45TH
SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL to PRESENT
The 45th San Francisco International
Film Festival (April 18 - May 2) pairs alternative rock band SUPERCHUNK
with the 1926 avant-garde masterpiece A PAGE OF MADNESS. The film was
lost until the early 1970s when the filmmaker, Teinosuke Kinugasa,
found a print he had hidden in a rice barrel during WWII. A PAGE OF MADNESS
is now regarded as Japan’s finest example of expressionist cinema, although
it was a box office failure in 1926. The union of this rarely seen, experimental
silent film with the melodic intensity of SUPERCHUNK can be experienced on
April 23, 7:00 pm at the Castro Theatre.
Although A PAGE OF MADNESS was created
in 1926, it seems as if it has been waiting for this century to be presented
with a contemporary score. With the addition of Superchunk and its vibrant
rock soundtrack, this masterpiece will be complete,” Says
Carl Spence,
Director of Programming.
Formed in 1989 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the ever-evolving band SUPERCHUNK, is one of America’s original indie rock groups. With buzzing guitars and melodic vocals, SUPERCHUNK is uncompromising in its commitment to making fiercely independent records. Shunning the pursuit of major labels, SUPERCHUNK, started their own company, Merge Records. Merge now represents over 40 bands and is a staple in the indie community.
Without the benefit of intertitles,
A PAGE OF MADNESS, tells the story of
an elderly man who works as a janitor in an insane asylum so he can be near
his wife who is a patient there. A
PAGE OF MADNESS incorporates many film techniques available at the time,
into a dizzying blend of tilted camera angles, fast and slow motion and superimpositions
with expressionistic sensibility. Striking and powerful, A
PAGE OF MADNESS, is a chilling interpretation of insanity and reality.
The coupling of Kinugasa’s innovative and highly experimental vision with
SUPERCHUNK’s pioneering sound is a must-see event. Special Admission $20.00 regular / $18.00 SFFS members.
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.