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Arts & Entertainment

Sonoma's Annual Film Festival Comes Back to Town

The next Sonoma International Film Festival is only two weeks away – do you have your tickets yet? Do you even know what's playing?

The appearance of more than 90 hand-selected films including independent features, documentaries, world cinema, shorts and a showcase of Spanish language movies, in one small town during one long weekend, can only mean one thing: SIFF is back in town.

The annual  Sonoma International Film Festival runs this year from Wednesday, April 10 through the weekend, Sunday April 14. Considered one of the nation’s top destination film festivals, SIFF presents films at eight venues, all within walking distance of the Sonoma Plaza - and Sonoma's shops, restaurants, galleries and watering holes.

SIFF will open their “16th edition” with The Iceman, directed by Ariel Vromen and starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans and James Franco. This Netflix-sponsored premiere is a true story of a contract killer whose family that had no clue about his real profession.

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Five days later, the festival will close with the North American premiere of A Monkey on My Shoulder (À coeur ouvert), directed by Marion Laine and starring Juliette Binoche and Édgar Ramírez. This French film that tells the story of two professional surgeons whose life is disrupted when the wife unexpectedly becomes pregnant, and the husband’s penchant for alcohol becomes a problem.  

On a lighter note, fans of the Showtime TV series “Weeds,” will have two reasons to celebrate. Receiving a Sonoma Spotlight Award is series star Mary -Louise Parker, whose film career is varies and illustrious including Fried Green Tomatoes, Boys on the Side and Bullets Over Broadway.

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Additionally, her short-time series husband, the Mexican mayor-drug lord played by Demián Bichir, will be honored at a tribute event taking place on Saturday, April 13. Bichir’s film career is equally diverse, with roles as the young Fidel in Steven Soderbergh’s Che and a key role in Oliver Stone’s Savages.

“Both Parker and Bichir exemplify such amazing traits as actors,” says SIFF Executive Director Kevin McNeely. “We are thrilled to celebrate their contribution to independent film… and even more excited to be able to reunite this Weeds duo.”

Two environmental films narrated by Robert Redford, a documenbtary about vinyl record covers from the golden age of rock, , musicals and more will fill the five day long cinema circus. For example, Chuck Jones’ daughter will introduce “Best of Looney Toons”, and SIFF will present a “Special Sneak Preview” of a feature film debut from a returning filmmaker whose short film premiered at SIFF several years ago.

For aspiring filmmakers, here’s an inspirational list – a week’s worth of films in this year’s SIFF made by Sonoma County filmmakers:

1. COMING HOME: director Christopher Oscar
2. CREATIVITY: THE ARTIST & FURNACE: director Tim Wetzel
3. THE DREAMMAKER: director Harry Blum
4. PROJECT CENSORED: director Christopher Oscar
5.  STUDENT WORKS: SVHS students: Peter Hansen
6. TO DIE FOR: director Bill Bradley
7. WHERE IS GOD? director Trent Anderson

A complete list of events, films, and ticket links is to be found on the SIFF website.

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