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Far-flung festival
Local offerings from the San Francisco International Film Festival come from Japan, Spain, Argentina and other lands

by Jeanne Aufmuth

Call Palo Alto the little city that could. It boasts the perfect climate (recent showers excepted) and sports a top-ranked university, along with an array of epicurean eateries.

Starting April 30, it will also host films from the San Francisco International Film Festival. The venerable fest (49 years and counting) unspools 10 of its offerings at the Aquarius Theatre through May 3.

The SFIFF is the longest-running film festival on the planet, dedicated to the celebration of actors, directors, and individuals whose work showcases the sparkling ideology of world cinema. Its 227 films (including 20 documentary features and 130 shorts) hail from 41 far-flung countries.

The powers that be have crafted a wide selection of films for Palo Alto's mini-showcase. Black comedy, controversy, docs, foreign cinema and wry self-examination are all present and accounted for.

On Sunday, April 30, pitch a tent and settle in for a quartet of intriguing projects beginning with "Bashing" (Japan, 82 minutes) at 2:15 p.m. "Bashing" is a fictional yet controversial account of a Japanese aid worker whose kidnapping and release in the Middle East has made her a pariah in her own home town.

"Wide Awake" (USA, 90 minutes) at 4:15 p.m. is a personal and obsessive documentary exploring the filmmaker's lifelong battle with insomnia. A culmination of the creative neuroses associated with lack of sleep, "Wide Awake" digs deep inside the mind and the psyche of a confirmed night owl.

Fans of the film-within-a-film genre may eagerly anticipate "The Life I Want" (Italy, 125 minutes) at 7 p.m. Gifted yet insecure actress Laura and popular film star Stefano play doomed 19th-century lovers in the grand tradition of "Camille." Art imitates life (or vice-versa) when Laura and Stefano become lovers, and jealousy and heightened emotion worm their way into their performances and their romance. "Tristram Shandy" does "La Traviata."

Close out Sunday evening with a 9:45 p.m. showing of "Obaba" (Spain/Germany, 107 minutes), the story of an idealistic schoolteacher and the mysterious residents she meets and befriends in the mythical Spanish village of Obaba. A journey into the heart and soul of the proud Basque country.

On Monday, May 1, the Aquarius unspools "The Dignity of the Nobodies" (Argentina, 116 minutes) at 7 p.m. The film is the second chapter in a series of four documentaries exposing the conditions of modern-day Argentina as its people struggle with deprivation, adversity and the rise of corporate greed.

At 9:30 p.m. the mood shifts gears with "Perpetual Motion" (China, 90 minutes), a droll examination of four successful women who meet on the eve of Chinese New Year for a spirited round of mah-jongg. The hostess has more than tiles on her mind; one of her friends has sent her husband an erotic e-mail and she's determined to confront the two-timing culprit.

Tuesday, May 2, could be enlightening with the 6:45 p.m. feature "Illumination" (France, 130 minutes), a study of the search for emotional balance in a topsy-turvy world. A taciturn fisherman seeks psychiatric help for his own unusual behavior and then falls madly in love with his grandmother's nurse.

At 9:30 p.m., dive into "Adam's Apples" (Denmark, 94 minutes), a pitch-black dramedy about a neo-Nazi atheist who is released from prison and sent to a country church for a long stint of community service. The church's optimistic priest has his hands full with Adam's malicious reformation and a test of his own shaky faith.

Wednesday, May 3, brings the last chance to catch the SFIFF in our own backyard. Kick off the evening with the colorfully titled "Cock Byte: Masters of Machinima" (USA, 80 minutes) at 6:45 p.m., a CGI extravaganza from the wacky geniuses of Austin-based Rooster Teeth Productions.

Machinima-CGI animation utilizes 3D graphics engines from video games and is developing a rabid cult following among those who like their imaging hilariously absurd. "Cock Byte" features an eclectic menu of Rooster Teeth's greatest hits and rarely seen one-offs and outtakes.

Palo's Alto's closing film is "Northeast" (Argentina/France, 104 minutes) at 9:15 p.m.. An affluent French businesswoman's desperate desire to adopt a child takes her on a complex quest to Argentina where she endures a seismic emotional shift of ego and empathy.

A note for those who wish to venture farther afield and celebrate the festival San Francisco-style: SFIFF features big nights galore. These include director Werner Herzog collecting a Film Society Directing Award at the Castro Theater, Ed Harris receiving the coveted Peter J. Owens Award for a career of brilliance, independence and integrity; and festive opening and closing nights (Hong Kong's "Perhaps Love" and Robert Altman's "Prairie Home Companion," respectively).

Tilda Swinton is also scheduled to deliver a state-of-cinema address, speaking her mind about her well-honed craft with what could be reckless creative abandon.

What: Local screenings of 10 films from the San Francisco International Film Festival

Where: The Aquarius Theatre, 430 Emerson St., Palo Alto

When: April 30-May 3

Cost: Regular-admission tickets are $11 per film ($10 for seniors, students and those with disabilities). A $45 Aquarius Pass is valid for all screenings at the Aquarius Theatre.

Info: Call (925) 866-9559 or go to www.sffs.org to buy tickets or passes in advance. Extra tickets may be available at the Aquarius box office on the day of screening only.