Fests and events, 3/23.

Matt Zoller Seitz on the series Dream Show: The Films of Takamine Go at the Anthology Film Archives through Monday: "Takamine Go's films aren't just aesthetically rich and politically significant, they're beautiful, odd and, if you're in the right frame of mind, entrancing."

Manohla Dargis surveys the "invariably eclectic and determinedly inclusive" New Directors/New Films series for the New York Times. And from Armond White in the New York Press: "Anyone fooled by Ang Lee's Heath Ledger/Jake Gyllenhaal charade should rush to the New Directors/New Films premiere of The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros. (It shows March 22, 23 and 25.) It offers the real thing - progress."

Antony Sher in the Guardian: "Queer cinema is at the heart of the forthcoming London Lesbian and Gay film festival (LLGFF). It was a pleasant surprise to me that this is its 20th anniversary - 20 years of celebrating gay, lesbian or queer cinema! Call it what you will, that's quite something."

Free screenings and a symposium, April 9 and 10 at UCLA: Out of the Closet, Into the Vaults, focusing on preserving the legacy of LGBT cinema.

Kevin Crust notes the political focus of this year's Silver Lake Film Festival, tonight through March 31. Also in the Los Angeles Times, Susan King explains why the "Los Angeles area is the go-to place for film festivals."

Tamara Schweitzer previews the Philadelphia Film Festival (March 30 through April 11) for indieWIRE. Grady Hendrix comments on a few titles to be screened in the Danger After Dark program.

Mark Pfeiffer: "So I'm back at the 30th Cleveland International Film Festival inhaling films like a sprinter sucks down air after a race."

More SFist SFIAAFF reviews:

• Eve on Red Doors and Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story and Sohraj.

• Emily on Colma: The Musical.

• Rita on Memories in the Mist.

Michael Guillen listens in on the panel discussion following the first screening of The Slanted Screen.

At JoongAng Daily, where Lee Min-a reports on Im Kwon-taek's 100th film, Park Soo-mee has a brief backgrounder on Korean Cinema 1996: Ten Years of Memory, running at Seoul Art Cinema through March 26.

At the IFC Blog, Alison Willmore finds that the New York Asian Film Festival has announced a few titles to be screened between June 16 and July 1.

At Twitch, Todd previews a Takashi Miike retrospective running in Turin from April 18 through May 9.

"We're having a tough time letting go of SXSW Film 06," write the Austin Chronicle folks, and understandably so. But Joe O'Connell brings good news of a few events Austinites can look forward to. Meanwhile: Matt Dentler's "20 Most Memorable SXSW Moments."

In Seattle? Cinematical's Kim Voynar has a few suggestions. Also: the Seattle Arab & Iranian Film Festival runs from March 31 through April 6.

Acquarello's latest Rendez-Vous with French Cinema reviews: Grey Souls, Housewarming, and I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed.

There's still time to submit work to the Independent Lens Online Shorts Festival.

Posted by dwhudson at March 23, 2006 3:08 PM