Sonoma International Film Festival

-Official Sonoma Film Festival Press-

16th Annual Sonoma Film Festival Film Highlights:

A range of epicurean films includes Lo Zucco: The Wine of the Son of the King of the French, a U.S. Premiere from Italy about the Duke of Aumale who, exiled from France, settled in Sicily where he applied the agricultural precepts of Virgil; A Year in Burgundy, a look at a full wine-making year in the Burgundy region of France in 2011; and Spinning Plates, recent Audience Choice Award winner at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Two environmental films that happen to both be narrated by Robert Redford are Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West, about the urgent threat facing the Colorado River, a vital waterway that faces distinction, produced by James Redford and directed by Mark Decena; and A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet, directed by Mark Kitchell about the first big-picture exploration of the environmental movement’s evolution of grassroots and global activism, and narrated also by Ashley Judd, Van Jones, Isabel Allende and Meryl Streep.

International fare includes the North American Premiere of You Will Be My Son (Tu Seras Mon Fils) from France set in the beautiful Saint-Émilion region, a modern retelling of the parable of the prodigal son; Iranian film The Sinners, directed by Faramarz Gharibian and written by his son Sam, shrewdly channels Hitchcock in this film noir with an Iranian twist; and Caught in the Web, a multi-layered black comedy set in modern-day China and was China’s official submission to the 2013 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

Terms and Conditions May Apply is a documentary directed by Cullen Hoback that exposes the outrageous and downright scary things that happen to your personal info when you click “Yes” without reading the fine print, featuring interviews with musician Moby, futurist Ray Kurzweil and science-fiction author Orson Scott Card, as well as a privacy-invading ambush of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Project Censored: The Movie has its World Premiere at SIFF, determined to break the grip that ‘junk food news’ has on the American people by exposing important stories that are rarely, if ever, reported by the corporate media.

Village Music: Last of the Great Record Stores features the Mill Valley cultural institution, Village Music, and Cover Story – Album Art features some of the most iconic images of the vinyl era, with the stories behind album covers from such musicians as Grateful Dead, Yes, Nirvana and more. The Cover artists are expected to support the film.

Chuck Jones’ daughter Linda will introduce a screening of Best of Looney Tunes Cartoons, featuring classic cartoons from the legendary animation director’s personal collection, followed by a Q&A.

On Friday, April 12 at 1:00 pm at the Woman’s Club SIFF will present a Special Sneak Preview of a feature film debut from a returning filmmaker whose short film premiered at SIFF several years ago.

Festival Highlights & Local Offerings

Complementing its diverse and truly international program of independent cinema, SIFF offers a unique blend of world-class cuisine from local artisans and exceptional wine from Sonoma vintners, making for an epicurean experience few film festivals in the world can match. Renowned filmmakers, industry leaders and celebrities have enjoyed its intimate ambiance, while many filmmakers who have premiered at SIFF return with future projects. Following are just a few special highlights the festival has to offer:

Film Categories & Sidebars

SIFF will continue its commitment to feature exciting, culturally enlightening, and entertaining programming and sidebars. 105 films from around the world will be brought together to form an incredibly unique and diverse festival experience.

Films from the following categories will be shown:

American Indies Documentaries World Cinema Environmental Food & Wine LGBT Sports & Action Music & Arts Cinema en Español Family

JURIED AWARDS:

Best American Independent Feature Best World Feature Best Documentary Feature Best Narrative Short Best Documentary Short

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

-The A3 Audience Award of $1,500 for Best Documentary (named in honor of Amar A. Archbold, a longtime supporter and extraordinary Board member) -The Stolman Audience Award of $1,500 for the Best American Independent Feature (named in memory of Caroline and Ed Stolman, founders of the Sonoma International Film Festival) -Audience Award Best World Feature

The full list of films is below or at http://www.sonomafilmfest.org

Ticket Information:

With several pass options, SIFF can be enjoyed at different levels ranging from “One Day Movies Only” passes to VIP Star Passes for the full festival experience. More information at http://www.sonomafilmfest.org/film-festival-passes-html

About the Sonoma International Film Festival:

Now in its 16th year, the Sonoma International Film Festival (April 10-14, 2013) takes place in the heart of Northern California’s Wine Country and features more than 100 hand-selected films including independent features, documentaries, world cinema, shorts and a showcase of Spanish language films. All films are shown at intimate venues within walking distance on Sonoma’s historic plaza. The Festival is dedicated to promoting independent film, supporting filmmakers around the world, and inspiring film lovers. This unique 5-day event offers world-class cuisine from local artisans and exceptional wine from Sonoma vintners. Renowned filmmakers, industry leaders and celebrities such as Bruce Willis, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams and Danny Glover have walked the festival red carpet and enjoyed its intimate ambiance.

For more information, please visit www.sonomafilmfest.org. 

-Official Sonoma Film Festival Press-