Bay Area Blockbuster: SF Film Society Plans Expansion as Film Arts Foundation Closes Its Doors

In a seismic shift within the Bay Area film community, the San Francisco Film Society (SFFS), which organizes the annual San Francisco International Film Fesival -- the oldest fest in the United States -- today unveiled a major expansion in the wake of the simultaneous announcement of the closure of the city's 32 year old Film Arts Foundation. The latest non-profit film organization to face fatal financial challenges, Film Arts recently sold its interest in the local 9th Street building it shared with a number of festivals and arts organizations, paying down its debts in the process and paving the way for a deal with the Film Society. "Film Arts Foundation has essentially gone under," SFFS executive director Graham Leggat explained to indieWIRE late Friday, previewing today's announcement. "We managed to catch the ball before it hit the ground."

Following in the footsteps of the move this year by the Tribeca Film Institute in acquiring Renew Media, a recent re-branding of the Atlanta Film Festival and its year-round programing via the Image Film and Video Center, and the growing bond between Film Independent and its annual Los Angeles Film Festival -- not to mention the dynamic relationship between the Sundance Institute and its annual Sundance Film Festival -- the San Francisco Film Society announcement underscores the importance of film festivals as anchor events for bigger film organizations.

http://www.indiewire.com/biz/2008/08/bay_area_blockb.html

From the absorption of the mini-majors to the question mark hanging over indie distribution, the entire indie side of the film world is in transition. These shifts are significant and wide ranging enough that we're surprised it hasn't yet spawned its own name.

Self Distribution: Just Do It?

DIY Deal: Sidetrack Aligns With Nike For "Beautiful Losers" Theatrical Release

by Peter Knegt (August 5, 2008)

Sidetrack Films has signed Nike Sportswear to back the upcoming release of Aaron Rose and Joshua Leonard's "Beautiful Losers," the documentary that debuted earlier this year at the SXSW Film Festival. While the filmmakers and Sidetrack entertained traditional offers from distributors after the film's Austin premiere, they decided instead to release the film on their own with the support of Nike. The shoe and apparel company will fund a five market launch for the film, including prints & advertising support. The doc won the Documentary Jury Award at 2008 Cinevegas and opens this Friday at New York's IFC Center, before a roll-out.

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Have You Seen Chop Shop?

Chop Shop is easily one of the top 5 films I've seen this year, along side Medicine for Melancholy.

Shop does--and so does Medicine--what I love best about great films. It just starts. No exposition. No montages. No foreshadowing.

These chunks of a review from Movie Zeal say it best:

The characters are given no back-story, and probably have little future; the only thing that matters in Chop Shop is the action in the moment.

...Chop Shop isn’t really about plot; all that exists or matters in this film are the characters and their actions. There’s a good deal of Italian neorealist influence here as well, albeit without the philosophical pretensions.

My greatest complaint about storytelling now days, is we rarely get to see a character make a decision and then watch the outcome. Too many films are about watching a character contemplating a decision. Talking about a decision. Or dreading a decision they made.

If you're looking for something interesting to check out, rent this flick. If you have Netflix you can watch it online now.