SFist Wendy covers both South and North Africa with the SFIFF!

Who needs Coachella when there’s Oppikoppi, a rock music festival held in South Africa every year? Really, we would have loved to have been at Coachella this weekend, but if you couldn’t be there, the SF International Film Festival was a great place to be instead.

Last night, at Bunny Chow, John Barker’s debut feature film, we roadtripped to Oppikoppi along with a trio of young Johannesburg comedians (who themselves are played by famous South African comedians). The film is named for a South African sandwich, a mixture of curry, vegetables, and meats, often consumed after a long night out. We’ve been told that the hot, spicy curry used in the bunny chow will sober up even the worst of the crew. (No bunnies are actually involved in the bunny chow sandwich, incidentally.)

The film itself is bunny chow for an audience looking for some loose, spontaneous humor, and showcases the three absolutely hilarious young men, whose friendship, relationships, and adventures left us hooting. The music is catchy, and there’s not a dull moment. Make sure you grab your popcorn before heading into this one cuz you won’t wanna miss a second.

SFist Wendy goes from South African to Algeria, after the jump.

We took a different type of roadtrip in Rome Rather Than You, an Algerian film by Tariq Tequia, who was not at last Friday’s screening, but who we learned plans to attend all of the future screenings.

Rome followed Kamel and his girlfriend, Zina, as they travel somewhat fruitlessly through what can only be described as a vast, practically deserted wasteland, in their quest to obtain fake passports and deliver them to their new lives (or so they hope) outside of civil war-torn Algeria.

We had a tough time following Rome, although the story seemed promising, but in all fairness, that could be due in part to our pre-film happy hour at the newly opened Bar Bambino in the Mission (worth a visit, with friendly waitstaff and delectable bruschetta -- we know we’ll be back).

Bunny Chow shows again this Friday, May 4 at 9:30 p.m. at the Kabuki.

Rome Rather Than You plays again on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5, at the Kabuki at 2:00 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., respectively, and in Palo Alto on Tuesday May 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Aquarius.