Posts Tagged ‘film’

We have festival fever, film in the park, and cannons set on “fire.”
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival

A dizzying range of dance styles take a bow during this month-long fiesta. Korean shaman rituals? Mexican marimba? Indian Kathak dance? All here. Special family events occur each Friday afternoon in various venues in S.F. and Oakland, beginning this Friday with a demonstration of Shodiona, a Tajik “dance of happiness” at 3pm in the Children’s Center at the Main Library.

When: Beginning 6/7 and ongoing through 6/29, most performances are Sat. 2pm and 8pm and Sun. 2pm; All ages; Free-$44. Family events occur Fridays; see website for more information.

Where: Various venues in San Francisco and Oakland, but most performances take place at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon St. (at Bay St.), San Francisco, 415-392-4400, worldartswest.org.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival

The exhaustive five-month (May-October) arts party is already in swing, offering a huge variety of free music, theater, dance, educational and children’s programs. Of particular interest to parents in June: the Caterpillar Puppets this Friday 6/6 and Saturday 6/28 at 11am and 12:15pm; brilliant physical comedian/musician The Unique Derique Friday and Saturday, 6/13-14, 11am and 12:15pm; and the California Sing-Along, folksy songs about California’s history, on Friday 6/20.

When: Ongoing through 10/26; most performances occur Thu.-Sun.; Times vary; All ages; Free.

Where: Yerba Buena Gardens, Mission St. (between 3rd and 4th Streets), San Francisco, 415-543-1718; ybgf.org.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at Washington Square Park

Bring your martial-arts lovers to this free showing of Ang Lee’s groundbreaking fairytale. Spread a blanket (no chairs are allowed), bring a picnic, but leave the littlest ones at home: Commonsense Media recommends this film for kids aged 12 and up due to violence.

When: Sat., 6/7, 8pm; Age 12+; Free.

Where: Washington Square Park, Columbus St. (at Union St.), San Francisco, 415-465-FILM, sfneighborhoodtheater.org.

Civil War Days on Angel Island

Just the ferry ride over to Angel Island (and the view of San Francisco’s skyline!) will blow your mind. Then watch history come to life as Camp Reynolds, a former Civil War recruiting post for Union soldiers, plays host to musket drills, marches, and historians who will explain the details of making rope, signaling with flags, baking Civil War-style, and other wartime skills.

When: Sat., 6/7, 11am-3:30pm; Age 4+; Free (Optional tram ride to Camp Reynolds is $5).

Where: Camp Reynolds at Angel Island; accessible by the Tiburon, San Francisco, and Alameda/Oakland Ferries; see angelisland.org for transit information; 415-435-5390; angelisland.org.

Along with meals in white-tablecloth restaurants and morning sex, you can wave goodbye to going to grownup movies once you spawn. Bringing a tot, even a quiet and tiny one, into a film guarantees almost as many glares as breastfeeding a three-year-old on a Muni bus.

So why not frequent one of the many baby-friendly movie showings in San Francisco? Great! Except, there aren’t any. The Red Vic discontinued its Bring Your Own Baby monthly showings (lack of attendance) and the Metreon shut down its weekly Reel Moms screenings. Things got so bad I personally resorted to attending preschool film events at the public libraries.

But I won’t need to watch those wavery filmstrips anymore, now that the Vogue Theatre has launched its Tuesday Baby Matinee series, a film fiesta for parents/caregivers and their young monkeys. Thankfully, they have avoided the Metreon’s mistake and are programming gentle adult fare instead of kids’ movies (which you can go to anyway, am I right?). The lights are raised, the sound is lowered, and no one’s going to give you the stink eye if your baby bursts into hysterics just as Patrick Dempsey lays one on Michelle Monaghan (oh, is that a spoiler? My bad). There’s not much room for strollers inside the theater so leave them at home if you can; or use the hourly parking at the JCC around the corner at California and Presidio and leave the stroller in the trunk. You bring the Junior Mints and I’ll share my Boudreaux’s Butt Paste.

When: Tue., 5/13, 11am; All Ages; Adults $7.50, Kids under 2 free.

Where: Vogue Theatre, 3290 Sacramento (at Presidio), San Francisco, 415-346-2274, Voguesf.com.