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In a time when it seems that every hamlet with enough wall space to hoist a screen mounts its own international film festival, it’s surprising to learn that there was no serious attempt to stage such an event in the United States before 1957 in San Francisco. The subject here is the against-all-odds survival of the Festival during its infancy.
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Eight taiko drummers pounded out a welcome, and Akira Kurosawa stepped up on the stage, tall, slim, elegant and, as always, hidden behind dark glasses. Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, who had helped him finance his latest film, Kagemusha, joined him on stage. Continued
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In a very personal sense, Jean Renoir was a key inspiration
to great figures in the humanist film tradition. and his films continue
to inspire filmmakers even today. In 1960, near the end of his filmmaking
career, Renoir was invited to serve on the Golden Gate Awards jury. Continued >>
The Cuban Missile Crisis was on: President Kennedy threatened to
initiate a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union over its placement
of missiles in Cuba. Fortunately for all of us, Krushchev withdrew
the missiles, and a delegation of Soviet filmmakers attended the
Sixth San Francisco International Film Festival. Continued
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The Festival's occasional series, The Unvanquished, honored filmmakers
who continued to make their art after suffering repression. Among
those honored as Unvanquished are Abraham Polonsky, Karen Morley
and John Berry, who were victims of the Hollywood blacklist.
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Someone once asked movie mogul Jack Warner to define the term "movie
star." He answered with two words: "Bette Davis."
The larger-than-life movie star was nominated ten times for best
actress, winning twice. In 1977 she was the first female to be honored
by the American Film Institute with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
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She went from Hollywood sex symbol to become a major presence in
Mexican cinema. At the age of 76 Dolores Del Rio appeared on the
stage of the Palace of Fine Arts theater the evening of October
11, 1981 for an unforgettable tribute at the 25th San Francisco
International Film Festival. Continued
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In his early films Alec Guinness became known for his droll comedy,
but in the course of a long and distinguished career, brought an
equal depth and complexity to drama, adventure and even science
fiction. Continued
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In San Francisco, columnist Herb Caen wrote that the Film Festival's
Opening Night looked like a rerun of the Academy Awards of 1937,
and he didn’t mean it as a compliment. Continued
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She’s been called the biggest movie star that ever was. Bigger
than Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor. She was
the hottest thing in Hollywood in 1917. Some held her to be the
most popular woman in the world. Continued
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The film lion of the moment, France’s François Truffaut,
was to be the subject of a tribute that fall evening in 1973. Only
42, Truffaut had captured the hearts of million of filmgoers with
his charming films. Continued
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When the Motion Picture Academy announced in 2000 that it would
be presenting a special Oscar to Andrzej Wajda, it marked a high
point of recognition for this giant of modern cinema. In the United
States, it was the San Francisco International Film Festival that
first recognized the merits of this remarkable man. Continued
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