Paranoid Park Benefit Screening December 8, 2007

The San Francisco Film Society will present a benefit premiere of Gus Van Sant’s new film Paranoid Park, preceded by a book signing for Andrew Bailey’s new volume, Cinema Now at 7:00 pm on Saturday, December 8 in the Premier Theater at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio.

At once a dreamlike portrait of teen alienation and a boldly experimental work of film narrative, Paranoid Park finds Gus Van Sant at the height of his powers. A withdrawn high-school skateboarder (Gabe Nevins) struggles to make sense of his involvement in an accidental death. He recalls past events across tides of memory, and expresses his feelings in a diary that is, in fact, the movie we are watching. The extraordinary skating scenes, filmed by cinematographers Christopher Doyle and Rain Kathy Li in a lyrical mixture of Super 8 and 35mm, depict their subjects soaring in space, momentarily free of the earthly troubles of adolescence. An IFC First Take release, Paranoid Park had its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival and will open in Bay Area theaters in March 2008.

The screening will follow a personal appearance by author Andrew Bailey signing copies of his striking new work, Cinema Now. The Taschen publication examines the work and key themes of 60 filmmakers working around the world today, from the cream of the crop of young Hollywood to the new wave of Asian mavericks to burgeoning auteurs from Europe and Latin America. Cinema Now is packed with stunning full-color photographs and exclusive on-set snapshots supplied by the filmmakers. Cinema Now will be available for sale and signing before and after the screening.

Tickets on sale now at 925.866.9559 or sffs.org; SFFS members $12; general public $15.

Proceeds will benefit the Film Society’s programs including the San Francisco International Film Festival, year-round exhibition of world cinema, SF360 initiatives and the Schools at the Festival/Education Program.

For more information, www.sffs.org.

Official Website: http://www.sffs.org/events/index_paranoid_park.html