My Own [Worst] Enemy
A mistake-filled film festival, a poetry party in the Mission, and tomato fights
My worst grade ever was in moral philosophy. Why I need to theorize if an imaginary train should hit my nonexistent 8 puppies or an orphan’s litter of piglets is beyond me. But my hot take on the class may explain where I landed on the curve. By the final exam, I was ready to put Rawls and the gang behind me and chose the seemingly simplest essay option: Would Kant consider the act of riding a cab as using the driver as a means to an end? ‘Death spiral’ most acutely describes what landed on the page, and I learned that the simplest questions are always the hardest to answer.
Throw some tomatoes, experience Czech avant-garde cinema, and blow out the candles for a poet-activist’s 90th birthday.
The Worst Film Fest
Category: Film
Date: Thursday, August 29th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Mama Dog Studios (East Bay)
Price Range: $13
Why I Care: Some mistakes lead to the discovery of penicillin. Others result in a New Mexican landfill full of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Atari cartridges. This festival celebrates cinematic gaffes as a natural part of achieving silver screen success. Filmmakers have submitted their own “worst work” for this light-hearted evening of self-flagellation that lets the audience in on a little secret: the artistic process is a hot mess.
In that spirit, ticket proceeds will fund future projects for local filmmakers.
San Francisco Zine Fest
Category: Literary & Family Friendly
Date: Sunday, September 1st @ 11am (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: City View at Metreon (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Think of the San Francisco Art Book Fair as a Zine fest pregame. With over 2 decades in operation, the San Francisco Zine Fest anchors on inclusive programming to support artists across the Bay. Filled with panels, workshops, and A/C, the festival also takes steps to further inclusivity through free programming, ASL interpreters, and wheelchair accessibility. Also, how dope is it to throw the word ‘zine’ around like you’re in the print world know?
Tomatopia 2024: Tomato Fight!
Category: Culinary
Date: Thursday, August 29th @ 5pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: El Lopo (SF)
Price Range: Free to spectate / $20 to participate
Why I Care: Can’t stomach clicking through another galavanting-in-Europe post? Lucky for you, Europe is touching down in SF this Thursday. El Lopo is celebrating La Tomatina, a Spanish festival that evolved from a 1940s food fight into the 20,000 person tradition it is today. A ticket gets you “a basket of ammunition fruit” and memorabilia towel, while also helping cover the cost of cleanup.
Not looking to get covered in tradition? Spectate for free but heed the splash zone.
Something Different: The Films of Věra Chytilová
Category: Film
Date: Friday, August 30th @ 5pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) (East Bay)
Price Range: $14
Why I Care: Czech director Věra Chytilová came of cinematic age during the 1968 Prague Spring and is known as a tidal force of the Czech New Wave movement. BAMPFA is screening her critically-acclaimed 1966 film Daisies as part of a wider series on the experimental filmmaker’s body of work. Banned at the time of release due to its commentary on excess, gender, and corruption, Daisies is a hypnotic, disorienting comedy of sorts that leans more heavily on vibes than plot. Come along for the ride and find out why BAMPFA is the unsung hero of Bay Area cinematic programming.
Free Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest
Category: Theatre & Family Friendly
Date: Saturday, August 31st @ 2pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Jerry Garcia Amphitheater (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Free Shakespeare in the Park is in its 42nd season of bringing The Bard to the people. The organization serves communities that have limited exposure to the arts, which is why no tickets or prior familiarity with the works are required. When not performing in the park, the nonprofit’s members lead children’s Shakespeare summer camps, with scholarships available for those otherwise unable to afford the opportunity.
San Francisco International Piano Festival: Noontime Concert
Category: Music
Date: Tuesday, August 27th @ 12:30pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Old St. Mary’s Cathedral (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Classical music has a magical way of stirring emotions without a single spoken word. I remember being so moved when I first heard Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence on the radio that I wouldn’t come to family dinner until the station shared the name of the work (#pre-shazam). Find your Souvenir de Florence and enjoy a week of piano programming across the city.
Can’t make it? Luckily the noontime concert series happens every week and has a live streaming option to shake up your Zoom content.
Nina Serrano’s 90th Birthday Celebration
Category: Literary & Music
Date: Sunday, September 1st @ 2pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Birthday woman Nina Serrano helped found Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA) in the 1970’s as a space for both contemporary and ancient Latin America art to thrive. Serrano is a firecracker of Bay Area activism, poetry, and culture, so be prepared: this poet’s 90th could be more lit than your last Lake Merritt bday picnic.
Circle back to MCCLA throughout the month for their Latin American Heritage Month celebrations, including a gallery opening this Thursday the 29th.
Next Drop: Thursday, September 5th