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[Hole] In One
A horror film festival, a family-friendly movie morning, historic bookstores unite, and puppies take the silver screen
“If you’re going to kill somebody in your movie, you might as well make it good.” Or at least that’s director Ari Aster’s take. My sister got us siblings into her MFA Zoom lecture with the director of Hereditary and Midsommar, and the talk left me with an entirely new appreciation of horror as a genre. Aster discussed the entanglement of violence and catharsis, his antipathy to bittersweet endings, and most significantly, why the arena has served him so well: “I’ve been able to tell these stories that I wanted to tell without compromising, and somehow the audience is still kind of there for it; and in that way, I’m grateful to the horror genre.”
Take a chance on holiday fear, balance yourself out with seasonal cheer, and enjoy some well-deserved puppy love.
Another Hole in the Head Film Festival: Decibel
Category: Film
Date: Friday, December 13th @ 6:30pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: 4 Star Theater (SF)
Price Range: $17
Why I Care: Nothing says holiday season like a Friday-the-13th horror screening. Decibel finds terror and authenticity in the role that AI can play in creative acceleration and soul depletion. Protagonist Scout is a singer-songwriter given the opportunity to work with a renowned producer after years of struggling with her art form. A remote desert studio, artificial intelligence, and a Perfume-level obsession with composing the perfect song are what make this film thoroughly horror, sci-fi, and close to home in the Bay Area. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director, Zac Locke.
Consider the wider Another Hole in the Head festival, with these final words from Ari Aster in mind: “There’s something appealing about reminding everybody that everything is finite and precarious and that we’re really just decaying.” And then maybe reset with a Christmas jingle.
Opening Reception: Wayfinding
Category: Art
Date: Saturday, December 14th @ 3pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Hosfelt Gallery (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: San Francisco offered artist Bruce Conner an environment in which to become the experimental, non-conformist creative he aspired to be. For nearly half a century, Conner produced films, photographs, drawings, prints, and performances from the Bay with the aim of reinventing himself and his practice time and time again. Though he passed away in 2008, his legacy lives at institutions like MoMA and this upcoming exhibition that highlights the psychedelic, culturally-engaged works that Conner produced during his lifetime.
The Marcus Books & Eastwind Books Holiday Book Fest
Category: Literary
Date: Sunday, December 15th @ 1pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Kinfolx (East Bay)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Marcus Books and Eastwind Books have been at the forefront of African American and Asian American history, respectively, since the 1960s. Marcus Books is America’s oldest independent, Black-owned bookstore and also happens to be 5 blocks from my apartment. The Tuskegee-graduate wife and husband duo founded the space to promote Black history and have hosted storied intellectuals like Toni Morrison, Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali, and Maya Angelou. Eastwind Books acted as a center for Asian American and Ethnic Studies literature in Berkeley for over 40 years before transitioning to its current online-only presence. This Holiday Book Fest will honor both institutions with the owners themselves attending to speak about each store’s history.
2024 NY Dog Film Festival
Category: Film
Date: Sunday, December 15th @ 1pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Roxie Theater (SF)
Price Range: $17
Why I Care: There’s a nonzero chance my mom flies out to San Francisco for this festival. This NY Dog Film Festival screening is a fundraiser for the Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, where rescue dogs receive grooming, veterinary access, and fostering until they’re adopted. The festival premiered in New York and is making a stop here in SF to showcase these short films of the canine kind. More than simply a film festival, this event is a celebration of pet parenthood and the remarkable impact these creatures have on those that love them.
Muttville Founder Sherri Franklin will introduce the screening and also bring a few adoption-ready guest stars. So be ready to come home with a hug full of fluff.
Movie Morning On Waverly
Category: Family Friendly
Date: Saturday, December 14th @ 11am (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: On Waverly (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Need an antidote to Decibel? On Waverly will hold a Saturday morning family-palooza with short films, coloring books, and a hodgepodge of activities for the little ones. The Chinatown cultural hub has built the programming with kiddos in mind, right down to the event ending at “nap time.” But then again, maybe a midday movie with crafting and naps is just what we all need.
Root Division Second Saturday Reception
Category: Art
Date: Saturday, December 14th @ 6pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Root Division (SF)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Root Division has spent the past two decades building an arts ecosystem for artists and students alike in the Bay Area. The organization has made it possible for over 200 artists to access affordable studio space, supported over 7,000 hours of free arts education, and been an exhibition space for over 3,500 artists. This reception will honor the opening of three exhibitions showcasing its resident artists, with a range of themes and mediums that highlight the depth and variety of creativity coming through the space.
Slow Times Market
Category: Vintage
Date: Sunday, December 15th @ 12pm (Add to Google Calendar)
Location: Temescal Brewing (East Bay)
Price Range: Free
Why I Care: Slow Times Market is a vintage pop-up making its debut at my neighborhood beer garden, Temescal Brewing. The vendor line up includes all things vintage and handmade, meaning that jewelry, ceramics, and fashion are all on the table, as are actual tables. Plus, when you need to take a break from vintage sleuthing, you can grab a design-forward beer can to enjoy with snacks from whichever food truck pulls up that day. Hopefully you’ll have more luck than Lorenzo (below) in finding that perfect vintage piece.
Next Drop: Thursday, December 19th
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