Mill Valley Film Festival 2019

MVFF Marin Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to the 42nd

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Welcome

MARIN MAGAZINE

MVFF

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE 42ND MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

Roll Film It’s our sixth year of partnering with the California Film Institute and the Mill Valley Film Festival, and we are pleased to present this guide to the event and whet your appetite for thrilling cinema. In these pages, founder/executive director Mark Fishkin talks about the festival programmers’ knack for picking Oscar-winning films, and director of programming Zoë Elton discusses the Mind the Gap program, which is amplifying the voices of female filmmakers.

Our writers Bernard Boo, Zack Ruskin, Peter Crooks and Kirsten Jones Neff bring stories on cinematic remakes, the year 1969 in film, what (and who) it takes to put the festival together, and the 20th anniversary of the renovated Rafael theater. There’s also an intriguing piece on longtime Hollywood actor Barbara Rush, a challenging quiz and, of course, a complete schedule listing every film being screened at the event. We hope you enjoy this guide to the festival’s 42nd year.

— marin magazine staff editors

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Wood

Editorial EDITOR

Mimi Towle MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Jewett ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kasia Pawlowska COPY EDITOR

Cynthia Rubin ASSISTANT EDITOR

Christina Mueller DIGITAL EDITOR

Jessica Gliddon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bernard Boo, Peter Crooks, Kirsten Jones Neff, Zack Ruskin

Art ART DIRECTOR

Rachel Griffiths PRODUCTION MANAGER

Alex French

Advertising ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Debra Hershon ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Michele Geoffrion Johnson

Contents 8 CONTRIBUTORS The writers who helped make this guide a success.

20 FOOD AND FILM Local dishes to pair with your film.

26 MVFF SCHEDULE It’s quite 10 SPOTLIGHT An interview with screen legend Barbara Rush.

a lineup: when and where to see this year’s films.

31 TURNING POINT Film hit its 14 REDUX When it comes to film,

stride in magical 1969.

is first always best?

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS

38 MIND THE GAP Putting a spotlight on female filmmakers.

42 LOCAL TALENT Neighborhood creatives show their best.

44 STARGAZING Actors and filmmakers love the MVFF spotlight and red carpet.

Leah Bronson Lesley Cesare ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR

Alex French

Administration/Web OFFICE MANAGER

Hazel Jaramillo

34 MOVIE QUIZ How many Bay 16 SILVER SCREEN The Rafael

Area actors do you know?

Theater celebrates 20 years.

36 BEHIND THE CURTAIN Meet 18 SOLID GOLD Behind the festival’s impressive Oscar record.

the team and learn what it takes to make the MVFF happen.

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Contributors Peter Crooks Flashback to ’69 What’s your favorite sequel? I must have seen James Cameron’s Aliens five or six times in the theater in 1986 and watched it on Blu-ray recently and was completely engrossed again. It brought a fresh new energy to the mythology that Ridley Scott’s team created in Alien (1979).

What movies have you enjoyed the most this year? The second features from Ari Aster (Midsommar) and Jordan Peele (Us) were fascinating, very scary and hugely entertaining. If I could live in the atmosphere of one movie, it would be Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time … in Hollywood. Those three films will be discussed for many years to come.

Where has your work appeared before? I’m the editor of San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics magazines and senior editor/senior writer of Diablo magazine in the East Bay. The rights to my true-crime book The Setup: A True Story of Dirty Cops, Soccer Moms, and Reality TV were recently optioned.

Kirsten Jones Neff Equal Play Who’s your favorite female director? I am currently captivated by the work of a young film director named Chloé Zhao. Zhao was born in Beijing and brings a clear-eyed sensibility to stories set within American subcultures. The Rider, shot in the badlands of South Dakota and winner of the 2017 Art Cinema Award at Cannes, is an exquisite, heart-wrenching film.

What did you enjoy the most about this assignment? The Mind the Gap program is part of a powerful moment in history, a moment when courageous women are ensuring long-overdue change in the film industry and in society at large. I am grateful to be able to witness history and write about these change-makers.

Where has your work appeared before? My work has appeared in Edible Marin & Wine Country, Modern Farmer, Stanford Magazine, Ms. magazine, Grown and Flown, The Believer and numerous other print and digital publications.

Bernard Boo Meal Tickets If you had to pick a food to go with a funny movie, what would it be? It’s hard to beat pizza and beer after watching a comedy with friends. Tamalpie Pizzeria in Mill Valley serves delicious artisan pizzas, offers a solid beer selection and has plenty of outdoor seating.

What do you enjoy most about the Mill Valley Film Festival? What I love most about MVFF is that it’s one of the most easygoing major film festivals in the country. From the staff to the festivalgoers, everyone is always friendly, respectful and passionate about great films.

Where has your work appeared before? You can find my work at PopMatters.com and DenOfGeek.com.

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Spotlight

Barbara Rush

Join Rush at the Lark Theater on October 13 for an MVFF Award tribute and clips and conversation. BY ZACK RUSKIN

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Barbara Rush doesn’t like to make a fuss when it comes to her career.

“I don’t really consider myself to be like all of those people on magazines and so forth,” the 92-year-old former Hollywood star explains from her home in Beverly Hills.

Humility is an admirable trait, but in Rush’s case, bragging is warranted. She’s been in the business nearly 70 years, and her filmography includes projects with the likes of Paul Newman, Marlon Brando and Kim Novak. That’s in addition to many television appearances and a stage career that included a solo starring role on Broadway.

Rush got her start in the theatrical program at UC Santa Barbara before joining the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse for two years. That’s when Milton Lewis, a talent scout for Paramount, asked her to take a screen test. Pleased with the results, he put her under contract.

Rush doesn’t recall the details of the test (“You’re talking to somebody with amnesia!”), but it wasn’t long before she made her movie debut in 1950’s The Goldbergs and went on to star in the 1953 sci-fi cult classic It Came from Outer Space. She was rewarded for the latter the following year with a Golden Globe for “Most Promising Newcomer – Female.” Only a few years later, she’d play opposite the imposing trio of Brando, Dean Martin and Montgomery Clift in 1958’s The Young Lions.

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The Young Lions

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Barbara Rush and Claudia Cowan

“Her credits are numerous, spread across several decades and highlighted by appearances on beloved series like Batman and Murder, She Wrote.”

Martin and Clift became fast friends on the Lions set, she recalls. “Dean Martin was very funny. He never really tried to learn his lines. Montgomery Clift was unwell. He was very, very thin and kind of frail but he just loved Dean Martin. Dean called him Spider and he kept tossing him around. He’d just pick him up and run out to the car with him.”

Paul Newman likewise left a lasting impression.

Besides co-starring in The Young Philadelphians in 1959, he and Rush were also paired for the 1967 western Hombre. They become quite close on Philadelphians, forming a friendship that endured until Newman’s death in 2008. Rush’s second husband, Warren Cowan, served for years as Newman’s publicist.

“I thought Paul was a wonderful actor, but he was also a wonderful person,” Rush says.

Many are likely to recognize Rush’s daughter, Mill Valley resident Claudia Cowan, from her role as a West Coast senior correspondent for the Fox News channel.

Cowan recalls benefiting as a kid from some unique

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babysitting arrangements: “While my mom made movies with Paul Newman, I got to have playdates with his daughter,” she says.

By the middle of the 1960s, Rush had tired of Hollywood’s studio system, which had her bouncing between Paramount, Universal and 20th Century Fox, and set her sights on TV. Her credits are numerous, spread across several decades and highlighted by appearances on beloved series like Batman and Murder, She Wrote.

In both film and television, being choosy about roles was simply not an option, Rush recalls. “We didn’t even think about things like that. We had no opinion. We had a job.”

One of her proudest moments actually came on Broadway, when she starred in a one-woman play adapted by her friend Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey, from Hailey’s novel A Woman of Independent Means.

While it had only 13 performances at New York’s Biltmore Theatre in 1984, it found a second life as a touring production.

Cowan recalls being impressed with the long lines for the show when it debuted at the small Back Alley Theater in Los Angeles. She was also struck by her mother’s ability to take a character from childhood to death, acting alone on a stage. “She really was fantastic,” Cowan says.

Eventually Rush also traveled with the show to Canada, Chicago and San Francisco. “We had a really long run with that because it was an easy thing,” she posits. “It was just me onstage.”

Some would argue that starring solo in a show night after night is the antithesis of easy, but Rush doesn’t see it that way. Having long viewed acting as a career like any other, at 92 she continues to work. In part that’s thanks to her neighbor, commercial director Jamie Winterstern, who sometimes recruits her for roles.

“He got me to play this crazy lady who opens her handbag and coins come out,” she says with a laugh. “It went viral.” The 2017 ad for Wilshire Coin shows her exchanging an absurdly large amount of coinage for paper cash — and, while only a 30-second spot, shows she still has the effortless charisma that lit up her Paramount screen test all those years ago.

Rush says she’s currently more into TV from the other side of the screen — and not by watching herself on Turner Classic Movies. Nowadays, she keeps an eye out for another star: her daughter.

“She always calls me to tell me when she’s going to be on TV,” Rush says. “Claudia is so wonderful on television. I’m just very proud of her.”

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Spotlight

MARIN MAGAZINE 2019 MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL GUIDE

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Redux

Second Chances

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triumph of film (it currently holds a 54 percent critics’ approval rating on the online movie review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes). Perhaps the original Jumanji holds a special place for some as a cult classic, but kids used to the quality of modern-day CGI are often unfazed by what passed for groundbreaking in the ’90s.

For them, the 2017 incarnation is an upgrade. Not only does it modernize the Jumanji concept from a board game that comes to life to a video game that ensnares its players, but it also features turns from some of today’s big stars, like Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black. As a result, popular opinion finds the new edition far superior to the somewhat forgotten original. The critical approval for the 2017 Jumanji: 76 percent.

Robin Williams would soon follow Jumanji by starring in 1997’s Flubber, another remake.

In this case, the source material was 1961’s The AbsentMinded Professor. The poster for the original bills itself as “the funniest discovery since laughter,” but the 1997 version with Williams was cinematic catnip for ’90s kids. Any who recalled the comparatively light touch of the original (starring Fred MacMurray) were possibly aghast to see Williams apply his more physical, hyperbolic style of comedy to the role. Conversely, young fans of Williams who already knew and adored him from other family-friendly fare like Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire and Aladdin were quite

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Last year, much fanfare was made over a fresh take on A Star Is Born.

Directed by Bradley Cooper and starring the actor and acclaimed recording artist Lady Gaga, the film was noted as a remake of the 1976 film featuring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Or was it a remake of 1954’s version, a classic from Hollywood’s golden years starring Judy Garland and James Mason? Technically, Cooper’s effort could also be classified as a remake of 1937’s A Star Is Born — the true original — with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March.

These four interpretations of a fairly simple (though unquestionably tragic) story together provide an excellent example of why some films continue to be fodder for a new spin. Depending on when you were born, your generation likely identifies the most strongly with one of the four versions of the film, whether it’s the original, Garland’s glorious turn as Esther, the notably troubled 1976 Streisand production or Cooper’s recent reimagining of the material.

In one sense, the quality of a remake is almost secondary to the effect it has on its intended audience.

When Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was released in 2017, those who recalled the late Robin Williams’ spirited performance in the 1995 original were likely skeptical of the need for a new take. What about younger film fans, though? To be fair, 1995’s Jumanji is not considered a

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When it comes to film, is first always best? BY ZACK RUSKIN

ENTERTAINMENT PICTURE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (TOP); ALLSTAR PICTURES LIBRARY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

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happy to see him in anything, let alone in a movie that cast him as a kooky mad scientist.

Could it be that the quality of remakes is mostly subjective? Even if so, there are a few that feel empirically superior (or inferior) to their predecessors. It’s also worth noting that remakes are not a new concept spawned by the movie industry finally running out of ideas. Studios do certainly seem to be short on compelling original content these days, but the practice of taking a popular film and recasting it with contemporary stars is as old as the business itself.

Did you know Humphrey Bogart did remakes?

When he graced the silver screen as Sam Spade in 1941’s The Maltese Falcon, Bogart was actually the second actor to take on the role of Dashiell Hammett’s iconic PI. The original, a pre-code film from 1931, was released only a year after Hammett’s novel and starred Ricardo Cortez as Spade. Nowadays, when we speak of Falcon, it’s an unspoken assumption that we’re referencing the Bogart version, offering pretty definitive evidence that, at least in this case, the remake has entirely eclipsed the original.

Another interesting example is famed director Alfred Hitchcock, who also did a remake — of his own film.

Mention The Man Who Knew Too Much, and many are likely to first think of Doris Day and her coded performance of “Que Será Será.” The 1956 U.S. version, which also starred Jimmy Stewart, is regarded as one of Hitchcock’s best pure suspense films. And yet by going back and watching the 1934 original — a perfectly competent British endeavor featuring Peter Lorre — one can see how Hitchcock’s skills as a director evolved in the two decades in between.

Remakes like The Maltese Falcon and The Man Who Knew Too Much also have their counterpoints, of course.

At this moment, Disney is invested in a plan to offer “live-action” remakes of many of its most beloved animated classics. When it comes to a story like 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, in which the human character of Belle can be played by a real person (in this case, Emma Watson), there’s arguably a least a reason to see how that new wrinkle might enhance or deepen the story.

Unfortunately, Disney has also moved forward with “live-action” remakes that are anything but. This summer, The Lion King arrived to much anticipation.

With a voice cast that includes Beyoncé, Donald Glover and Seth Rogen, the film seemed poised to deliver the coveted fresh spin that justifies a remake’s existence.

Instead, the script was almost a verbatim rehash of its 1994 predecessor. Also, given the film was entirely CGI, what exactly about it was “live”?

These are the types of remakes that give the rest of the crop a bad name — the ones that do nothing to separate themselves from the original’s formula in hopes of catching now-stale lightning in a bottle twice.

However you may feel about retreads, the most important thing to remember is that the version you love best isn’t going anywhere. Cinephiles are quick to level charges of artistic blasphemy against filmmakers when a new version of their favorite film is announced (for another example, see the response to 2016’s Ghostbusters redo) but new takes on familiar stories are pretty much all we have as a story-seeking audience at this juncture in civilization. The archetypes of narrative are well-established, meaning that whether we like it or not, most films today are, in one way or another, pseudo-remakes of something that’s been done before.

Originality should never be undervalued, but nor should the power of a story that evolves with time.

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Silver Screen

The Big 2-0

W

HEN YOU WA LK into the

Smith Rafael Film Center, you can instantly tell it’s run by people who care.

It’s a movie house with a soul.

Originally opened in 1920 as the Orpheus Theater, the Rafael saw its current era begin in earnest on April 16, 1999, with completion of a years-long renovation project championed by Mill Valley Film Festival executive director Mark Fishkin after the devastation of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. With help from the San Rafael Redevelopment Agency, Bay Area architect Mark Cavagnero and many others, the theater sprang back to life, and this year marks its 20th anniversary.

“It was like going to war to build it,” recalls Fishkin, who’s also founder and executive director of the California Film Institute. The project added two

screens, state-of-the-art tech and an updated aesthetic.

Since reopening, the Rafael has served as center of gravity for the MVFF and CFI, with countless filmmakers, actors and artists passing through its doors.

From legendary figures like Ang Lee and Sean Penn to rising talents like Damien Chazelle and Mahershala Ali, a who’s who of industry movers and shakers have presented and discussed their work onstage in Theater 1.

But the Rafael is a tribute to great cinema, not Hollywood hype. When Fishkin first set out to reimagine the theater, he envisioned it as a world-class establishment where filmmakers, regardless of status or budget, could share their work in an intimate, respectful environment.

“When we talked about building the Rafael, we talked about how independent filmmakers had the worst venues (to show

their films in),” Fishkin says. “Our hope was to create the best possible venue that they could have, with state-of-the-art equipment and a setup for special events.”

There is no theater quite like the Rafael, and for the past 20 years, Fishkin and Cavagnero’s original design has remained as attractive and functional as ever. Watching movies in Theater 1 is a distinctly immersive experience, Theater 2’s art deco adornments give it an atmosphere all its own, and Theater 3 offers the most advanced technological presentation.

But what ultimately breathes life into the place are the audiences, filmmakers and staff who come here each week to engage in conversations about films and filmmaking.

“I don’t think there’s another venue in Northern California that has as many personal appearances, from local documentary filmmakers to some of the greatest (cinema) talents in the world,” Fishkin says. “It’s the home of the Mill Valley Film Festival, and it’s in the DNA of everything we do.”

In 2023, CFI will take ownership of MVFF’s other main movie house, the Sequoia in Mill Valley, and undertake renovations. “We hope to make the Sequoia just as unique and hopefully give it just as old and wise a soul as the Rafael,” Fishkin says.

For now, the local community is celebrating the Rafael’s successful two-decade run. For Fishkin, the true measure of that success is the outpouring of affection and support shown by loyal moviegoers. “Twenty years is a long time for this theater,” he says with a smile.

“People come up to me all the time and tell me how much they appreciate the theater, and that’s really the best compliment we can get.”

DREW ALTIZER

Going strong after a 1999 renovation, the Smith Rafael Film Center retains its status as a crowd favorite. BY BERNARD BOO

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Solid Gold

Oscar Wins

The golden man has smiled on many past festival pictures. BY BERNARD BOO steadfast passion for quality cinema, plus the possibility that in a way, the Academy is playing cultural catch-up.

MVFF audiences have traditionally wholeheartedly embraced minority stories, world cinema, movies made by and for women, LGBTQ films and indie films because these viewers genuinely cherish great movies by underrepresented communities, not because it’s trendy to do so, and not because they hope the films will go on to win awards, say festival programmers who also take pride in helping Mark Fishkin guide their audiences’ tastes.

Mark Fishkin

“Since MVFF’s inception, films featured across its programming have garnered over 100 Oscars in total.”

“We are the audience’s trusted curators,” Fishkin says. “And that could be with really small films — not always the ones that win the Academy Award. It is a responsibility that we take seriously.”

The odds are in favor of this year’s Mill Valley Film Festival being yet another showcase for future Oscar contenders. And the festival, now in its 42nd year, seems poised to stay ahead of trends and to continue being a leading voice on the festival circuit.

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F THERE’S ONE thing that makes the Mill Valley Film Festival feel so vital and current, it’s its history of prominently featuring films that go on to find big success at the Oscars. Last year, for example, the festival opened with Green Book, which subsequently picked up three golden statues, including Best Picture and a Best Supporting Actor win for Mahershala Ali. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: since MVFF’s inception, films featured across its programming have garnered over 100 Oscars in total, including nine for Best Picture, seven for Best Director, seven for Best Actress and 11 for Best Actor.

So what’s the secret behind the festival’s winning record?

“We just try to pick the best films we can,” says MVFF founder and executive director Mark Fishkin of forecasting Oscars success. “We have been pretty adept at being able to not only point these films out, but have access to feature them. That comes with our longevity, our history, and the trust that filmmakers and distributors have in us. Put that all together and you wind up showing a lot” of Oscar-worthy films, he notes.

Fishkin also attributes a large part of MVFF’s Academy Awards winning streak to the loyal festivalgoers. “We have a great, socially conscious audience that appreciates great movies,” he adds.

But there may be a little more to the festival’s Oscar connection.

Back in 2016, when the Academy scrambled to rinse itself clean of the infamous #OscarsSoWhite controversy by launching a diversity initiative in its myriad awards categories and membership, the Oscars winners circle suddenly overlapped with MVFF programming more than ever, statistics show.

That year, MVFF featured 58 films that later received Oscar nominations, shattering the previous year’s record of 39 nominated films. What’s more, 14 of the films shown at the festival went on to win golden statues, besting its own previous record of nine winning films (in 2012) by an even larger margin than for the nomination record.

While this might be a coincidence, it more likely speaks to the festival’s audience and programmers and their

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8/30/19 3:02 PM

Food and Film

Meal Tickets Before the popcorn or after the credits, nothing beats a movie-perfect nosh.

Here are six winning dining options close by. BY BERNARD BOO

A

NIGHT OUT AT the movies is never complete without

a delicious meal, and luckily for Mill Valley Film Festival attendees, Marin’s food scene is as colorful and diverse as the festival’s film lineup. Here are a few local dishes that pair well with what you’re seeing at the festival, all minutes away from MVFF’s main theater venues.

DRAMA Westy Braised Duck Leg, Mill Valley Beerworks Dramas have always been a staple at MVFF. Whether rousing historical dramas like The King’s Speech (2010), coming-of-age epics like Boyhood (2014) or deeply felt character studies like The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007), they’ve been emotionally moving viewers since the festival’s inception.

If you find yourself with leaky tear ducts and craving a little TLC after a film, head over to Mill Valley Beerworks to try the soul-soothing Westy Braised Duck Leg. A rich, glistening duck leg that’s been braised in Fort Point Westfalia Ale is nestled into a king-size bed of chickpea spätzle, with seasonal fruit and tiny bites of duck heart that reinforce the leg’s earthiness. All the ingredients are locally sourced, and you can taste the quality in every bite. The dish is extraordinary as is but approaches perfection when paired with a pint of Westfalia.

MUSIC FILMS Carnitas Burrito, Puentez Taqueria For musicians and music-lovers, the humble burrito is the undisputed king of jam session foods. So whether you’re just coming out of one of MVFF’s many music films or getting ready to head over to the Sweetwater for one of the festival’s live music events, do yourself a favor and stop by Puentez Taqueria in San Rafael for their game-changing carnitas burrito. The pork is so flavorful and fatty that it coats your lips as you eat, the bean/veg/meat/rice ratio is spot-on, and the burritos are rolled perfectly taut (a woefully underappreciated culinary skill). As the gigantic sign over the outdoor seating proudly proclaims, this is the best burrito in town.

VIVA EL CINE Enchiladas de Mole Rojo, Playa Viva el Cine is one of MVFF’s most popular ongoing initiatives, showcasing new films and filmmakers from Spanish and Latin American countries. In the same vein, Mill Valley’s Playa aims to transport you to Mexico, via authentic Mexican cuisine with a modern accent. Go see one of the festival’s Vive el Cine selections next door at the Sequoia, then pop into Playa for the Enchiladas de Mole Rojo, a simple, irresistibly pretty plate of two glorious beef cheek enchiladas doused in the elegantly complex house mole.

Clockwise from left: Duck legs at Mill Valley Beerworks, burrito at Puentez Taqueria, enchilada at Playa.

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SECOND INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC & CULINARY FESTIVAL

O C TO B ER 1 8 - 1 9 - 2 0 B E L V E D E RE – T I B U R O N DELICIOUS MUSIC & PITCH-PERFECT CUISINE — WITH A PHILANTHROPIC MISSION

festivalmusicamarin.org

Chamber Music

Gourmet Cuisine

Dedicated Philanthropy

Musica Marin is a proud community partner of Sony Classical Music

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Food and Film The garnishes of pepitas, citrus segments, cilantro and crema drizzle counterbalance the rich main components perfectly, and the bar’s prime selection of mezcals and margaritas is guaranteed to make it a night to remember (or not).

ROMANCE Green Eggs and Ham Bucatini, Guesthouse Unlike a lot of big film festivals, Mill Valley’s is great for date nights thanks to Marin’s picturesque landscapes and the wide local selection of top-notch restaurants. If you and a special someone plan to catch one of the several excellent romantic films on the lineup, end the night right at Guesthouse with its showstopping Green Eggs & Ham Bucatini. Chef Jared Rogers enrobes house-made bucatini (a true rarity) in a luscious, herbaceous pesto with pieces of bacon and prosciutto folded in to give every bite a salty, meaty pop of flavor. Peas and pine nuts add dimension and texture, and it’s all topped off with a perfectly seasoned poached egg to complete the Seussian theme.

FAMILY Johnny Doughnuts MVFF’s family film program is perhaps the festival’s most underrated, offering a small but diverse selection of kid-friendly features and shorts that are as carefully curated as the main programs and great for an afternoon outing. Johnny Doughnuts is an absolute fail-safe destination for post-movie munchies when the little ones inevitably beg for sweets, and it’s super easy to find: the main location on Fourth Street is just blocks away from the Smith Rafael Film Center, the new location at Marin Country Mart is a few minutes’ drive from all MVFF

venues, and you may even get lucky and catch one of the food trucks parked at one of the festival’s big events. With its wide variety of old-school and new-school doughnuts made with fresh local ingredients and a vibe that screams nostalgia within a modern, sleek aesthetic, Johnny Doughnuts is a haven for sugar-cravers young and old. It’s impossible to pick just one flavor to recommend, especially since the menu is so seasonal, but the Bismarcks (the Rolls-Royce of filled doughnuts) are nearly unbeatable.

ART HOUSE AND EXPERIMENTAL Doc Holliday, The Tavern on Fourth Art and avant-garde films are always well represented at MVFF and draw crowds of adventurous cinephiles ready for something outside the box. For those with a thirst for the wild and weird, the Doc Holliday at The Tavern on Fourth in San Rafael is a strangely delicious craft cocktail that’ll challenge the taste buds in the best way possible. Created by bar manager Brandon Manning, the spaghetti western–inspired drink is a concoction of Rittenhouse Rye, sorghum syrup, house-made amaro, house-made epazote, valerian root, and tobacco bitters, stirred over ice, poured into a chilled glass and finished by flaming a mixture of black walnut bitters and orange oil over the top. It’s something of an “unpretty” drink, served murky, brown and unadorned, with strange, almost nebulous flavors that hit you in waves. Just like the best art-house flicks, the Doc Holliday is hard to pin down, an experience that may not be for everyone but rewards those willing to try something that’s distinctly “other.”

“Johnny Doughnuts is an absolute fail-safe destination for post-movie munchies when the little ones inevitably beg for sweets.”

From far left: Green eggs and ham at Guesthouse, doughnuts at Johnny Doughnuts, Doc Holliday at The Tavern on Fourth.

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“The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting.” —Andy Warhol

passes on sale now at sonomafilmfest.org

SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Is coming

MARCH 25 - 29

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL GUIDE 2019 MARIN MAGAZINE

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Making you an offer you can’t refuse the best service and marketing in the industry.

Family dinner at Mill Valley’s Iconic Buckeye Roadhouse. Proprietors: Bill Higgins, Bill Upson & Peter Not Pictured: Anna Frost, Beat Bossart, Brian Pensack, Charity Smart, Christine Christiansen, Clark Goodrich, Danielle Botros, David Kathryn Ellman, Kelly Erickson, Kelly McLain Treacy, Kristin Moseley, Laurie Schenk, Leah Karp, Link Allen, Marylisa Tencer, Mike

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Schwart Gargiulo

The Vanguard Family

CLASSIC SINCE 1985

. son & Peter Schumacher. Executive Chef Robert Price pictured above.

s, David r, Mike

Schwartz, Eaven Marcum, Eric Braun, Eric McFarland, Greg Browman, Howard Wynn, Jeff Moseley, Karen Z. Hardesty, Kathleen Cerf, Gargiulo, Nan Allen, Nicole Klionsky, Rachel Cleaveland, Scott Woods, Tami Osmun, Vance Frost, and Whitney Rich. DRE #01486075 Kathleen Harrison Photography

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Master Plan

Festival Schedule: October 3–8 THURSDAY OCT 3

R A FA E L

7:00pm Just Mercy 161 min

SEQUOIA 7:00pm Just Mercy 161 min

LARKSPUR LANDING 7:00pm The King 133 min

R A FA E L 3:45pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 6:30pm

FRIDAY OCT 4

August 85 min The Dog Doc 101 min The Gasoline Thieves 93 min Amateurs 102 min

8:00pm Spotlight: Conversation

with Olivia Wilde 90 min

8:45pm Marighella 155 min 9:30pm 5@5 Stone Flower 88 min

SEQUOIA 5:00pm The Gift: The Journey of Johnny

Cash 94 min

5:15pm The Cave 96 min 7:30pm Portrait of a Lady on Fire 119 min 8:00pm Knives Out 130 min

L A R K T H E AT R E 6:00pm The Swallows of Kabul 82 min 8:45pm The Kingmaker 100 min

LARKSPUR LANDING 6:00pm 6:15pm 8:15pm 8:45pm

5@5 Feels Like Fire 65 min Autonomy 80 min Watch List 96 min Journey to Hokusai 80 min

SATURDAY OCT 5

R A FA E L

RA

11:00am Synonyms 123 min 11:15am Journeys Beyond the

11:00 11:45 12:00

Cosmodrome 95 min

12:00pm Amra and the 2nd Marriage 95 min 2:15pm Making Waves: The Art 2:45pm 3:00pm 5:00pm 5:30pm 6:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm 8:45pm

of Cinematic Sound 95 min Blue Hour 92 min Rewind 87 min Sorry We Missed You 100 min 39½ 71 min Autonomy 80 min Dolemite Is My Name 118 min The Body Remembers ... 105 min The Hi De Ho Show 90 min

SEQUOIA 11:00am 11:15am 1:45pm 3:45pm 4:45pm 7:00pm

5@5 Life is for Living 92 min Out Stealing Horses 122 min The Whistlers 97 min Olympic Dreams 83 min Where’s My Roy Cohn? 97 min Harriet 125 min

7:30pm The Lighthouse 140 min

The Lure of This Land 90 min The Conductor 137 min Little Joe 105 min A Tramway in Jerusalem 94 min

LARKSPUR LANDING 11:00am 11:15am 1:30pm 2:00pm 4:30pm 4:45pm 7:30pm 8:00pm

SE

11:15 1:15 2:00 4:30

5:0

7:30 8:30

12:00 3:15 6:00 9:00

12:30 2:15 3:00 5:15 5:45 8:00 8:30

PA

5:00 7:30

4:30pm Why Can’t I Be Me?... 93 min 7:00PM Marighella 155 min

OU

OUTDOOR ART CLUB 9:00am Mind the Gap Summit (start) 2:45pm No Time to Waste 75 min

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LA

As the World Toons 77 min The Swallows of Kabul 82 min August 85 min Fresh & Fearless 83 min Watch List 96 min Chuskit 89 min The Gasoline Thieves 93 min Pomegranate Seeds... 89 min

PA C I F I C F I L M A R C H I V E

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L A R K T H E AT R E 11:15am 2:00pm 6:00pm 8:45pm

2:3

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11:30 2:45

min 5 min

min n

n

SUNDAY SUNDAYOCT OCT66

MONDAY MONDAYOCT OCT77

TUESDAY TUESDAYOCT OCT88

RR AA FA FA EE LL

RR AA FA FA EE LL

RR AA FA FA EE LL

11:00am 11:00am¡Viva ¡Viva loslos Niños!

Niños!

8686 min min 11:45am 11:45amTeam Team Marco Marco 9292 min min 12:00pm 12:00pmJourney Journey toto Hokusai Hokusai 8080 min min

2:30pm 2:30pmThe The Reformer.

Reformer.

Zwingli: Zwingli:

11:30am 11:30amCarmilla Carmilla 9696 min min 2:30pm 2:30pmYou You Say Say You You Want Want a Revolution? a Revolution?

2:30pm 2:30pmInmate Inmate #1:#1: The The Rise Rise ofof Danny Danny Trejo Trejo 133 133 min min

5:30pm 5:30pmJojo Jojo Rabbit Rabbit 108 108 min min 5:45pm 5:45pmThe The Prince Prince 9696 min min 6:00pm 6:00pmSubira Subira 9999 min min 8:15pm 8:15pmPain Pain and and Glory Glory 113 113 min min 8:30pm 8:30pmThe The Invisible Invisible Life Life

ofof Eurídice Eurídice Gusmão Gusmão 139 139 min min 8:45pm 8:45pmHava, Hava, Maryam, Maryam, Ayesha Ayesha 8686 min min SS EE QQ UU OO I AI A 11:15am 11:15amThe The Story Story ofof Plastic Plastic 8989 min min 1:15pm 1:15pm The The Reformer.

Reformer.

Zwingli:...

Zwingli:...

128 128 min min 2:00pm 2:00pmWhat What Do Do You You Believe Believe Now? Now? 6868 min min 4:30pm 4:30pmYou You Say Say You You Want Want a Revolution? a Revolution?

8080 min min

5:00pm 5:00pmClemency Clemency 143 143 min min 7:30pm 7:30pmParasite Parasite 132 132 min min 8:30pm 8:30pmSynonyms Synonyms 123 123 min min

LA LA RR K KT T HH EE AA TT RR EE 12:00pm 12:00pmFrankie Frankie 100 100 min min 3:15pm 3:15pmDriveways Driveways 8383 min min 6:00pm 6:00pmVarda Varda byby Agnès Agnès 115 115 min min 9:00pm 9:00pmThe The Gift: Gift: The The Journey Journey

AA Life’s Life’s Portrait Portrait 128 128 min min 3:00pm 3:00pmPomegranate Pomegranate Seeds: Seeds: Voices Voices and and Visions Visions from from Iranian Iranian Women Women 8989 min min 4:00pm 4:00pmClemency Clemency 113 113 min min 6:00pm 6:00pmCherry Cherry Blossoms Blossoms && Demons Demons 115 115 min min 7:00pm 7:00pmSeberg Seberg 126 126 min min 9:00pm 9:00pmCarmilla Carmilla 9696 min min

SS EE QQ UU OO I AI A 11:15am 11:15amMaking Making Waves: Waves: The The Art Art

ofof Cinematic Cinematic Sound Sound 9595 min min 11:30am 11:30amThe The Dog Dog Doc Doc 101 101 min min 2:30pm 2:30pmWindows Windows onon the the World World 109 109 min min 5:30pm 5:30pm5@5 5@5 Stone Stone Flower Flower 8888 min min 7:00pm 7:00pmSerendipity Serendipity 7676 min min 8:00pm 8:00pmBacurau Bacurau 131 131 min min LA LA RR K KT T HH EE AA TT RR EE 5:30pm 5:30pmOut Out Stealing Stealing Horses Horses 122 122 min min 8:45pm 8:45pmByBy the the Grace Grace ofof God God 137 137 min min

LA LA RR KK SS PP UU R RL A LA NN DD IN IN GG 6:00pm 6:00pmThe The Body Body Remembers Remembers When When

the the World World Broke Broke Open Open 105 105 min min

6:15pm 6:15pm5@5 5@5 Daughter Daughter ofof the the Night Night 6969 min min 8:45pm 8:45pmThe The Invisible Invisible Life Life

ofof Eurídice Eurídice Gusmão Gusmão 139 139 min min

9:00pm 9:00pmHava, Hava, Maryam, Maryam, Ayesha Ayesha 8686 min min

8080 min min

3:00pm 3:00pmThe The Story Story ofof Plastic Plastic 8989 min min 3:15pm 3:15pmParasite Parasite 132 132 min min 5:30pm 5:30pmA A Girl Girl from from Mogadishu Mogadishu 112 112 min min 6:15pm 6:15pmRight Right toto Harm Harm 8686 min min 6:30pm 6:30pmThe The Irishman Irishman 210 210 min min 8:30pm 8:30pmCherry Cherry Blossoms Blossoms && Demons Demons 115 115 min min 9:00pm 9:00pm5@5 5@5 Daughter Daughter ofof the the Night Night 6969 min min

SS EE QQ UU OO I AI A 12:00pm 12:00pmWhere’s Where’s My My Roy Roy Cohn?

Cohn?

9797 min min 12:45pm 12:45pmOlympic Olympic Dreams Dreams 8383 min min 2:30pm 2:30pmPain Pain and and Glory Glory 113 113 min min 3:30pm 3:30pmSeberg Seberg 9696 min min 5:30pm 5:30pmMy My Friend Friend Fela Fela 9292 min min 6:30pm 6:30pm6363 UpUp 163 163 min min 8:00pm 8:00pmThe The Traitor Traitor 145 145 min min

LA LA RR K KT T HH EE AA TT RR EE 6:00pm 6:00pmScheme Scheme Birds Birds 9090 min min 8:30pm 8:30pmEma Ema 102 102 min min

LA LA RR KK SS PP UU R RL A LA NN DD IN IN GG 6:00pm 6:00pm5@5 5@5 Smooth Smooth 6969 min min 6:15pm 6:15pmSong Song Without Without a Name a Name 9797 min min 9:00pm 9:00pmBacurau Bacurau 131 131 min min

ofof Johnny Johnny Cash Cash 9494 min min

LA LA RR KK SS PP UU R RL A LA NN DD IN IN GG 12:30pm 12:30pmPhil Phil Tippett: Tippett: Mad Mad Dreams...

Dreams...

8080 min min 2:15pm 2:15pmThousand Thousand Pieces Pieces ofof Gold Gold 105 105 min min 3:00pm 3:00pmA A Tramway Tramway inin Jerusalem Jerusalem 9494 min min 5:15pm 5:15pmRewind Rewind 8787 min min 5:45pm 5:45pmNoah Noah Land Land 109 109 min min 8:00pm 8:00pmThe The Conductor Conductor 137 137 min min 8:30pm 8:30pmShow Show Me Me What What You You Got Got 101 101 min min

PA PA CC I FI F I CI CF F I LI M L MAA RR CC HH I VI V EE 5:00pm 5:00pmThe The Kingmaker Kingmaker 100 100 min min 7:30pm 7:30pmThe The Whistlers Whistlers 9797 min min

OO UU TT DD OO OO R RAA RR T TC C LU LU BB 11:30am 11:30amPanel: Panel: The The Story Story ofof Plastic Plastic 9090 min min 2:45pm 2:45pmWorkshop: Workshop: Get Get the the Kids Kids inin the the

Pictures!

Pictures!

9090 min min

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Master Plan

Festival Schedule: October 9-13 WEDNESDAY OCT 9

THURSDAY OCT 10

R A FA E L

R A FA E L

R A FA E L

11:15am 2:15pm 3:00pm 5:15pm

2:45pm 3:15pm 6:00pm 6:15pm 8:45pm 9:00pm 9:15pm

2:00pm 3:30pm 4:45pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 8:00pm 9:00pm

Ema 102 min Subira 99 min Portrait of a Lady on Fire 119 min From Wounded Knee to Standing Rock: A Reporter’s Journey 90 min 6:00pm What Do You Believe Now? 68 min 7:00pm Waves 160 min 8:15pm Animals 109 min 8:45pm 5@5 Smooth 69 min

SEQUOIA 11:30am 1:00pm 2:30pm 5:30pm

Knives Out 130 min Song Without a Name 97 min Harriet 125 min The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion 67 min

5:45pm A Girl from Mogadishu 112 min 8:00pm Honey Boy 93 min 9:00pm Sorry We Missed You 100 min

L A R K T H E AT R E 6:00pm Flesh Out 94 min 8:45pm The MisEducation of Bindu 92 min

LARKSPUR LANDING 6:00pm 5@5 Feels Like Fire 65 min 6:15pm Stop the Presses!: Memos from

the Fourth Estate 87 min

8:15pm Beanpole 130 min 9:00pm Amateurs 102 min

Right to Harm 86 min Jojo Rabbit 108 min 37 Seconds 115 min The Great 14th... 82 min 5@5 Night Hunting Time 80 min The Aeronauts 101 min Blue Hour 92 min

SEQUOIA 11:00am 11:45am 2:15pm 2:45pm 5:15pm

The Traitor 145 min Scheme Birds 90 min Honey Boy 93 min By the Grace of God 137 min You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard 78 min 6:00pm Frankie 100 min 8:00pm Coup 53 120 min 8:30pm Öndög 97 min

L A R K T H E AT R E 6:00pm And Then We Danced 113 min 9:00pm Take Me Somewhere Nice 91 min

LARKSPUR LANDING 6:00pm Flatland 117 min 6:15pm 5@5 Just in Time to See the Sun 67 min

8:45pm From Wounded Knee to Standing

Rock: A Reporter’s Journey 90 min

9:00pm The MisEducation of Bindu 92 min

PA C I F I C F I L M A R C H I V E 7:00pm Journeys Beyond

FRIDAY OCT 11

RA

Flesh Out 94 min The Lure of This Land 90 min This Little Land of Mines 102 min De Lo Mio 73 min The Two Popes 125 min Les misérables 102 min 5@5 Just in Time to See the Sun 67 min

Waves 135 min Take Me Somewhere Nice 91 min And Then We Danced 113 min Dolemite Is My Name 118 min The Report 118 min The Truth 106 min The Hi De Ho Show 90 min

L A R K T H E AT R E 11:00am 2:00pm 5:30pm 8:00pm

SE

11:00 11:15 1:45 2:15

5:0

7:30

LA

The Cat and the Moon 114 min Fourteen 94 min Serendipity 76min Noah Land 109 min 5@5 Night Hunting Time 80 min A First Farewell 88 min Animals 109 min

PA C I F I C F I L M A R C H I V E

the Cosmodrome 95 min

6:3

9:00

4:3

37 Seconds 115 min Little Joe 105 min South Mountain 75 min Beanpole 130 min

LARKSPUR LANDING 11:00am 2:15pm 3:15pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 8:00pm 8:30pm

3:0

5:00

SEQUOIA 11:30am 2:00pm 2:45pm 5:00pm 6:00pm 8:00pm 9:15pm

11:30 12:00 12:30 2:00 2:45

3:00pm The Cave 96 min 5:30pm Aurora 105 min

O L D M I L L PA R K 7:00pm Coraline 100 min

2:00 5:15 8:15

LA

11:00 11:45 2:00 3:00 6:15 7:30 9:00

PA

12:00 3:15

OU

2:30

TE 10:0

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SATURDAY SATURDAY OCT OCT 1212

2 n min

enSun

R ARFAAFEAL E L

R ARFAAFEAL E L

11:30am 11:30am State State of the of the Industry Industry Panel Panel 90min 90min 12:00pm 12:00pm Öndög Öndög 97 min 97 min 12:30pm 12:30pm Chuskit Chuskit 89 min 89 min 2:00pm 2:00pm TheThe Great Great 14th14th 82 min 82 min 2:45pm 2:45pm TheThe Truth Truth 106 106 min min

11:00am 11:00am Days Days of the of the Bagnold Bagnold Summer Summer

3:00pm 3:00pm Master Master Class: Class: Laura Laura Dern Dern 75 min 75 min

5:00pm 5:00pm TheThe Unbearable Unbearable Lightness Lightness

of Being of Being 171 min 171 min

6:30pm 6:30pm Marriage Marriage Story Story 166 166 min min

in 1 min

in

n

9:00pm 9:00pm AridArid CutCut 116 min 116 min

S ESQEUQOUI O AIA 11:00am 11:00am TheThe TwoTwo Popes Popes 125 min 125 min 11:15am 11:15am As the As the World World Toons Toons 77 min 77 min 1:45pm 1:45pm Team Team Marco Marco 92 min 92 min 2:15pm 2:15pm LesLes misérables misérables 102 102 min min 4:30pm 4:30pm Blackbird Blackbird 122 122 min min 5:00pm 5:00pm Days Days of the of the Bagnold Bagnold Summer Summer 111 min 111 min

7:30pm 7:30pm A Hidden A Hidden LifeLife 173 min 173 min

L ALRAKR T K HTEHAETA RTER E

min

2:00pm 2:00pm Flatland Flatland 117 min 117 min 5:15pm 5:15pm TheThe Report Report 118 min 118 min 8:15pm 8:15pm Why Why Can’t Can’t I BeI Me? Be Me? Around Around YouYou 93 min 93 min

min

SUNDAY SUNDAY OCT OCT 1313

L ALRAKRSKPSUPRU LRALNADNI D N IGN G 11:00am 11:00am South South Mountain Mountain 75 min 75 min 11:45am 11:45am Aurora Aurora 105 105 min min 2:00pm 2:00pm ThisThis Little Little Land Land of Mines of Mines 102 102 min min 3:00pm 3:00pm TheThe CatCat andand thethe Moon Moon 114 min 114 min 6:15pm 6:15pm Driveways Driveways 83 min 83 min 7:30pm 7:30pm De De Lo Mio Lo Mio 73 min 73 min 9:00pm 9:00pm TheThe Remix: Remix: HipHip HopHop X Fashion X Fashion 67 min 67 min

P APCAI F C II C FIF C I LFM ILM A RACRHCI H VE IVE

86 min 86 min

11:15am 11:15am Fresh Fresh & Fearless & Fearless 83 min 83 min 11:30am 11:30am YouYou Gave Gave MeMe a Song: a Song: TheThe LifeLife

andand Music Music of Alice of Alice Gerrard Gerrard 78 min 78 min

1:30pm 1:30pm TheThe Artist’s Artist’s Wife Wife 94 min 94 min 1:45pm 1:45pm ¡Viva ¡Viva los los Niños!

Niños!

86 min 86 min 2:00pm 2:00pm Stop Stop thethe Presses!: Presses!: Memos Memos from from

thethe Fourth Fourth Estate Estate 87 min 87 min

4:30pm 4:30pm Ford Ford v Ferrari v Ferrari 177 177 min min

S ESQEUQOUI O AIA 11:00am 11:00am Marriage Marriage Story Story 136 min 136 min 11:15am 11:15am Blackbird Blackbird 97 min 97 min 2:00pm 2:00pm Rémi, Rémi, Nobody’s Nobody’s BoyBoy 108 108 min min 2:00pm 2:00pm TheThe Aeronauts Aeronauts 101 101 min min 5:00pm 5:00pm Motherless Motherless Brooklyn Brooklyn

SW SW E EETEW TW ATAT E RE R MM US UISCI CH A H LALL L FRIDAY FRIDAY OCT OCT 4 4

CONCERT CONCERT - Johnny - Johnny & June & June Forever Forever 9:00pm 9:00pm (doors(doors openopen 8pm)8pm)

SATURDAY SATURDAY OCT OCT 5 5

MIND MIND THETHE GAPGAP SUMMIT SUMMIT (con’d) (con’d) - 10:00am - 10:00am CONCERT CONCERT - Hayes - Hayes Carll Carll 9:00pm 9:00pm (doors(doors openopen 8pm)8pm)

SUNDAY SUNDAY OCT OCT 6 6

DIRECTOR’S DIRECTOR’S FORUM FORUM - 12:00pm - 12:00pm CONCERT CONCERT - Ace - Ace of Cups of Cups & Friends & Friends 8:00pm 8:00pm (doors(doors openopen 7pm)7pm)

MONDAY MONDAY OCT OCT 7 7

169 169 min min

CONCERT CONCERT - Petra - Petra Hanson Hanson

L ALRAKR T K HTEHAETA RTER E

8:00pm 8:00pm (doors(doors openopen 7pm)7pm)

& Gaijin & Gaijin a Go-Go a Go-Go

11:00am 11:00am PhilPhil Tippett: Tippett: Mad Mad Dreams Dreams

andand Monsters Monsters 80 min 80 min

2:00pm 2:00pm A Conversation A Conversation withwith

TUESDAY TUESDAY OCT OCT 8 8 CONCERT CONCERT - Little - Little Hurricane Hurricane 8:00pm 8:00pm (doors(doors openopen 7pm)7pm)

Barbara Barbara Rush Rush 75 min 75 min

5:00pm 5:00pm A Hidden A Hidden LifeLife 173 min 173 min

L ALRAKRSKPSUPRU LRALNADNI D N IGN G 11:00am 11:00am A First A First Farewell Farewell 88 min 88 min 11:45am 11:45am My My Friend Friend FelaFela 92 min 92 min 2:15pm 2:15pm Fourteen Fourteen 94 min 94 min 2:45pm 2:45pm Amra Amra andand thethe Second Second Marriage Marriage 95 min 95 min

5:15pm 5:15pm 5@55@5 Festival Festival Faves Faves 100 100 min min 5:30pm 5:30pm 39½39½ 71 min 71 min

O UOTUDTODOORO A R RATR C T LCULBU B 11:00am 11:00am Variety Variety Screenwriters Screenwriters to Watch to Watch 90 min 90 min

WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY OCT OCT 9 9 CONCERT CONCERT - TBA - TBA 8:00pm 8:00pm (doors(doors openopen 7pm)7pm)

THURSDAY THURSDAY OCT OCT 1010

CONCERT CONCERT - Alice - Alice Gerrard Gerrard & Friends & Friends 8:00pm 8:00pm (doors(doors openopen 7pm)7pm)

FRIDAY FRIDAY OCT OCT 1111 CONCERT CONCERT - TBA - TBA 8:00pm 8:00pm (doors(doors openopen 7pm)7pm)

SATURDAY SATURDAY OCT OCT 1212

12:00pm 12:00pm Coup Coup 53 120 53 120 min min 3:15pm 3:15pm Varda Varda

by Agnès

by Agnès 115 min 115 min

FREE FREE SCREENING SCREENING - 1:00pm - 1:00pm

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Turning Point

Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood

Flashback to ’69 PICTURELUX/THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

It’s been 50 years since Hollywood underwent seismic changes that can still be felt today. BY PETER CROOKS QUENTIN TARANTINO’S LATEST FILM , Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, takes us back

in time to the entertainment world of 1969, when Tinseltown was in transition. This was nothing new in the film industry — the movies have always been constantly evolving as audience tastes, technological inventions and the creative talent of the new blood meshes with that of the old guard to push things in a (mostly) forward direction.

Tarantino’s movie fantasizes that the old guard and new blood of Hollywood ’69 might have moved into the 1970s with more congruity than the real history allowed.

While events in real life may have played out a bit differently than in Tarantino’s fairy tale, the truth is that 1969 was a remarkable year at the movies, one with many films worth reflecting on, both for timelessness and for how they documented their particular time in such a fascinating way.

There have been many great years in Hollywood, frequently with peaks at the end of each decade. In 1939, audiences were just 10 years past the invention of talkies and had just been introduced to Technicolor when Gone With the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Gunga Din and Stagecoach were released in what many consider to be Hollywood’s greatest year.

More recently, 1999 saw Hollywood producing films by then-new directors, such as Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich, Sam Mendes’ American Beauty and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, and by veteran filmmakers at the top of their game: David Lynch’s The Straight Story, Michael Mann’s The Insider and Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.

For its combination of classic Hollywood and exciting new talent, though, 1969 takes the cake.

It was a time when the formulas from cinema’s golden age were still working.

Gene Kelly directed Barbra Streisand to an

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Turning Point

Oscar in the opulent musical Hello, Dolly!

James Bond was still fresh. Even without Sean Connery, George Lazenby’s only turn as 007, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, finished in the top 10 at the box office.

The western, that tried-and-true genre of both television and film, may have been falling from fashion, but it went out with a bang. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the year’s biggest hit, leaning on the contemporary charms of its ultrahip stars, Paul Newman and Robert Redford, and B.J. Thomas’ AM-radio hit “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.” Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild 32

Bunch featured extreme violence and its cast of killers had no hero in a white hat. Even True Grit cast pop star Glen Campbell next to John Wayne, who won his only Oscar for the film.

Meanwhile, two of the year’s surprise hits reinvented the western in exciting ways. Easy Rider replaced horses with Harleys as Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode into the sunset. And Midnight Cowboy, with Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman plying the heroin-scarred streets of Times Square, received an X rating on initial release. In fact, the ratings system was in its infancy, with the Motion Picture

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MOVIESTORE COLLECTION LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Midnight Cowboy

Association of America designating films as G, M (later PG), R, or X (later NC-17).

The year 1969 ushered in a generation of filmmakers who wanted to break free from the studio system. In San Francisco, Francis Ford Coppola created American Zoetrope, a production company for indie-minded moviemakers; its first film was Coppola’s haunting The Rain People.

By the end of its first decade the company had produced George Lucas’ American Graffiti and Coppola’s The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now, each nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

Audiences in 1969 were open to new ideas onscreen. Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider were massive hits, finishing the year behind only Butch and Sundance at the box office. Adult-minded films like the free-love-themed Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, the hippieish comedy Cactus Flower and the dramatic adaptation of Philip Roth’s novella Goodbye, Columbus were also among the year’s top 10 highest-grossing movies. It’s difficult to imagine a studio even releasing those films today, let alone audiences packing a multiplex to see them.

If anything, 2019 feels closer to 1989, the year Tim Burton’s Batman, Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade, Back to the Future Part II and Lethal Weapon 2 topped the box office charts. Sequels and franchises were on the rise. During the first eight months of 2019, the top hits were Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel, Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Aladdin and Spider Man: Far From Home — all sequels or franchise movies, all produced by Disney.

UNITED ARCHIVES GMBH/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

“The truth is that 1969 was a remarkable year at the movies, one with many films worth reflecting on, both for their timelessness and for how they documented their particular time in such a fascinating way.”

Hopefully, 10 years from now we’ll see the next 1939, 1969 or 1999 at the movies. For now, here are 10 films from ’69 to put in your streaming queue — time capsules that capture a very special period in Hollywood history.

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Director Paul Mazursky created a sensation with this partner-swapping comedy starring Elliott Gould, Natalie Wood, Robert Culp and Dyan Cannon. The film was an unexpected blockbuster, the fifth highest grossing of the year. It’s a fascinating snapshot of the time, but Quincy Jones’ original score and Burt Bacharach’s “What the World Needs Now Is Love” hold up beautifully.

Easy Rider The ultimate counterculture road trip. Ride along with Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson in search of America’s soul across the southern United

Gimme Shelter In one of the most memorable rock documentaries, filmmakers Albert and David Maysles’ chronicle of the Rolling Stones’ U.S. tour in 1969 happens to capture the end of the Summer of Love in stunning detail. The concert footage of the Stones at their peak is amazing, but the film’s final section, shot at the infamous free concert at the Altamont Speedway, is next-level stuff. What was supposed to be a joyful “West Coast Woodstock” becomes a living nightmare, as members of the Hells Angels attack and murder concertgoer Meredith Hunter while the Stones perform “Under My Thumb.” The Maysles brothers released

MOVIESTORE COLLECTION LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

UNITED ARCHIVES GMBH/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Easy Rider States. Boasting one of the great classic rock soundtracks, this low-budget production touched a nerve and became a worldwide sensation. (For an extra treat, watch Albert Brooks’ 1980s take on the material in Lost in America.)

another masterpiece in 1969: Salesman, their documentary about door-to-door Bible salesmen, is an enduring examination of the American work ethic.

Joe This dark-as-night satire was filmed in 1969 and released in ’70, but its portrayal of a conservative

provocateur, played by Peter Boyle, is chillingly timely for our current cultural moment.

Director John G. Avildsen went on to huge success making underdog achievement films (Rocky, The Karate Kid), but Joe’s pre-MAGA protagonist is more of a cautionary character.

Medium Cool Another outstanding example of chaos captured on film, this experimental drama fuses fiction and reality by splicing footage of the riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago into a story about a TV cameraman trying, and failing, to be objective about those tumultuous events.

Midnight Cowboy The ultimate antihero study, John Schlesinger’s adaptation of James Lee Herlihy’s novel about hustlers in a particularly seedy era for Times Square was the first and only X-rated film to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Co-stars Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman create iconic characters in Joe Buck and Ratso Rizzo, two downon-their-luck losers who have little in life except each other.

Putney Swope The cutting satire about the only black man on the board of an advertising company was an underground hit that is still as biting today as it was 50 years ago. Director Robert Downey Sr. (his son grew up to be Iron Man) created this classic for just over $100,000;

fans of 2018’s Sorry to Bother You should certainly see this one.

The Rain People Director Francis Ford Coppola launched his American Zoetrope studio with the fascinating study of a Long Island housewife who leaves the suburbs and hits the road. Shirley Knight is terrific in the lead, while James Caan and Robert Duvall work with Coppola just three years before The Godfather. This hypnotic, under-seen film is like a feminist take on Easy Rider, and well worth a look.

Take the Money and Run The breakthrough for co-writer/ director/star Woody Allen was a faux documentary about the life of a failed criminal — a perfectly silly showcase for Allen and another example of the period’s interest in nontraditional leading men.

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? Director Sydney Pollack scored an unexpected hit with this riveting, dramatic Depression-era tale of a grueling competitive dance marathon. The actors are superb: Jane Fonda earned her first Oscar nomination and Hollywood veteran Gig Young won Best Supporting Actor. This is a classic example of a studio taking a chance on challenging material in 1969 — they simply don’t make films like They Shoot Horses anymore.

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Quiz

What Is Your Film IQ? Before you reach for the popcorn, see if your movie knowledge is up to muster with our quiz inspired by Hollywood stars who once called the Bay Area home. BY ZACK RUSKIN

A B C D

Clark Tony Reginald Baxter

2 Over the past several years, onetime San Francisco resident Ali Wong has become enormously popular as a stand-up comic. Recently she co-starred in the locally set 2019 Netflix film Always Be My Maybe, in which her character has what profession?

A B C D

Alcatraz tour guide Software engineer Balloon artist Celebrity chef

3 Alicia Silverstone was born in San Francisco and will always be known for her pitch-perfect performance as Cher Horowitz in 1995’s Clueless, a modern-day adaption of which classic novel?

A B C D

Emma by Jane Austen Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Seinlanguage by Jerry Seinfeld

4 Hayward’s Mahershala Ali

has won Best Supporting Actor twice in the last three years. In 2019, Ali won for his work in Green Book. Which 2017 filmed netted him his first statue?

A B C D

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Moonlight La La Land Paul Blart: Mall Cop Hidden Figures

5 Did you know Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson grew up in Hayward? Since then, he’s appeared in a number of movies with comedian Kevin Hart.

Which one of Johnson’s films below does NOT co-star Hart?

A B C D

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Baywatch Jumanji: The Next Level Central Intelligence

6 Oakland’s Zendaya Coleman was recently featured on HBO’s new critically acclaimed series Euphoria.

Earlier this year, she reprised her role as MJ, a twist on the name of which superhero’s love interest?

A B C D

Spider-Man Batman Aquaman Lou Seal

7 San Francisco’s Courtney Love may be better known for her music and marriage to rocker Kurt Cobain, but in 1996, she impressed critics in The People vs. Larry Flynt.

What publication was the cause of Flynt’s real-life prolonged legal troubles?

A B C D

National Geographic Playboy Hustler The Paris Review

8 Actress Leslie Mann was also born in San Francisco. She and her husband, director Judd Apatow, have often worked together. Which of the following Apatow films does not feature Mann onscreen?

A B C D

The 40-Year-Old Virgin Trainwreck Knocked Up Funny People

9 James Franco hails from Palo Alto, but in 2014’s The Interview, he and Seth Rogen play journalists who score a rare chat with which world leader?

A B C D

Beyoncé Kim Jong-un Vladimir Putin Mayor Pete Buttigieg

10 Benjamin Bratt was raised in San Francisco and later co-starred with Sandra Bullock in 2000’s Miss Congeniality, a film that finds the FBI going undercover where?

A B C D

T.G.I. Friday’s Drag Queen Club Beauty pageant United Nations

11 Beloved comedian Margaret Cho is a San Francisco native who once had a small role in the 1997 action film Face/Off, in which this pair of popular actors literally trade faces.

A B C D

ylvester Stallone and S Arnold Schwarzenegger Alec Baldwin and Bruce Willis Johnny Depp and Larry the Cable Guy Nicolas Cage and John Travolta

12 Tom Hanks spent many formative years in Oakland. In 1995, he may have felt like NASA was home after completing filming on which project?

A B C D

Aliens The Fifth Element Gattaca Apollo 13 1. Tony 2. Celebrity chef 3. Emma by Jane Austen 4. Moonlight 5. Baywatch 6. Spider-Man 7. Hustler 8. Trainwreck 9. Kim Jong-un 10. Beauty pageant 11. Nicolas Cage and John Travolta 12. Apollo 13

1 I Dream of Jeannie’s Barbara Eden lived in San Francisco for many years. What was the name of the astronaut, played by Larry Hagman, who found Jeannie’s bottle and brought her home?

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P R O M OT I O N

the DISH EAT, DRINK AND BE ENTERTAINED

piazza d'angelo A SOUTHERN ITALIAN TRATTORIA

Named after the restaurant’s location right on the piazza of downtown Mill Valley, Piazza D’Angelo is an ode to Southern Italian trattorias - family owned, rustic neighborhood restaurants that serve fresh, unassuming, locallysourced delicious food.

Open since 1994, Left Bank continues to be a destination for folks from all over the Bay Area to enjoy a casual snack on the sunny terrace, a glass of wine or hand crafted cocktail at the lively bar, or an elegant dining experience near the fireplace.

At Left Bank, you are sure to capture the true feeling of the Rive Gauche in Paris.

PIAZZA D’ANGELO 22 miller ave. mill valley, ca | 415 388 2000

piazzadangelo.com

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Pizza Antica combines the centuries-old traditions of Italian cooking with California’s freshest and finest ingredients, creating a unique style of pizzeria in a class of its own.

PIZZA ANTICA

800 Redwood Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 415.383.0600 pizzaantica.com

LEFT BANK BRASSERIE

507 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, CA 415.927.3331 leftbank.com

Located in the heart of Mill Valley, Prabh Indian Kitchen is a cultural experience offering authentic Indian food in a traditional way. This casual yet stylish Indian restaurant is a cut above the rest, with an enclosed sunny porch for year-round dining with a view. Come enjoy a well-spiced lamb rogan josh or sizzling kebabs with us soon.

PRABH INDIAN KITCHEN

24 Sunnyside Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 415.384.8241 prabhindiankitchen.com

Once a counter-culture mecca for musicians, actors and artists, today’s Trident welcomes guests from near and far to its landmark waterfront location to enjoy locally-sourced fare for casual meals or celebratory feasts, served indoors or out against a backdrop of stunning bay views.

THE TRIDENT

558 Bridgeway, On the Water, Sausalito, CA 415.331.3232 thetrident.net

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Behind the Curtain

Making It Happen Meet the team doing what’s needed behind the scenes to bring festival audiences new and amazing films. BY BERNARD BOO

T

HE MILL VA LLEY Film Festival

may just be the most easygoing film festival on the planet.

The tranquil beauty of Marin certainly has a lot to do with it, as do the respectful, socially conscious audiences that fill the theaters each year.

But the true secret to MVFF’s laidback vibe is all the work done behind the scenes by the tireless festival staff. From the full-time employees in the California Film Institute offices on Lootens Place in San Rafael to the theater projectionists and employees to the festival consultants and volunteers, it’s hundreds of people devoting time and energy that makes the festival run as smoothly as it does.

What most festivalgoers may not know is that it takes an entire year to make the 10-day event happen. Each year, immediately after it’s over, the staff gathers for a wrap meeting, where they discuss what worked and didn’t work, mull over analyses and numbers, and begin work on improvements for the following year.

“You’re exhausted at that point,” says MVFF executive director Mark Fishkin of the post-festival meetings. “I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘Is that a full-time job?’ People really don’t understand every element that goes into putting on the festival. It takes a village to do this. We’re very fortunate to have the very best people.”

When you break down the festival by the numbers, it becomes evident how monstrous an endeavor it truly is to organize such a sprawling, multifaceted operation. Last year’s festival presented 108 feature films and 96 short films, for a grand total of 204 titles. In preparation for the event, each film is viewed by at least two members of the programming team.

If we assume the average run time for full-length features is about two hours and

36

the average run time for shorts is about 10 minutes, that amounts to 27,840 hours of viewing, minimum, spread across the programming department.

And that’s before taking into account the films that are viewed by more than two programmers and the films that are considered for the festival but ultimately aren’t featured. It’s a mind-boggling workload, to say the least, and it’s all headed up by director of programming Zoë Elton.

“One of the things I notice about people who work with us is that they’re unusual people,” Elton says. “What (our staff members) manage to pull off in a short period of time with such incredible

Film Festival back in May, Federici, Elton and Fishkin were scoping out films for programming consideration and came across one title (to remain unnamed for now) that they fell head over heels for.

“João started working on (securing the film) as soon as we got back home,” Elton recalls. “The film’s representatives have still not confirmed whether we can have it or not. Take a film like that, that we all 100 percent wanted to show at the festival ... and now we’re two months into negotiations for one film that we love so much that we think that it’s worth the time. And they may never say yes.”

“What most festivalgoers may not know is that it takes an entire year to make the 10-day event happen.” focus ... these are not ordinary people.

They’re extraordinary. They’re quite eccentric sometimes as well, but they are extraordinary. They have an incredible passion for what they do.”

There are two major additions to the MVFF programming team this year: Mimi Brody, who is now overseeing the U.S. indie program, and João Federici, heading up the world cinema team. Both have extensive backgrounds in the industry, Brody having served as programmer at the likes of the Tribeca Film Festival and the San Francisco International Film Festival and Federici as executive and artistic director at MixBrasil, a visionary LGBTQ film festival that helped change the cultural conversation in Latin America for the better.

Along with the rest of the festival’s programmers, Brody and Federici have been putting in screening time in advance, though watching films only scratches the surface of the programmers’ responsibilities. At the Cannes

Negotiations like this are a huge part of an MVFF programmer’s job, and there are dozens of deals being struck in the lead-up to the festival. But the programmers aren’t the only ones working. There’s also the festival operations team, the marketing and publicity team, theater operations, events planning, transportation, security, volunteers, and the list goes on.

“When you go to Cannes, you see all of these workers laying out the red carpet,” Fishkin says. “We’re essentially laying out these red carpets all year round for this event, and it just takes so many different people and so many different steps to do it. You really have to love this job.”

MVFF is a labor of love, but you’d never know about the labor part as a festival attendee. Despite all the backstage scrambling, the long hours and the close calls that happen in advance, the event itself always feels effortless, breezy and full of life and laughter, and Elton gives great credit to the MVFF staff.

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P R O M OT I O N

the DISH EAT, DRINK AND BE ENTERTAINED

Consistently rated “Best of Marin,” Comforts offers fine city and home-style food. Our menus change regularly to reflect what is fresh, local and in season. We offer breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, in addition to take-out and catering services. Open 7 days a week.

A block away from the Rafael Theater, visit Vin Antico for a glass of wine and savory bites, and check out the new Loft Bar - our newly remodeled event space designed with style for intimate gatherings. Lunch: TuesdayFriday. Dinner: Monday-Saturday.

COMFORTS

335 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.9840 comfortscafe.com

VIN ANTICO

881 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 415.721.0600 vinantico.com

Cucina is open for lunch Tuesday- Saturday, dinner Tuesday-Sunday.

Now with a full bar! Patio dining available, and semi private options for groups.

CUCINA SA

510 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.2942 cucina-sa.com

PLAYA’s beautiful outdoor patio overlooks downtown Mill Valley.

Sitting under the giant umbrellas, enjoying our amazing Kill Bill Margaritas and authentic Mexican food while admiring Zio Ziegler’s grand mural encompasses the best outdoor experience you’ll find in town. Come early so you get the best spot and great sunshine. We are dog friendly on the patio.

PLAYA

41 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, CA 415.384.8871 playamv.com

Craving local, fresh-caught seafood and stunning views of Angel Island, Tiburon and Mt. Tamalpais? Look no further than Sausalito’s very own Seafood Peddler! Call (415) 332-1492.

SEAFOOD PEDDLER

303 Johnson Street, Sausalito, CA 415.332.1492 seafoodpeddler.com

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Mind the Gap

Equal Play

T

W ENTY YEA RS AGO, Zoë Elton, the direc-

tor of programming for the Mill Valley Film Festival, conducted what she describes as “rudimentary research” to discover the number of female directors in the film industry. At the time she came up with somewhere between 5 and 7 percent.

So in 2013, when Stacy Smith, a professor and founder of the Inclusion Initiative at the Annenberg School at USC, joined a panel at the Mill Valley Film Festival and revealed that today the number of female directors in Hollywood still hovers somewhere between 5 and 7 percent, Elton had an aha moment.

“The lightbulbs just flashed,” she says. “It was stunning to realize that the percentage of women who were being hired as directors in Hollywood hadn’t changed over two decades. Then, of course, you realize they haven’t changed over three decades or four decades. So out of that was born the question: what can we do?”

Faced with Stacy Smith’s definitive data about the lack of progress for women in film (made memorable by Frances McDormand’s “inclusion rider” speech at 2018’s Academy Awards), Elton understood that it was time to make gender representation a priority. “We felt it was time to really bring women’s work and parity forward for

38

the Mill Valley Film Festival,” she says. “Not to just say, oh yeah, we do this, but to be bold about it and to articulate it in ways that are palpable and tangible and offer inspiration for others.”

In 2015, the California Film Institute (CFI) formally launched Mind the Gap at the Mill Valley Film Festival with the intention of addressing the range of issues that affect women in the world of film. In 2017, the festival hosted the first Mind the Gap Summit, a full-day intensive of presentations, classes, networking and conversation around hiring and inclusion. The day before that inaugural event, the Harvey Weinstein story broke and, day by day, painful revelations of other sexual abuse accusations surfaced as the summit and festival took place. “That really set the tone for that first summit,” Elton says. “People’s need for this kind of work, for the connections, for the community and inspiration amongst people who are doing work to forward the causes of gender equity, inclusion and parity — that was really profound.” Then, the next year, the contentious Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination hearings unfolded in parallel timing with the Mind the Gap Summit, further connecting the work of the festival to social realities and to the #MeToo movement. “There’s been this cycle in our lives that has made Mind the Gap so timely and so necessary,” Elton says.

In 2018, while attending the Cannes Film Festival, the MVFF team signed a gender equity pledge entitled 50/50 by 2020, publicly committing to the goal of equal representation in programming by the year 2020. The 50/50 by 2020 initiative rose from Hollywood alongside the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and has gained traction across the globe. Hollywood agencies, including International Creative Management and United Talent Agency, media companies such as VICE media, and major film festivals like Cannes, Venice and Berlin have all signed the pledge. The Mill Valley Film Festival was one of the first U.S. festivals to sign.

“We’d already been doing that work so it was really a case of being in solidarity as a worldwide movement,” Elton says. Currently only five other U.S. festivals have committed to the pledge, a fact Elton attributes to the difficulty of achieving parity in a festival lineup that includes Hollywood films. “As soon as we start adding Hollywood films into the mix, our (programming equity)

ISTOCK/SORBETTO

With the industry still dominated by male directors, the MVFF found a way to feature the work of women. BY KIRSTEN JONES NEFF

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“On location” in Mill Valley and Marin

Katie Norby Realtor

katienorbyrealtor.com katienorby@me.com 415.307.3531 CaBRE #01857831

Thank you Mill Valley Film Festival for 42 years of great film!

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Mind the Gap

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Zoë Elton

“It was stunning to realize that the percentage of women who were being hired as directors in Hollywood hadn’t changed over two decades.” to Swedish Film Institute CEO Anna Serner. Under Serner the Swedish Film Institute has distributed funds equally to male and female filmmakers and published a 2018 report entitled “The Money Issue,” analyzing financial and investment data in the film industry and its relevance to working conditions for female filmmakers, as compared with their male counterparts.

The summit’s overall goal: to give female filmmakers practical guidance for successfully securing funds for projects. “In A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf wrote, ‘A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction,’ ” says Elton. “Almost 100 years later, that’s the quote that has been driving me.”

At the time of printing, Elton could not say for sure that the festival has reached 50/50 in 2019, but it’s very close — enough to be confident of parity for 2020 (it was 45 percent in 2018). Beyond the important work of tracking how many female directors, producers, writers, cinematographers and editors are on production teams, the Mind the Gap program and its 2020 parity pledge have expanded and enriched the content of the festival, Elton adds. “With these initiatives, we programmers have gotten into much more incisive conversations,” she says. “We look at whether female characters have agency, or if they are just being reactive or sidelined.

These aren’t just conversations about women, but about story in general, and how stories are told.”

TOMMY LAU

percentages go down. That is why a lot of other film festivals don’t sign on.” In other words, the independent film community has made significantly more progress toward gender equity than Hollywood has.

The landscape in Hollywood, despite recent attention to inequality, has not evolved, and the numbers speak for themselves. In 91 years of Academy Awards, only five women have been nominated for Best Director, and, according to recent USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative research, today 96 percent of “top 100” (read big-name, big-budget) Hollywood studio directors are men. What makes it so difficult for women, who comprise approximately half the total number of film school graduates, to gain a directorial stronghold? “When money comes in, when the budgets are higher, research shows, the women fall out,” says Alison Emilio, a Mind the Gap Summit panelist and director of ReFrame, a Los Angeles–based organization that has developed a stamp of approval for productions meeting key benchmarks in gender parity and diversity hiring.

“There is a bias when it comes to money. So, how do we hack that bias and change those numbers?” Emilio asks. One answer is her organization’s ReFrame Rise Directors Program, which pairs talented midcareer female directors with established industry “ambassadors” who serve as sponsors to help them advance further in the film and TV worlds. “This will create a change in diversity and content and, at the same time, studies show that women hire women,” she adds, “so we are creating a systemic change down the line.”

Emilio sees programs like the Mind the Gap Summit as critical for promoting the conversation about equality in film. “This is a great place for those of us doing this work to collaborate,” she notes. “It’s a meeting place for us to find out what (inclusion advocacy) organizations like Women and Hollywood are doing, or what Zoë and her festival team are doing. We improve our ideas by sharing and hearing about what else is happening out there in the field, and then we build on the work.”

The theme of the 2019 Mind the Gap Summit is straightforward: money. “Financing is very important.

Power is very important. Money and power go hand in hand,” Elton says. “The reins of power in Hollywood have been held by men exclusively for a long time.”

Summit panels this year will address the nuts and bolts of financing, pay equity and the power dynamics in the industry that underlie stagnant numbers. The Mind the Gap Award, an annual prize honoring an industry leader’s work to close the gender gap, will be presented

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Local Talent

Neighborhood Makers The Mill Valley Film Festival screens films from around the world but it doesn’t neglect local talent. Here are works by Marin-based artists making an appearance this year. BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA Coup 53 Director Taghi Amiran’s feature debut is a look into the 1953 American- and British-orchestrated coup d’etat in Iran that displaced the democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and strengthened the totalitarian grip of the shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Editor and co-writer Walter Murch lives in Bolinas Journey to Hokusai This film explores the connection between artists from different worlds. Mill Valley–bred woodblock printer Tom Killion travels to Kyoto to learn the traditional Japanese method of printing by hand as performed by his artistic inspiration, Hokusai. Director Chikara Motomura lives in Corte Madera Thousand Pieces of Gold Lalu is taken from China to the American Old West after being sold into marriage in director Nancy Kelly’s underseen masterwork. Based on a true story, this film is being shown in a new 4K restoration. Director Nancy Kelly lives in Greenbrae The Lure of This Land In this documentary, a group of people travel to Belize to find themselves. The country, nature of the land, and peaceful multicultural society provide freedom and an outlet for these creative seekers to flourish. Director Alexandra A. Lexton lives in Kentfield

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo

The New Environmentalists: From Liberia to Mongolia This documentary short by Mill Valley Film Group profiles six activists who have placed themselves in precarious situations while fighting for environmental justice in their communities.

Directors Will Parrinello, John Antonelli and Matt Yamashita comprise the Mill Valley Film Group Xmas Cake: This American Shelf Life A coming-of-middle-age story centers on a female pop singer’s journey from hot to not. Director May Yam lives in Mill Valley Counter Mapping A traditional Zuni farmer and museum director works with Zuni artists to make maps that restore an indigenous perspective on the land, countering Western notions of geography, place and arbitrary borders. Co-director Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee lives in Point Reyes Station Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo Trejo traces his journey from troubled kid growing up in Pacoima, California, to teenage drug addict and San Quentin prison inmate to film star, philanthropist and role model.

Subject Danny Trejo served time in San Quentin State Prison

Thousand Pieces of Gold

Fangs for the Memories A documentary crew follows a teen “vampire” who lusts after a girl who is dating his bully. Director Mason Reoch lives in San Rafael and is a student at Marin School of the Arts in Novato

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Stargazing

Who’s Who There’s no shortage of star power at Mill Valley Film Festival. BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

Clockwise from top left: Mahershala Ali; Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet; Amandla Stenberg and Joel Edgerton; Karyn Kusama and Richard E. Grant.

TOMMY LAU; DREW ALTIZER (TOP LEFT)

The Mill Valley Film Festival has attracted plenty of Oscar-worthy talent and films over the years. For a case in point, just look at all the awards festival opener Green Book nabbed last year. One of that film’s leads, Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali, was among those present, as were many other stars who walked the red carpet. Here are some of the other big names who came out in 2018.

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Clockwise from top left: Denis O’Hare and Stephen Moyer; Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal; Rosamund Pike and Matthew Heineman; Stephen Moyer, Anna Paquin, Denis O’Hare, Cerise Larkin and Mark Larkin; KiKi Layne and Barry Jenkins.

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TOMMY LAU (BOTTOM RIGHT, MIDDLE); ALLISON LEVENSON (TOP LEFT, BOTTOM LEFT); MARK REYNOLDS (TOP RIGHT)

Stargazing

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Coming Soon to a Neighborhood Near You...

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