Big Screen Berkeley

The SF festival plants its East Bay flag at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood over the weekend with a generous selection of ten films. Here's the skinny on three of them.

Though largely unknown in the United States, 'Western' was a massive success on the international festival circuit and is worth a look for anyone interested in German cinema.

Produced in Taiwan and released in 1971, 'A Touch of Zen' is, quite simply, the greatest martial arts film of all time.

Michael Pearce's 'Beast' is a character study disguised as a murder-mystery, offering sharply drawn examinations of the black sheep boy and girl whom neighbors view with suspicion.

The Displaced Persons camps of post-WW2 Europe tackled with kid gloves in 'Bye Bye Germany;' 'The Judge' is a commendable effort to demystify the Palestinian people and shari’a

'Ghost Stories' is the best (and least gruesome) horror film since 'The Babadook;' while a Grace Jones documentary has flaws, but is a must-see for fans of the great chanteuse.

A lustrous film that's a rejoinder to the ministrations of Hungary’s current anti-Semitic prime minister and an advocacy movie that'll please both left and right. Both recommended.

Diversity is one of the great strengths of the San Francisco International Film Festival, which runs through April 17, and female filmmakers are well represented.

This festival has been one of the jewels in the crown of the circuit, and it returns to BAMPFA, one of the nation’s premier screening rooms, for its 34th consecutive season.

Three films worth seeing: A new, insightful documentary from the prodigious Alex Gibney; a dive into the punk scene of Lawrence, Kansas; and the charming tale of a big-cat trainer.

The Caribbean 'Play the Devil' is an excellent little film that deserved much wider exposure than the brief run it received on the festival circuit. See it Thursday at BAMPFA.