San Diego Film Week, which begins Saturday and runs through Nov. 17, is not about paparazzi, red carpets or self-congratulatory speeches. The festival run by the San Diego Film Consortium and now in its eighth year is a showcase for and a gathering of local filmmakers.
Speaking for them, Consortium founder and president Jodi Cilley says “This is our chance to see what everyone else is working on and to network together to be able to make better films with larger crews and to find people to help on your next project.”
In short, says Cilley, an opportunity “to screen, celebrate and grow our local film community.”
This year 57 locally produced films will be screened. Of them, five are feature/narrative films and one a feature documentary. The rest are short films.
“Depending on what your interests are,” said Cilley, “there are films about military history, there are drama blocks (of films), there are horror and sci-fi blocks. Women’s blocks is one of our most popular, it always has been.”
So while the audiences during the festival are composed mainly of filmmakers, their cast and crew members and their families and friends, the general public and film buffs especially are welcome and encouraged to attend screenings at San Diego Media Arts’ Digital Gym Cinema.
Cilley likens supporting local filmmakers to the way San Diegans have long supported emerging local bands, spring-boarding some of them to national prominence in the process.
“The goal of any film when you make it,” she said, “is to get it seen by as many people as possible. These are all professional quality – they look good, they sound good.”
Here is the San Diego Film Week schedule: sdfilmweek.com/2024/schedule/.
More film
Will Ferrell stars as 1970s-era San Diego TV news anchor Ron Burgundy in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. (Dreamworks)
“Stay classy, San Diego.”
Who knew 20 years ago when “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” hit movie theaters that this satirical comedy starring Will Ferrell and set in San Diego would immortalize that catch phrase?
I remember going to a preview screening of “Anchorman” hosted by the late, great Channel 10 anchor Jack White, who demonstrated a wonderful sense of humor about the film’s spoof of a San Diego TV station. The movie directed by Adam McKay, a former “Saturday Night Live” head writer, also starred Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Fred Willard and Christina Applegate — as if I have to remind you. It’s one of Farrell’s best ever movies.
In recognition of the 20-year anniversary, the La Paloma Theatre in Encinitas is screening “Anchorman” Saturday, Sunday, Monday and next Friday, Nov. 15. Be there or be un-classy. lapalomatheatre.com/showtimes
Theater
For decades the life blood of dinner theaters, high school drama productions and — still! — professional theater companies, Neil Simon’s 1965 Broadway play “The Odd Couple” continues to be a hit for audiences of all ages. Simon revised his comedy about two woefully mismatched roommates for a female cast 20 years later, with Sally Struthers and Rita Moreno taking the leads.
Now, the Roustabouts Theatre Company and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture brings us a staged reading of “The Odd Couple” starring Melinda Gilb as neatnik Felix Unger and Samantha Ginn as slobby Oscar. Madison. Roustabouts’ artistic director Phil Johnson directs the full-cast readings Tuesday at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre in La Jolla and again Nov. 18 at Scripps Ranch Theatre.
Tickets are $17-$25 at theroustabouts.org.
New music
I never quite know how to categorize the productions that come out of Project BLANK, the boldest of interdisciplinary arts companies in town. Suffice it to say its marriage of music and art and more is unlike live performance you’ll get anywhere else.
Expect the same from its season-opening “Reservoir 2: Intrusion” for flute and choir (San Diego New Verbal Workshop), a world-premiere work from Sarah Hennies (pictured). This soundscape paired with a visual installation by Allison O. Evans will be presented through Saturday at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral in Bankers Hill.
Tickets are $17-$27 at projectblanksd.org/reservoir-two.
Streaming
A scene from All Acts “Dangerous Acts,” about student readings of Zora Neale Hurston plays at Hampton University in Virginia. (All Acts)
Works by influential Black writers Zora Neale Hurston and Ruth Gaines Shelton, each a central figure in the historic Harlem Renaissance, are featured in a streaming program from the ALL ARTS platform titled “Dangerous Acts.” https://www.allarts.org/programs/dangerous-acts/
Students from Hampton University in Virginia present readings of Neale Hurston’s play “Color Struck” and Gaines Shelton’s play “The Church Fight.” The readings are produced by the Off Broadway house Lucille Lortel Theatre in Greenwich Village.
Neale Hurston was in the news recently when it was announced that a previously unpublished sequel to “Their Eyes Were Watching God,” probably her most famous work, will be available in January. To watch, visit allarts.org/programs/dangerous-acts/.
U-T arts and entertainment stories you may have missed this week
Kinky Boots musical composer and 80s pop star Cyndi Lauper is writing the score for Working Girl, a musical based on the 1988 film that will make its world premiere in La Jolla Playhouses 2025-26 season. (La Jolla Playhouse)Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Working Girl’ musical premiere highlights La Jolla Playhouse’s 2025-26 season San Diego’s unrivaled biodiversity explored in new PBS Nature documentary Seattle dance duo brings sly ‘Drive Wolves Mad’ to San Diego Oceanside couple realize dream with new European-style wine bar Merenda Old Globe’s Grinch musical back for 27th annual attempt to steal Christmas Quincy Jones bonded with me over a shared trait: Neither of us knew how to drive City Ballet set to premiere new ‘Dracula’ ballet led by a vampire ballerina The Offspring hits a billion streams, get supercharged for Punk in the Park Review: Diversionary’s ‘Midnight’ a heart-tugging musical mystery The 2024 San Diego Music Hall of Fame inductees cover many bases. Here are their stories Review: San Diego Opera’s ghostly ‘La boheme’ brings out its sadness, beauty San Diego band As I Lay Dying rocked by more controversy as four members abruptly quit
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
“Discussion of the Film ‘!Women Art Revolution’”
Join acclaimed director Lynn Hershman Leeson and UCSB’s Letícia Cobra Lima for a powerful discussion on the film “!Women Art Revolution,” a groundbreaking documentary exploring the overlooked stories of women in art. Hershman Leeson reflects on her decades-long journey as an artist and filmmaker, weaving together hundreds of hours of footage, interviews, and archival materials to craft a compelling narrative. The film captures the challenges and achievements of women in the art world, highlighting systemic barriers and inspiring stories of perseverance. In this discussion, Hershman Leeson and Lima connect past struggles with today’s progress, shedding light on the ongoing efforts for gender equality in the arts.
“Space-Age Solutions for Respiratory Distress”
Explore the science behind respiratory drug delivery with Emilie Dressaire, professor of mechanical engineering at UC Santa Barbara, as she discusses her team’s groundbreaking research conducted aboard the International Space Station. Respiratory distress, caused by insufficient air reaching the lungs, often requires liquid drug administration directly to the trachea for fast relief. Dressaire reveals the experimental system her team developed to study how these medications travel through the airways to reach the lungs. This unique research journey, from UCSB labs to the ISS, provides insight into the challenges and innovations of drug delivery in space, with promising early findings. Join Dressaire as she unpacks the process and its implications for respiratory medicine.
“Stem Cells and the Human Brain”
Discover UC San Diego’s groundbreaking brain research with experts Frank Furnari, Ph.D., and Alexander Khalessi, M.D., M.B.A., as they discuss innovative efforts to treat neurological conditions like brain tumors, strokes, and brain injuries. Their work, driven by a commitment to ethics, patient care, and scientific innovation, brings hope to patients and their families. Furnari and Khalessi shed light on the challenges and successes in their quest to unravel the mysteries of the mind, addressing the complexities of neurological treatment and the exciting potential of their research. This compelling conversation underscores UC San Diego’s vital role in advancing our understanding of the brain and developing future therapies.
And finally, top weekend events
The North American tour of Hadestown returns to San Diego for a three-day run at the San Diego Civic Theatre Nov. 8-10. (Broadway San Diego)
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: Nov. 8-10