The 13th Annual IndieFest film and music festival starts tonight with a couple of stellar opening night films, including Kaboom, "a sort of Clueless on acid where late-period John Waters meets Bret Easton Ellis," and Transformation: The Life & Legacy of Werner Erhard, an inside look at the life of Werner Erhard, personal transformation industry pioneer and creator of the San Francisco-based est seminars, which became a cultural phenomenon throughout the '70s and '80s.
Also happening tonight is the MusicFest Opening Night Show, featuring Leather Feather, Heart Touch, Dr Madd Vibe, Sistas In The Pit, and Punk Funk Mob.
The festival runs through February 17, and a few upcoming films of note include Food Stamped (in which SF nutritional educator Shira Potash and her husband try to maintain a healthy diet for only $1 per meal a day -- the average food stamp benefit), Gainsbourg: The Man Who Loved Women (we betcha that Whitney Houston clip is in there), Nude Nuns with Big Guns (the title says it all), and shorts programs "Not Your Average Kids Movie" ("Children are not what they seem and stories don't always have happy endings.") and "Offensive!" ("Viewing is only recommended for people who are not afraid of testing their own resistance to bad taste.")
The MusicFest shows take place each Thursday through Sunday, along with the 8th Annual Big Lebowski Party this Saturday night and the Roller Disco/Fest Wrap Party on the 17th.
All films will be screened at Roxie Cinema (3117 16th Street), and the MusicFest shows and parties are at CellSpace (2050 Bryant).
Check out SFBG's Short takes on Indiefest '11, and read up on the history of IndieFest over at the Chronicle.