47th San Francisco International Film Festival to Open with Jim Jarmusch's Coffee and Cigarettes

The 47th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 15-29) is set to open on Thursday, April 15, 7 pm, at the historic Castro Theatre with Jim Jarmusch's COFFEE AND CIGARETTES, a humorous collection of café conversations on various offbeat topics.

COFFEE AND CIGARETTES stars an assortment of beloved performers including Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Alfred Molina, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Roberto Benigni and members of the Wu-Tang Clan discussing various eclectic subjects and fueled by nicotine and caffeine. Topics covered include Abbott & Costello, Elvis conspiracy theories, the proper preparation of English tea, the inventions of Nikola Tesla, the fictitious rock band Sqürl, Paris in the twenties and the use of nicotine as an insecticide. The film is distributed by United Artists.

Roxanne Messina Captor, executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, which presents the Festival, said, "COFFEE AND CIGARETTES continues Jim Jarmusch's delightful investigation into the offbeat, featuring his familiar brand of humor, a cast of internationally known actors and musicians and evocative black-and-white photography."

The Opening Night party begins at 9:30 pm at the San Francisco Design Center's Galleria, a glamorous, four-story glass palace. Guests will be able to explore surprising vignettes on each floor amidst great food, fabulous beverages, live music and dancing. Thirst-quenching and culinary delights will be available from over 16 Bay Area food purveyors with libations from Sterling Vineyards, SKYY Vodka and Guinness. Tickets for the Opening Night festivities are $125 VIP / $85 regular / $75 for SFFS members. Opening Night is sponsored by Sterling Vineyards.

The 47th San Francisco International Film Festival runs April 15-29, 2004 at the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres "The Home of the Festival," the Castro Theatre, the Pacific Film Archive Theater in Berkeley and the Century Cinema 16 Mountain View. Tickets for San Francisco Film Society members will be available on March 23 and for the general public on March 30. To purchase tickets and for ticket information log on to www.sffs.org, call 925.275.9490, or visit the Main Box Office, located in the atrium of the AMC Kabuki 8 Theatres at 1881 Post Street or the Satellite Box Office at Crocker Galleria, 50 Post Street, second floor, opening on March 30. For up-to-date Festival information log on to www.sffs.org or call 415.931.FILM.

The 47th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 15-29, 2004) is presented by the San Francisco Film Society, a nonprofit arts and educational organization dedicated to celebrating international film and the moving image.