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A [Midsummer] Night's Dream
An SFH[N]C Screening of Midsommar, a ceramics exhibition at Creative Growth, and SUPERHYPERLOCAL art
When I have nightmares, I become the wrong kind of active sleeper. I’ve launched myself out of bed and onto the floor to escape an engorged spider leaping out of a microwave. Hyperventilation has become my go-to escape route from impending dark voids by attempting to fly via rapid breathing. I can never pinpoint the trail of fears that brings on these all-consuming dreamscapes, but I’m sure organizing a horror film SFH[N]C screening couldn’t possibly throw a wrench into sound sleep.
Come join me for our second SFH[N]C screening, watch local journalists bring their stories to life, and enjoy Of Montreal in Berkeley.
SFH[N]C Event | A Midsummer’s Midsommar Screening
Category: Film
Date: Sunday, July 21st @ 6:30pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Bathers Library (East Bay)
Price Range: Free (RSVP Requested)
Why I Care: I am too afraid to watch this film solo, so I’m organizing a San Francisco Has [No] Culture screening. Midsommar (2019) is Ari Aster's A24 folk horror masterpiece that follows an American couple as they stumble into what can only be described as Sweden's most aggressively welcoming cult. The psychological threads were pulled from Aster's own traumatizing breakup, proving that therapy comes in many forms. I’m not a horror film aficionado, but I do appreciate an artist like Aster that makes the most of their medium, and for that I’m willing to commit (our household) to a few nights of restless sleep.
Shoutout to SFH[N]C subscriber Allegra, who made this screening at Bathers Library possible!
San Francisco Story Fest
Category: Literary & Art
Date: Saturday, July 19th @ 7pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Herbst Theatre (SF)
Price Range: $35+ (Use promo code 25forstoryfest2025 for a special SFH[N]C discount)
Why I Care: Back Pocket Media has partnered with the Knight Foundation and MoAD to drag local journalists out from behind their keyboards and onto the stage for an evening of storytelling paired with artistic flair. SF Story Fest promises to capture the Bay Area experience through the voices of writers from KQED, Berkeleyside, SF Standard, and SF Chronicle, along with several other publications all sharing their work. The performance will showcase the perfect cocktail of strength, depth, and delightful absurdity that comes with chronicling life in a city fighting both drug overdoses and zucchinis that can torpedo housing.
Opening Reception | Fired Up: A Contemporary Ceramics Survey
Category: Art
Date: Friday, July 25th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Creative Growth Art Center (East Bay)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Creative Growth is a local institution with global presence. I’ve caught up with gallery director Nadia at their art fair booth in Basel and given a hug to gallery manager Quinn just across the bridge at Minnesota Street Project. These aren't just random moments of joy in art world chaos; they're glimpses into the genuine warmth that the Creative Growth team brings to their mission of supporting artists with disabilities. Join Nadia, Quinn, and the whole Creative Growth team as they celebrate the ceramic artistry of their roster.
“Cocteau to Haring”: Queer Art of the 20th Century
Category: Art
Date: Wednesday, July 23rd @ 5:30pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Saint Joseph’s Arts Society (SF)
Price Range: $10
Why I Care: Rob Delamater will lead “Cocteau to Haring” in a discussion of 20th century queer artists as renowned as Keith Haring and as undiscovered as lost artist Sydney Engelberg. Delamater co-founded the Lost Art Salon with a mission that should come as no surprise: to share the works of forgotten artists. These artists were excluded from the art historical canon due to sexual identity, ethnicity, or just luck, but Delamater contends that their lack of notoriety does not equate to a lack of talent. Come early to enjoy the beauty that is Saint Joseph’s, and stay the evening to learn about the artists of varying fame that tackled queer identity in their works.
Opening Reception | SUPERHYPERLOCAL
Category: Art
Date: Saturday, July 26th @ 4pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: The Drawing Room: ANNEX (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: SUPERHYPERLOCAL is exactly what it sounds like: an exhibition stuffed with local artists from across the Bay Area. The show is organized by The Drawing Room, a nonprofit nestled in the Mission District that provides space and financial lifelines for the local creative community. What makes an exhibition like this genuinely thrilling is knowing that the artists on these walls could be your neighbor, your go-to barista, or that front-end engineer who's been secretly nurturing their creative side between debugging sessions. I can confirm this much: we have at least one SFH[N]C subscriber whose work will be on display; that's as hyperlocal as it gets!
Arab Women in the Arts Screening | The Silences of the Palace
Category: Film
Date: Wednesday, July 23rd @ 6:15pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Roxie Theater (SF)
Price Range: $14
Why I Care: Arab Women in the Arts is partnering with The Future of Film is Female as part of its annual film festival to spotlight the work of Tunisian director Moufida Tlatli. The Silences of the Palace (1994) transports us to 1960s Tunisia, following Alia as she uncovers the class and gender dynamics that shaped her mother's life as a palace employee. The film swept multiple awards at the time of its release, including the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and helped solidify Tlatli as an influential cinematic voice. The festival continues in New York and online so you can cozy up in your pajamas and dive into these incredible films for a $25 all-access virtual pass. Sometimes the best cinema happens in your living room.
And many congratulations to the Roxie on purchasing their building!
Concert | Of Montreal
Category: Music
Date: Sunday, July 20th @ 8pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: The UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall (East Bay)
Price Range: $35
Why I Care: I have SFH[N]C subscriber and college housemate Kevin to thank for my first Of Montreal concert. He knew a roadie-turned-official band crew member that got us on the list, which felt like the pinnacle of cool when we collected our free tickets from the box office like (very) minor celebrities. The concert was a trip, and their 2007 album Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? still gets me going with tracks like “Gronlandic Edit”. Here’s to celebrating 20 years of Of Montreal’s artistry and roadies making fans’ dreams come true.
Next Drop: Monday, July 28th