It’s spring, which means that in addition to blooming flowers and sunshine, we are also gifted with the start of local film festival season. The first one this year is the Tiburon International Film Festival (TIFF), celebrating its 12th year. It is indeed “international,” with over 30 countries in participation and 61 films.
It’s not your ordinary festival; TIFF has an agenda – to promote an understanding of the world through film (the TIFF motto) and increase “tolerance between people of all backgrounds.” Consequently, the films are culturally rich, diverse and didactic. Here’s the scoop on a few films you shouldn’t miss:
The Empty Home
Thursday, April 11, 7 p.m. (Opening Night)
Playhouse Theater (Tiburon)
Set in Kyrgyzstan, this film is about a girl named Ascel who leaves her village for the big city. Through her journey, she learns how to fend for herself in a modern world.
Shorts Program
Monday, April 15, 4 p.m.
Playhouse Theater (Tiburon)
A series of short films, including films about a trapeze artist (The Secrets of the Circus), a woman who experienced World War II (Playing Sherds) and soldiers learning to live with their memories (That Wasn’t Me).
Running for Jim
Tuesday, April 16, 8 p.m.
Playhouse Theater (Tiburon)
This documentary, made by Marin filmmakers Robin Hauser Reynolds and Dan Noyes, is about cross-country coach Jim Tracy’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease and his 2010 team’s struggle to win the state championship race.
This year, a new program is being introduced – Films on Youth, a program focusing on children around the world who have either created or participated in a collection of films about freedom of speech, sexuality, the future and their peers. The collection will be shown on Sunday, April 14 at 2 p.m. at Playhouse Theater in Tiburon.
You can find the schedule of films here. Also, watch out for the Sausalito Film Festival in May and the Mill Valley Film Festival in October.
