Bear award since 1951. Said to be the largest publicly attended festival in the world, Berlin is great fun for film buffs, but it’s also a vital trade show for the European film market. berlinale.de

4. South By Southwest Film Conference and Festival

WHEN: March WHY: This young whippersnapper, launched in 1987, has become one of the most entertaining fests in America thanks to the Keep Austin Weird vibe it projects. The “Film Conference” part of the name is important — great effort is put into the interactive panels and Q&As. sxsw.com/film

5. Tribeca Film Festival

WHEN: Mid-April WHY: The first Tribeca premiered in lower Manhattan in 2002, just months after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Founders Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal have been lauded as some of the world’s most influential

drew millions of visitors to New York in its first decade. tribecafilmfestival.org

6. Festival de Cannes

WHEN: Mid-May WHY: The granddaddy of film fests, set along the elegant French Riviera, Cannes is an international showcase of cinema greatness. The festival’s biggest prize, the Palme d’Or, has gone to such controversial and edgy films as Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 festival-cannes.fr/en.html

7. Venice Film Festival

WHEN: Late August WHY: The 71-year-old fest in Italy’s sinking city is as romantic an experience as a film buff could hope for. Screenings are held in elegant venues, such as the Palazzo del Cinema,

with audiences of up to 1,300. Along with Toronto, this is a great place to see next year’s Oscar bait early. labiennale.org/en/cinema

8. Telluride Film Festival

WHEN: Labor Day weekend, late August/early September

WHY: Telluride has been around just a few more years than MVFF. The fest has a solid tradition of getting first crack at screenings — David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, Neil Jordan’s The Crying Game and Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain all premiered in this Rocky Mountain town. telluridefilmfestival.org

9. Toronto International Film Festival

WHEN: September WHY: Hollywood producers know that if their film is going to win an Academy Award, the

road probably goes through Toronto — this 38-year-old fest has become the goodluck charm for Oscar. Recent Best Picture winners 12 Years a Slave, Argo, The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire each had early screenings here. tiff.net

10. Napa Valley Film Festival

WHEN: November WHY: The youngest on this list, Napa Valley’s festival is just four years old, but it hit the ground running in 2010, as founders Marc and Brenda Lhormer had plenty of experience running the Sonoma International Film Festival. Screenings are held in a range of wine country venues, from Napa’s historic Opera House and St. Helena’s charming Cameo Cinema to more offbeat settings like wine caves. napavalleyfilmfest.org ■

Getting Picked

Many obstacles await those aiming for the big screen.

BY MARC HERSHON

THE JOURNEY from a filmmaker’s imagination to being presented at the Mill Valley Film Festival is not an easy one. According to Zoë Elton, the festival’s director of programming, there is a general call for entries beginning in the early spring, which usually runs up until June. (This year’s entry period was extended until July to accommodate the largest number of entries for the festival to date.)

“A lot of filmmakers these days use a website called withoutabox.com,” Elton says about the submission process. “Other people will come to us by going to our website and finding the information there, filling out forms and sending their movie in.”

Aside from the general entry films, there are a number of applicants, particularly those coming through studios, distributors and filmmakers, who have a relationship with the festival due to past presentations and are invited to participate without going through the festival’s screening process. That screening process is quite rigorous and is something that every general-entry film must face.

The MVFF’s screening committees are composed of film professionals. “The films are looked

at by people working in the film industry — filmmakers, or writers or critics,” Elton says. “They make recommendations to the programming team. The programming team then reviews the films that have been most highly recommended.” After looking at all the films deemed worthy of consideration, the programming team evaluates them in terms of several other criteria:

• Are there films in the running that could be seen as important films?

• Will the film connect or speak to the MVFF audience?

• Do the final films selected create a balanced program — in terms of demographics, countries represented and different sensibilities?

All in all, almost 2,000 films were considered and are in the MVFF database this year, roughly half of those being from the call for entries. From that figure, the festival will feature between 150 to 170 movies, including shorts, documentaries and feature films, which will be divided into about 100 programs. ■

The screening process is quite rigorous and is something that every generalentry film must face.

The First Fest

BY MARC HERSHON

WHEN THE MILL VALLEY FILM Festival started in August 1978, it was happening at the tail end of what author Tom Wolfe dubbed “the Me Decade,” celebrating “the much dreamed-of combination of money, free time and personal freedom.” Jimmy Carter’s third year as president was marked by efforts to negotiate peace between Israel and Egypt. Steve Martin’s novelty song “King Tut” hit No. 20 on Billboard ’s Hot 100. Roller disco was becoming a national fad, helped no doubt by the fact the Bee Gees–laden sound track for Saturday Night Fever was the No. 1 album for 24 weeks.

Also in 1978, National Lampoon’s Animal House touched off a craze of toga parties on college campuses nationwide. Other films that were grabbing ticket sales: Grease, Superman, The Deer Hunter, Halloween, Midnight Express and I Spit on Your Grave. Most were a far cry from the fare nascent festival director Mark Fishkin showed first-time festival attendees during the initial three-day

event. They saw Francis Ford Coppola’s The Rain People, Oscar-winning documentary Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? and a tribute to filmmaker/poet James Broughton, dubbed “grand master of independent cinema.”

At home, audiences were tuning in to the debuts of TV series Fantasy Island, Dallas and Taxi. The MVFF had video, too, that first year, showing five selections in its “What’s New in Video” series, which included Rio, “an unusual concept in record promotion utilizing a startling array of video special effects,” produced and directed by Michael Nesmith, who’d found fame as a member of TV’s The Monkees

The Mill Valley Film Festival closed out its program that year on Sunday with a movie from 1972, The Candidate, starring Robert Redford and directed by Michael Ritchie. It was immediately followed by Electric Flag, a documentary about the making of The Candidate, directed by John Korty. The first festival then ended. And a tradition had begun. ■

were a far cry from the fare nascent festival director Mark Fishkin showed firsttime festival attendees during the initial threeday event.

The decade that gave birth to disco also introduced a movie event with staying power.