51st San Francisco International Film Festival Continues Tradition of Pairing Live Music with Iconic Films

Indie Rock Legend Black Francis to Premiere Original Score to 1920 Silent Film The Golem

Vanity Fair is the Platinum Sponsor of SFIFF51

February 15, 2008

San Francisco, CA – The 51st San Francisco International Film Festival (April 24–May 8) announces a highly anticipated special event of the Festival—Black Francis of the Pixies performs the world premiere of his newly composed original score for the 1920 German expressionist silent film masterpiece The Golem. The program premieres at the historic Castro Theatre on Friday, April 25 at 9:30 pm.

The last in a trilogy of films based on the golem myth by director Paul Wegener and emblematic of the German expressionist film movement, The Golem follows a rabbi’s creation of the Golem — a Frankenstein-like creature sculpted from rough clay and brought to life through sorcery to protect the threatened Jewish Ghetto. Wegener’s treatment of this legend depicts a world of secrets, magic and anxiety capable of producing amazing discoveries and insights, as well as horrific power. The Golem has been the inspiration for the Frankenstein creature and numerous subsequent man-made monsters in the movies. The film, shot by master cinematographer Karl Freund (Metropolis, 1927, The Last Laugh, 1924) will be screened in a beautiful archival print.
 
“The Golem remains one of the most enigmatic and beautiful films of the silent era,” said Programming Associate Sean Uyehara. “Its mysteries continue to open themselves up to us.” With his longstanding interest in the mystical and otherworldly, Francis is a perfect fit to offer up a new interpretation of this classic through his original musical composition.

Known as Black Francis when he fronted the hugely influential rock band the Pixies, the man whose given name is Charles Thompson began to record as Frank Black after the Pixies’ breakup in 1993. He continued to record prolifically as a solo artist and with the band the Catholics until the Pixies reformed in 2004. After releasing the ten-year retrospective Frank Black 93-03in summer 2007, Black reverted to the name Black Francis and the associated musical sound with his late 2007 solo release Bluefinger. Regardless of his current moniker, Francis is known as one of the most eminent songwriters and performers of his generation, who, along with the Pixies, is referenced as an influence by contemporary musical groups from Nirvana to Radiohead to Weezer, which speaks to both his musical and lyrical genius. 

“We have been hoping to commission Black Francis for years now, and finally the timing worked out,” Uyehara said. “I can’t wait to see him paired with this classic silent film at the Castro Theatre.”

Tickets for this world premiere event at the Castro are $20 for the general public and $15 for San Francisco Film Society members.

Vanity Fair is the Platinum Sponsor of SFIFF51.

Founded in 1957, the vanguard San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. Held each spring for 15 days, the International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation in the country’s most beautiful city, featuring 25 juried awards, 200 films and live events with upwards of 100 participating filmmakers and diverse audiences of 80,000+ people.

The 51st International runs April 24–May 8, 2008 at the Sundance Cinemas Kabuki, the Castro Theatre and Landmark’s Clay Theatre in San Francisco; and the Pacific Film Archive Theater in Berkeley.

For tickets and information go to www.sffs.org, call 925.866.9559 or visit the SFIFF51 Satellite Ticket Outlet at One Embarcadero Center, lobby level. 

San Francisco Film Society is a nonprofit arts and educational organization dedicated to celebrating the world of film and media. The Film Society’s year-round programs and events are concentrated in four core areas: Internationalism and Cross-Cultural Exchange; Educating and Inspiring Bay Area Youth; Showcasing Bay Area Film Culture; and Exploring New Digital Media. The Film Society’s acclaimed Education Program introduces international cinema and media literacy to thousands of teachers and students (ages 8–18) annually.

SF360, the Film Society’s broad-spectrum series of programs designed to showcase the extraordinary vitality and variety of the Bay Area film and media scene includes www.SF360.org, SF360 San Francisco Movie Night, SF360 Film+Club and SF360 Movie Scene.

The Society will present the Third San Francisco International Animation Festival and 12th New Italian Cinema in November 2008.