Thompson on Hollywood

San Francisco Int'l Film Fest Names Doc and Feature Titles Competing for Cash Prizes

Festivals

The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs April 25 - May 9, announces the films competing for its New Directors Prize and the Golden Gate Award. A total of $70K will be awarded by the festival this year...

By Sophia Savage
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March 5, 2013 1:10 PM
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Five Sundance 2013 Titles Hail from San Francisco Film Society's Filmmaker360 Program

Festivals

Sundance has chosen five films from the San Francisco Film Society's Filmmaker360 program for its 2013 edition. The five titles that will premiere at Sundance are...

By Sophia Savage
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November 28, 2012 5:39 PM
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EXCLUSIVE: Hope Talks San Francisco Film Society Grants, Thirteen Finalists Vie for $300,000 Win

News

Indie producer Ted Hope is settling into his new home at the San Francisco Film Society. And he's excited about being able to give grants to filmmakers. "One of the reasons I came to the Film Society was that we've given away close to $2 million in the last few years in artist grants," he says, delighted to be announcing the next round of 13 finalists (listed below) vying for $300,000. Three winners will be announced in December. "It's so rare to give artists grants. I never knew about these grants as a producer. I want filmmakers to know about them."

By Anne Thompson
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October 30, 2012 6:27 AM
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Ted Hope Explains His Surprise Move to San Francisco

Interviews

So why did indie producer Ted Hope take this dramatic turn in his career, moving from New York to San Francisco to take the executive director reins at the San Francisco Film Society? Well, first, Hope denies that he's ditching indie film production. He's simply reversing the order of the two things that matter most to him: making indie films and fighting for their future.

By Anne Thompson
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August 9, 2012 1:07 PM
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Ted Hope Sidelines New York Indie Production for San Francisco Film Society Executive Director Role

News

The San Francisco Film Society has lucked out. After a long and sad process--having suffered the too-early losses of both directors Graham Leggat and his replacement, Bingham Ray--the SFSS has hired one of the best and brightest producers in the independent community as its new executive director. Ted Hope starts September 1.

By Anne Thompson
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August 8, 2012 4:15 PM
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55th San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Awards and Prizes at Golden Gate Awards Party

Festivals

While the Golden Gate Awards party was going on at the Rasselas Jazz Club and Restaurant on Fillmore, I was some 33 miles south, at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, watching Howard Hawks’ “A Girl in Every Port,” accompanied by Dennis James on the Mighty Wurlitzer...

By Meredith Brody
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May 3, 2012 4:32 PM
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San Francisco International Film Festival 55: 'Abramovic,' 'Neighboring Sounds,' and Kenneth Branagh

Festivals

Kind of a light Festival day: viewed a DVD that I loved, saw a new movie onscreen that was a first feature and reminded me why we go to film festivals, went to a cocktail party that didn’t feel like one, and attended Kenneth Branagh’s tribute for the Founder’s Directing Award. First up, the DVD: “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present.”

By Meredith Brody
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May 2, 2012 4:19 PM
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SFIFF 55: Judy Davis, 'Women with Cows,' "The Giants,' Rissient on Hawks

Festivals

I have viewed myself into a corner; there’s practically nothing playing this afternoon that I haven’t already seen. I have prepared for this by checking out press screeners, despite my internal script that runs: “you don’t go to film festivals to watch movies on DVD.” So I choose either talking heads docs or movies with less than epic sweep.

By Meredith Brody
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April 30, 2012 3:21 PM
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55th San Francisco International Film Festival: from Fest Guilt and Porn to Rory Kennedy's 'Ethel'

Festivals

I’m not particularly fond of the phrase “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans,” (even if it’s attributed to Woody Allen). But I’m being reminded of it daily. A couple of days ago, I felt guilty that I was watching a James Bond marathon instead of attending the afternoon honoring Barbara Kopple ...