While San Francisco is best known for its acclaimed food scene and unyielding political righteousness, it is also known to hold some pretty swank and artful events boasting worldwide talent. Highbrow enrichment, if you will. Thank god. And with that, we give you the top culture events in San Francisco.
FRAMELINE FILM FESTIVAL
Now in its 37th year, the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival—better known as Frameline—is the longest-running and largest film festival in the world devoted to LGBT-focused programming. The festival coincides with Pride season in SF, and this year's festivities will run from June 20 to June 30—they're actually still accepting entries through February 15. Annual attendance clocks in around 55,000 people, and in recent years the fest has particularly been a showcase for queer cinema from countries where coming out remains a courageous act with life-and-death consequences.
NOISE POP FESTIVAL
Outside Lands and the Treasure Island Music Festival might be the big concert draws in the city, but after more than 20 years of bringing independent and alternative music to San Francisco, the NoisePop festival is still where our local scenesters turn for what's next. More intimate than most of SXSW Music and less chaotic than CMJ, NoisePop proper takes place every year at the end of February and beginning of March. For 2013, the festival overflows with S.F. Sketchfest tie-ins, live music at S.F. Beer Week and the return of Culture Club celebrating independent culture beyond the music scene.
SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
"Everything was beautiful at the ballet, hey," crooned A Chorus Line's Sheila—and indeed it is. Founded in 1933, the San Francisco Ballet Company stands as one of the most respected dance companies in the world (along with American Ballet Theater and New York City Ballet), and is the first professional ballet company in the United States. The 2013 season, which kicks off this Thursday, will boats such stellar shows as Onegin, Borderlands, Criss-Cross, and Cinderella, just to name a few.
ETHNIC DANCE FESTIVAL
The San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival (the month of June) began in 1978, and was the first multicultural, city-sponsored ethnic dance festival in America. It's the main annual production of the World Arts West organization, whose mission is to sustain the world's diverse dance traditions and provide the public with opportunities to learn more about these cultural traditions. They've played host to over 600 dance companies from over a hundred different genres including folk dance, social dance, traditional classical dance, sacred dance genres, and vernacular dance forms. It's a huge event that perhaps goes under the radar outside of the dance community, and each year concludes with a lavish benefit evening hosted by the Mayor at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
SF SKETCHFEST
Although this year's Super Bowl (featuring the 49ers!) overlaps with SF Sketchfest, our clear eyes and full hearts are firmly looking forward to the latter. Each year the country's best and most esteemed comedic talent come to Baghdad by the Bay to perform or put on a show. We look forward to it every year, and this year is no exception. The 2013 roster includes such soiled-your-trousers-with-laughter talent as Maria Bamford, Jennifer Coolidge, Rachel Dratch, Janeane Garofalo, Maya Rudolph, Julie Klausner, Fred Willard, Drew Carey, Jenny Slate, Billy Eichner, Jon Hendren, Kristen Schaal, and Andy Richter. And more. So very much more.
CATCHING A SHOW AT SF OPERA
Founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola, it remains the second largest opera company in North America. Expert productions aside, just walking into the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House is a formidable and gorgeous cultural experience by itself.
DAY OF THE DEAD (Día de los Muertos)
Though it has somewhat turned into yet another PBR-swilling party for privileged twentysomething Missionites, the annual Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) procession manages to retain some of the old Mission District charm.
SF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
More "international" in terms of appeal than the number of films with subtitles, the SFIFF draws filmmakers and movie industry hotshots from all over the world. The roughly 175 screenings that take place over two weeks in April/May routinely sell out, thanks in part to the celebrity appearances that in recent years included Mike Mills and Ewan McGregor for the premiere of Beginners, Oakland-based songstress Merill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs providing a live score for Buster Keaton shorts, Yo La Tengo soundtracking The Love Song of R. Buckminster Fuller, Rosemarie DeWitt attending for Your Sister's Sister and Harmony Korine premiering his Vice Media-produced The Fourth Dimension starring Val Kilmer. Even if you plan to skip the Director Q&A sessions, do yourself a favor and attend either the opening or closing night galas to rub elbows with folks you'll see at the Oscars in a year.
