Film-fest season in the Bay Area kicks off with two weeks of screenings, celebrity sightings and parties at the SF International Film Festival (Apr 4–17). The 2018 roster, which comprises 183 films from 45 countries, focuses on themes like diversity and innovation as well as highlighting foreign and female directors. Read our picks for the movies you can’t miss.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
Marina Zenovich’s portrait of the late, great comic is told in the honest style of Behind the Music, delving into Williams’s stand-up for clues to his mental state. Bring tissues.
Saturday, April 7, 2pm at the Castro Theatre; $8–$16.
Tully
Keep your eyes peeled for Charlize Theron zooming around town. Along with a career tribute to the woman who portrayed Imperator Furiosa, this screening of the Oscar-winning actress’s new dramedy—about a struggling suburban mom—features a conversation between Theron and director Jason Reitman.
Sunday, April 8 at the Castro Theatre; $8–$16.
Sorry to Bother You
From Oakland’s Boots Riley comes this funny dystopian film that’s set in an alternate but present-day version of the Town. The Sundance hit tells the story of Cassius Green, a black telemarketer who discovers the key to professional success: using a white voice.
Thursday, April 12, 8pm at Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland; $8–$16.
RBG
Your favorite Supreme Court justice ascends to the silver screen. The new film, directed by Betsy West, takes a look at Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life, from her childhood and Harvard and Columbia school days to her Supreme Court appointment and status as a feminist icon. Audiences also get a glimpse of—no joke—her famed workout routine.
Saturday, April 14, 1pm at the Castro Theatre; $8–$16.
Roll out the red carpet. Even more film fests head to the Bay Area this summer.
CAAMFest: May 10–24
San Francisco Silent Film Festival: May 30–June 3
San Francisco Documentary Festival: May 31–June 14
Frameline42: June 14–24
San Francisco Black Film Festival: June 14-17