Cinema Speakeasy

Transbay Fest Opening Night: SF, Fri. Oct. 12

We’re thrilled to be a featured programming partnering for the inaugural Transbay Fest in San Francisco, to be happening in several wonderful venues across the city by the bay in October 2012. S.F. is famous for being an innovative place. We can’t think of a more appropriate city to host this new event devoted to the next wave in transmedia. But: true to our mission, we’re going to keep our focus on excellent storytelling. So, drawing from our roster of 3 years of programming, we’ll be presenting the opening night double-feature at SF’s legendary Supperclub.

At 9PM come see one of the best films to come out in this brave-new-world of cross-platform storytelling: Mark Harris’ ‘The Lost Children’.

This film — all about cults, shadow-people, and spooky storyworlds — will be followed by an equally spooky, equally unsettling secret midnight screening. That secret film… well it’s not trans-media, per se, but it’s certainly trans-something. Shhhhh….

Friday Oct 12, 9PM-2AM
9PM: Mark Harris’ ‘The Lost Children’
Mid: Secret Screening
Supper Club (657 Harrison St., San Francisco)
More information & tickets: http://www.transbayfest.com/

Filed under: Announcements, Screening, , , , , ,

Holiday Break

Hello Speakeasy-ers.

We here at CS hope you are enjoying the ramp up to the holiday season as much as we are. Our trees are twinkling and our menorahs are lit, and we’re wearing our slippers and pyjamas. All month.

We’ll see you in the new year in LA, SF and Palm Springs, with our usual jet of turbo-radness. In fact, we have so many good programs lined up that we feel confident saying that 2012 – our third year of programming – will be our best year yet… Consider it your new year’s surprise.

In the meantime, eat, drink, be merry in our honor. Also, send us stuff to watch!

See you in 2012!

Filed under: Announcements

DRUNKEN MIXTAPE: San Francisco, Feb. 3

On Thursday, February 3rd, join us for a night of comedy shorts that are (somehow?) all centered around sex and drinking.  We’re pleased as punch to also present 2011 official Sundance premiere “Excuse Me” by Duncan Birmingham, and 2011 official Slamdance selection, “Bottle” by Kirsten Lepore.

In honor of the theme, we invite you to create your own mixtape (it can, and probably should, be on CD) to bring and swap with your fellow CSSFers. Bring a mix, get a mix!

Plus: Raffle prizes! Our buddies at Brew Holster Cult, and H&M are heaping on the love with fantastic freebies, plus, a very special Valentines Day package, including sexy treats from our favorite lovers of pleasure, Good Vibrations.

Thursday February 3, 7:30pm
Show starts at 8pm
Gray Area Foundation For The Arts (55 Taylor St at Turk St)
$5 at the door

Beer, $3; Beer goggles, free*
*with a purchase of 5

 

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WRAP REPORT

Highlights from CS:SF’s Drunken Mixtape

Is it raining inside? As soon as we walked in to GAFFTA, we were greeted with the sound of rain on a steel roof, even though it was a gorgeous evening in San Francisco. The sound was part of the amazing work of ZIMOUN, a producer of kinetic, sonic sculptures which feature armies of mechanical entities that form worlds both uniform and chaotic. Intrigued? Check the video after the jump or better yet, take a trip down to Gray Area. The exhibit will be up through February 26th.

Wait…is that for your BEER?

The lovely people at Brew Holster Cult donated a lovingly hand-crafted beer holster for the raffle.  What’s better than hip holding your beer so you can gesticulate wildly while telling stories?  Nothing.  NOTHING!  (We also learned that one of the proprieters of BHC is also a member of the all-female cover band, AC/Dshe. Which is awesome in general.)

Sand and Snow and True Love.

Unquestionably, the house-down-bringer was BOTTLE by Kirsten Lepore, a Slamdance Grand Jury winner.  Check out the piece on-line to have your heart warmed. Kirsten is quite talented and an all around a cool gal, and we look forward to seeing more from her in the future.

The gift that keeps stylishly giving.

H&M hooked up a 25% gift card that can be used over and over again on multiple purchases through the summertime.  The sweetest part was that we’re pretty sure the pretty lady who won this one was already dressed in H&M from head to toe.  Dreams do come true!

My mixtape can beat up your mixtape!

Give a mixtape, get a mix tape. That was the only direction, and folks got super involved, some even making awesome covers and bringing two or four for their fellow CS:SF community.  Everyone who participated left with a new slew of music created randomly and especially for them.

Standing Room Only! For the first time in our four-month history, CS:SF sold out!  The fact that we were standing-room only didn’t bother the late-comers, however.  Folks were laughing just as hard standing up as they were sitting down.

Good Vibes for everyone, tra la la.

We combined local favorite Good Vibrations along with Lila B. Flower Designs for a savory and sweet V-day package. The famed pleasure shop did not disappoint, providing beaucoup toys for your, her, his, or all of the aforementioned’s pleasure.  And, because we care, everybody left with a 15% off gift card to Good Vibrations!

*Speaking of Good Vibes, you have just a couple of months to conceive, shoot, and edit your “art film” for the fifth annual Indie Erotic Film Fest submission deadline.  Show San Francisco the sexy time you like when the festival opens at the Castro Theater in September!

FAK! is hard at work prepping for next month’s screening, a drink-a-long (what?  come find out!) Thursday, March 3rd. 7:30 @ GAFFTA.  See you then!

Filed under: Announcements, Screening

Holiday Break

Cinema Speakeasy Open by Micah Hahn, StillsCinema Speakeasy Los Angeles is taking the rest of the month and January off. If you miss us terribly, and cannot wait to engage in our particular brand of filmic hijinks any longer, well… Please know that we miss you too! In fact, we’re thinking of each and every one of you right this moment. Indeed, in the midst of our celebrations, we’re busy busy busy planning 2011′s new program of independent film delights, workshops, and excuses to meet people.

Here are 2 things you can do, in the meantime.

1. Submit your short film to Cinema Speakeasy: San Francisco, now taking submissions for short, preferably funny films for the January 6th screening, HOLIDAY HANGOVER edition. Get more information here, or simply email them at CinemaSpeakeasySF@gmail.com.

2. Check out Cinema Speakeasy’s new promo, designed by the wonderful Micah Hahn at AutumnSeventy.com. The side bar here represents a few stills from the piece- but you really oughta  see it in motion to receive the full force of wonder at the fluid dynamic starriness.

See you in 2011.

Love,
Cinema Speakeasy

Filed under: Announcements, Call Out, , ,

Potato People!

Thanks for all those of you who attended yesterday’s potato-type workshop & screening of ‘Typeface‘ at Machine Project and the Echo Park Center, here in LA.

We had a lot of fun meeting you lovely people, and your ransom notes were inspiring (as were your potato letters).

As promised, we have posted all the photos on our Facebook page. We have also posted high resolution versions on Machine Project’s Flickr page.

Have a look and when on Facebook don’t forget to ‘like’ Cinema Speakeasy. While you’re at it, be sure to join our mailing list so you hear about events like this in the future.

PS. We ate all your potatoes for lunch. Delicious, with a side of ink.

Filed under: Announcements,

Lazy Days of Summer

Hello darlings and lovers of film!

In honor of fireflies, suntanning, lemonade, long drives to nowhere, weeping willows, sprinklers and barbeque sauce, we are taking the month of July off. Our summer logo was inspired by fireflies in a jar, which we hear are all the rage in Minnesota and New Jersey.

Please pencil in TUESDAY AUGUST 10th at 8PM for our one-year anniversary party & screening at the Echo Park Film Center. It’s going to be pretty boozy, and pretty filmy so sign up on our mailing list for an invite!

See you all in August. In the meantime, be sure to check out some of the amazing independent film screenings in your neighborhood. Our preliminary list of our favorite film curation contenders can be found here, and include screening series in LA, New York, London and beyond. Please support them!

Be sure, also, to donate to The Yes Men’s Yes Lab campaign.

Best,
Cinema Speakeasy

Filed under: Announcements, , , , , , , , , ,

Indie bands together

Curating and running an independent film screening program in the capital of corporate media is not easy. Moreover, there are precious few organizations in this city that attempt the feat of competing for audiences against the mega-plexes and the marketing-heavy (and now – WTF – 3D!) studio releases.

As such, those of us who are making this attempt need to find ways to better support one another by cross-promoting, suggesting films, and, overall, seeing each other as complementary forces, not as competition.

We’re thus excited to let you know that Cinema Speakeasy is joining metaphysical forces with Zak Forsman and Kevin Shah’s CineFIST, David Branin and Karen Worden’s Film Courage and, of course, our spiritual (and occasionally literal) home, the Downtown Independent.

We will all be retaining our autonomy as far as programming and management goes, but we will be making a bigger effort to share audiences, cross-promote and generally support one another. All in all, we’re still sussing out these details and are hoping to join forces with more organizations (the Echo Park Film Center, for instance). Know, however, that when you show your film at one of these events, the full promotional force of the others will also be at your disposal.

Viva los independentes!

Filed under: Announcements, , , , , ,

DIY Film Screenings: Organizations & Curators

Barring an acquisitions deal – rare, especially for low-budget independent films – many people had little idea how to get their film seen theatrically. This issue of distribution we think is easily resolved by taking control of your theatrical release, yourself. How, you ask? It can be done – simply – by contacting small film organizations or theaters and asking to have your film screened. Sometimes you can even arrange a revenue split at the box office- like we do for Cinema Speakeasy.

We’ve compiled a quick list of groups worldwide that curate and/or host ongoing four-wall independent film screenings, above and beyond Cinema Speakeasy:

Europe: England

Europe: Germany

United States: West

United States: Midwest & South

United States: Northeast

Worldwide: Other

There are so many more– will keep adding them as they come up, or throw them in the comments as a suggestion.

Filed under: Announcements, , , , , , , , , , ,

September program: Dedicated to United We Serve

United We Serve

September’s film program is being presented in support of the United We Serve campaign, launched by the White House to support the National Day of Service & Remembrance on 9/11.

This campaign is designed to get Americans out there helping their communities, and we here @ Cinema Speakeasy would like to take a moment to encourage you to do just that: Do something nice for someone, or for a bunch of people, on 9/11 (and every other day, if you can).

Check out our event profile on serve.gov, and – what the hell – create your own service-oriented event while you’re at it. You can organize a neighborhood cleanup, or just buy a homeless person lunch.

In the meantime, see you on Sep 1st, at 7:45, at the Echo Park Film Center!


Filed under: Announcements,

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