SFIFF, fests and events, 4/30.

"Quentin Tarantino will be live in person for one final send-off of the Alamo Downtown on May 10, 11 & 13 with a different Grindhouse triple feature each night," reports the Austin American-Statesman's Chris Garcia - and he's got the lineup.

"For years a joke has been circulating online that a Chinese law exists requiring Daniel Wu to be featured in every Hong Kong film." For SF360, Jennifer Young talks with him about The Heavenly Kings, screening Friday in San Francisco.

In Boston, Cynthia Rockwell sees the "admirable" Year of the Fish and the "beautiful and bizarre" Kinetta.

In Indianapolis, Nathaniel R sees Milk and Opium ("In the film's last act in New Delhi, the themes become crystal clear: die out or be assimilated") and: "Eventually I came to grips with the realization that all of the lives within L'Heritage are unexplored. The story is in the gaps and the frisson between them."

At the Reeler, Elena Marinaccio previews BeFilm: The Underground Film Festival, opening tomorrow and running through May 5.

Acquarello is still savoring the films of Carlos Saura.

"If a great photograph is one that is symbolic, inviting us to project our wide-ranging interpretations onto them, then the images selected for deconstruction by Hans Pool and Maaik Krijgsman throughout Looking for an Icon are almost beyond reproach," writes Ed Gonzalez at Slant. Icon screens with The Day You'll Love Me at the Film Forum May 9 through 22.

Jette Kernion at Cinematical and Todd at Twitch note that the Rolling Road Show sets off in July.

"Don't expect a lot of elbow room at Cannes this year," warns Variety's Alison James. "Everyone wants to come this year," a staffer tells her. Via Jeffrey Wells.

The question of which films are and which films aren't "In Competition" at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival should not be fuzzy. And yet, for three years now, it has been, as AJ Schnack explains.

"As Filmfest DC closes its 21st year tonight, it has maintained a steady-as-she-goes familiarity with locals, as synonymous with April as cherry blossoms," wrote Desson Thomson in the Washington Post yesterday. "But the festival has failed to create any visibility beyond the Beltway." Good or bad thing? Thomson looks into it; via Sujewa Ekanayake.

Online viewing tip. Jim Emerson shoots Roger Ebert introducing Beyond the Valley of the Dolls at Ebertfest. For more, see Kristin Thompson's big entry - pix and reviews galore.

Posted by dwhudson at April 30, 2007 1:10 PM