The full program has been released and tickets are now on sale. IBFF 2015 BAY AREA runs April 10–16, 2015 at the Smith Rafael Film Center and presents fifteen premieres from ten countries, with filmmakers and special guests in person and via Skype.
The opening night film on April 10 at 7:00 pm will be the west coast premiere of Even Though the Whole World Is Burning, a portrait of US Poet Laureate W.S. Merwin by Stefan Schaefer, filmed on location in Hawaii. Special guest Jane Hirshfield, the renowned poet, will introduce the screening. Closing night, April 16 at 7:00 pm, introduced by author/teacher Wes Nisker, will feature the Bay area premiere of The Three Marks of Existence, a comedy filmed in India and Thailand from director Gunparwitt Phuwadolwisid who will be live via Skype for the Q&A.
Other screenings include documentaries featuring Peter Matthiessen, Joan Halifax, Kaz Tanahashi, Jetsun Khandro, Gelek Rinpoche, Sharon Salzberg, Bill Porter and others, along with dramatic works from Bhutan, China, and the Netherlands. Confirmed special events include Why Not Now? With Alan Watts (featuring Mark Watts and his film about his noted father plus animated works by Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park fame) on Sunday, April 12 at 8:00 pm, and Myanmar: New Voices/New Visions, new works selected and presented by local filmmaker (and BFF board member) Ellen Bruno on Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00 pm.
“This is our 15th year as well as the 10th anniversary of our first Smith Rafael Film Center event, so we’re very excited to be back in San Rafael,” says IBFF executive director Gaetano Kazuo Maida. He adds, “And IBFF 2015 is slated to travel to several countries around the Pacific Rim over the next year, offering us a wonderful opportunity to share these new works with new and very diverse audiences in a number of countries.”
Smith Rafael Film Center director of programming Richard Peterson says, “We’re always delighted to work with IBFF at the Rafael, where many of our regulars enjoy the unusual films, presentations, and filmmakers the festival offers.”
Download a PDF of the program or review the full schedule online.
For venue, ticket information and online ticket purchase, please visit Smith Rafael Film Center. Tickets can also be purchased at the SRFC box office Monday–Thursday: 6:00–9:00 pm, Friday: 4:00–9:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday: 2:00–9:00 pm; 415.454.1222 info-line for showtimes, 415.454.5813 main office.
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