The second annual PROXY and HERE FOR NOW Fall Film Festival in Hayes Valley is set to kick off this Friday, and they just released their full lineup of films.
Whereas many outdoor film festivals often showcase older movies (usually because it's easier or cheaper to license them), PROXY looks to showcase some fairly recent, modern flicks at their outdoor theater. What's more, the films are geared toward adult audiences, with four rated-R films.
Here's your lineup, complete with descriptions from PROXY's post about the event.
Friday, September 22: I Am Not Your Negro
Directed by Raoul Peck, 2016 [PG-13]
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House, a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends—Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only thirty pages of his manuscript. In this incendiary new documentary, filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished: a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, the civil rights movement, and #BlackLivesMatter.
Friday, September 29: The Big Sick
Directed by Michael Showalter, 2017 [R]
Based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon — the screenplay’s co-authors — The Big Sick tells the story of Pakistan-born aspiring comedian Kumail (played by Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Zoe Kazan) after one of his standup sets. What they thought would be just a one-night stand blossoms into the real thing, complicating the life Kumail’s traditional Muslim parents have planned for him. When Emily is beset with a mystery illness, Kumail must navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano), while dealing with the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.
Friday, October 6: Landline
Directed by Gillian Robespierre, 2017 [R]
When two sisters suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair, it sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. For the first time, older sister Dana (Jenny Slate), recently engaged and struggling with her own fidelity, finds herself bonding with her wild teenage sister Ali (Abby Quinn). The two try to uncover the truth without tipping off their mother (Edie Falco) and discover the messy reality of love and sex in the process. Set in 1990s Manhattan, Landline is a warm, insightful and comedic drama about a family united by secrets and lies.
Friday, October 13: A Ghost Story
Directed by David Lowery, 2017 [R]
With A Ghost Story, director David Lowery returns with a singular exploration of legacy, loss, and the essential human longing for meaning and connection. Recently deceased, a white-sheeted ghost (Casey Affleck) returns to his suburban home to console his bereft wife (Rooney Mara), only to find that in his spectral state he has become unstuck in time, forced to watch passively as the life he knew and the woman he loves slowly slip away. Increasingly unmoored, the ghost embarks on a cosmic journey through memory and history, confronting life’s ineffable questions and the enormity of existence. An unforgettable meditation on love and grief, A Ghost Story emerges ecstatic and surreal—a wholly-unique experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
Friday, October 20: PATTI CAKE$
Directed by Geremy Jasper, 2017 [R]
In a coming-of-age story straight out of Jersey, an unlikely rapper finds her voice as a one-of-a-kind hip-hop legend in the making in PATTI CAKE$, the first feature film from acclaimed commercial and music-video director Geremy Jasper. Set in gritty strip-mall suburbia, PATTI CAKE$ chronicles an underdog’s quest for fame and glory with humor, raw energy and some unforgettable beats.
Additionally, SF Weekly shared some helpful rules if you're planning on stopping by: don't BYOB, make sure you check the ratings if you've got little ones coming with, and even though all the showings start at 7:30 p.m., it is outdoors, so roll in whenever. Just, you know, don't be obnoxious when you do it. Yeah, it's an outdoor movie, but come on, be polite, alright?
If you did want to get your drink on, PROXY's walk-in theater offers food and drink. Also, there are a couple of bars nearby (Biergarten, Brass Tacks, Dobbs, Noir Lounge, and many, many more). You've got options is what we're getting at.
Previously: Outdoor Cinema In Hayes Valley Becomes Non-Profit After Kickstarter Fails