45TH SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTS
FIRST MIDNIGHT MOVIE SERIES
 
Four Films That Appeal to Edgier Sensibilities
 
The 45th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 18–May 2) is excited to present THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT, a new series for lovers of extreme cinema. Featuring gnarly skaters, fearless assassins, lesbian vampires, a one man yakuza secret weapon in a black ninja suit with razor blade toes and MATRIXesque fight sequences, these films are not for the faint of heart. Part thriller, part adrenaline rush, part high-octane jolt, THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT promises cutting-edge entertainment for the after-hours crowd. “These films are not B-movies waiting to be shown at 2:00 am on cable. When the clock strikes midnight, the Kabuki Theatre will become a gathering place for cinephiles who love the intensity of films on the edge,” says Carl Spence, Director of Programming for the 45th San Francisco International Film Festival. 
 
 
ICHI THE KILLER (Takashi Miike, Japan)
This gonzo gangland epic stars Japanese indie superstar Tadanobu Asano as an albino yakuza terrorizing Tokyo’s gangster population with methods so radical they make even his street-hardened colleagues blanch.
 
MAY (Lucky McKee, USA)
A young woman, ostracized and alone in the big city, decides to make some new friends . . . out of spare body parts. Part camp-horror, part urban-neurotic-thriller, demon dolls and nymphomaniac lesbian secretaries add further spice to this Frankenstein/Argento/Polanski homage.
 
THE PRINCESS BLADE (Sato Shinsuke, Japan)
High-tech special effects and the action artistry of Donnie Yen (IRON MONKEY) unite with jaw-dropping results in a futuristic Japan of dictators, rebels and a rogue female assassin looking to avenge her mother’s death by slaughtering them all.
 
DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS (Stacy Peralta, USA)
Extreme sports pioneer Stacy Peralta mixes mid ’70s skate/surf footage with contemporary interviews of skateboarding legends and period music in this adrenaline-inducing homage to the genesis and influence of skate punk culture. Narrated by Sean Penn.
 
Guinness is the exclusive sponsor of THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT.
 
The 45th San Francisco International Film Festival is presented by the San Francisco Film Society, a nonprofit arts organization whose goal is to lead in expanding the knowledge and appreciation of international film art and its artists by showcasing the most compelling, thought-provoking international films, special tributes and major restorations, and today’s brightest stars.
 
The 45th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 18–May 2, 2002 at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres, the Castro Theatre, the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley and Landmark’s Park Theatre in Menlo Park. Advance ticket packages and Festival passes go on sale beginning March 6. Individual tickets for San Francisco Film Society members will be available beginning March 27, with individual tickets for the general public available starting April 2. To purchase tickets and for ticket information call 925.275.9490 or log on to www.sffs.org. The Main Box Office, located in the atrium of the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres at 1881 Post Street will open for Film Society members on March 27 and for the general public on April 2. There will also be a Satellite Box Office at Crocker Galleria, 50 Post Street, second floor, opening on April 2. For up-to-date Festival information, call 415.931.FILM.