Free Solo is ostensibly a documentary about one man's quest to ascend Yosemite National Park's El Capitan – "the most impressive wall on earth" at 3,200 feet of sheer granite and "the center of the rock climbing universe," according to its subject, Sacramento native Alex Honnold – without ropes. At all. Read that again. 

That death- and gravity-defying quest induced gasps and even shrieks from the audience at the CineArts Sequoia theater this week as part of the 41st Mill Valley Film Festival, where it screened prior to its wider release in the Bay Area and beyond next week. And it did so despite the fact that most in attendance likely knew the story's ending, as Honnold's unfathomable achievement drew coverage and attention across the globe.

But the gasps weren't reserved solely for physical marvels. Free Solo also serves up another slice of high drama. As Honnold, a self-described "dark soul" who wasn't hugged by his parents as a kid and never heard the word "love," readies his ascent, he also navigates his relationship with his girlfriend Sanni McCandless, who "pretty much makes life better in every way," he says. That sentiment is a leap from earlier in the film when he admits that because his free soloing demands a near-perfection attention to detail, "I will always choose climbing over a lady – at least so far."

From exchanges with McCandless to interactions with directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Honnold is blunt and seemingly devoid of emotion at every turn in the film. "If you're seeking perfection, free soloing is as close as you can get," Honnold says, telling McCandless about the "simmering resentment" that would come with letting their budding relationship impact his decision to embark on a quest that could lead to his death.

"Nobody achieves anything great by being happy and cozy," he adds.

Vasarhelyi, Chin and Honnold all appeared at the Oct. 8 screening and participated in a light-hearted Q&A after the film about Honnold's unfathomable achievement and the production of the film that captured it all. 

As has been the case at previous Free Solo events, Honnold was once again asked about his next free soloing quest in the wake of his El Capitan feat, and he politely deflected. But Vasarhelyi chimed in by recounting Canadian free solo climber Peter Croft's reply on behalf of Honnold: "Would you ask Neil Armstrong what planet he would you go to next?"

The 411: "Free Solo" opens in Bay Area theaters next week, including at the Smith Rafael Film Center on Monday. Oct. 15. Here's the trailer:​

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Director Peter Farrelly – yes, he of There’s Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber fame – will also appear.

Organizers of the 41st Mill Valley Film Festival announced this week that they've landed one of the most buzzed-about films of the year. 

MVFF41, set for Oct. 4-14, will host on its Opening Night the U.S. premiere for Green Book, director Peter Farrelly's Viggo Mortensen- and Mahershala Ali-starring film about classically trained Black jazz piano prodigy Dr. Don Shirley and his white chauffeur and bodyguard Tony Lip as they embark on a 1962 concert tour of the American South.

Coupled with the previously announced Opening Night screening of A Private War, acclaimed documentary filmmaker Matthew Heineman's first narrative feature film, which stars Rosamund Pike as the late American-born British war reporter Marie Colvin, MVFF looks likely to maintain its reputation as an event with a consistent slate of Academy Award contenders.

Both Farrelly, best known as the director, along with his brother Bob, who helmed comedy classics like There’s Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber, and Ali, who won the Academy Award as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Barry Jenkins’ Oscar Best Picture winner, Moonlight are scheduled to attend to Green Book screenings, as well as the Opening Night Gala at the Marin Country Mart. 
 
The Opening Night Gala, set for 9pm-12am, features food from Belcampo, Big Jim’s BBQ, Fiorello’s Artisan Gelato, Johnny Doughnuts, Pizza Antica, El Huarache Loco, Farmshop, Wise Sons Bagelry, Fisher’s Cheese & Wine, and Sol Food, refreshing beverages provided by BevMo, Bartenders Unlimited, Lagunitas Brewing Company and Equator Coffee, and a chance to dance the night away to live music from Notorious, DJ Rich Factor and the Crackerjack DJs. 

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Both the director and the actress are expected to attend the screening, which will be the film's U.S. premiere, as well as the Opening Night Gala at the Marin Country Mart. 

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Matthew Heineman is bringing his first narrative feature film to the opening night of the 41st Mill Valley Film Festival for its U.S. premiere on October 4.

The film, A Private War, stars Rosamund Pike as the late American-born British war reporter Marie Colvin and is based on Marie Brenner’s 2012 Vanity Fair article “Marie Colvin’s Private War.” Colvin career spanned two decades and "pushed her to the top of her male-dominated field—a singular passion that jeopardized her personal relationships and her own health." She died in 2012 while covering the siege at Homs in Syria. 

Pike, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best actress for 2014’s Gone Girl, and Heineman, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary for 2015’s Cartel Land, and won the Directors Guild’s documentary award for that film and City of Ghosts, will both attend the screening, as well as the Opening Night Gala at the Marin Country Mart. 

MVFF's unveiling of the A Private War screening comes on the heels of previous announcements about Paul Dano's Wildlife and Kannapolis: A Movie Portrait, as well as a MVFF Music event at the Sweetwater Music Hall featuring former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker.

The 411: The 41st Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 4-14, 2018 at the CinéArts@Sequoia in Mill Valley, the Rafael Film Center in San Rafael and venues throughout the Bay Area. MORE INFO & TIX.

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Series from the Mill Valley Chamber, Mill Valley Recreation and the California Film Institute concludes for 2017 with a FREE screening in Old Mill Park.

Hundreds of movie lovers have turned out for FREE Movies in the Park screenings of the classic The Princess Bride and Pixar's Academy Award-winning Inside Out and the biggest blockbuster of 2017: Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast.

Movies in the Park closes its 2017 season on October 6 with Disney's “Moana,” the tale of a strong-willed Polynesian girl chosen by the ocean to reunite a mystical relic with a goddess. She seeks out the legendary demigod Maui. The Moana screening is part of the 40th Mill Valley Film Festival, which runs Oct. 5-15.

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Over the past decade-plus, the Mill Valley Film Festival has made its name on a handful of attributes: an incredibly eclectic selection of films from all over the world; an almost eery ability to showcase films that end up garnering Academy Awards; and celebrity appearances by actors and directors to receive tributes and to accompany awards-worthy screenings.

For its 39th edition, set for Oct. 6-16 in downtown Mill Valley and at venues all over Marin, MVFF organizers have once again knocked it out of the park in the first two categories – and  set the bar at an all-time high in the third.

The roster of celebrity appearances at MVFF39 starts with one of the biggest names in show business: Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman, who will appear in person to receive a tribute to her career on Oct. 9, when she will present her latest film, “Lion.”

The lineup also includes a pair of actresses well on their way to having Kidman-esque careers in Hollywood: Emma Stone, who will appear at a screening of “La La Land,” the widely acclaimed musical from director Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”) she stars in with Ryan Gosling; and Amy Adams, who stars in the equally lauded science fiction film “Arrival” from director Denis Villeneuve (“Sicario”). Both actresses headline their respective Opening Night screenings on Oct. 6.

MVFF39 also features appearances by actors Ewan McGregor (“American Pastoral,” director and star), Gael García Bernal (“Neruda”) and Aaron Eckhart (“Bleed for This”) as well as groundbreaking filmmaker Julie Dash (“Daughters of the Dust”) – all of whom will sit down for onstage conversations after the screening of their films. as festival honorees.

“When you look at turning 39 and heading into our 40th year, the amount of energy and change and innovation we’re doing with this festival is extraordinary,” MVFF founder and Executive Director Mark Fishkin said in unveiling the lineup earlier this month.
The festival closes Oct. 16 with the hotly anticipated “Loving,” Jeff Nichols’ film “Loving,” the tale of an interracial couple that fought for the right to marry, a case that went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1967. Nichols and actors Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga will appear in person at the screening, which will be followed by a Closing Night Party at Cavallo Point.

The 411: The 39th Mill Valley Film Festival is Oct. 6-16 at venues in Mill Valley, San Rafael, Corte Madera and Larkspur. MORE INFO & TIX.

The 38th Mill Valley Film Festival wrapped up Sunday night with multiple screenings of of Suffragette, the story of the women who were foot soldiers in the fight for the right to vote in the early 20th century, ordinary women who risked their jobs, homes, children and even their lives. MVFF38 also concluded with a raucous closing night party featuring music from the Monophonics and the Crackerjack DJs at Terrapin Crossroads, the spacious live music venue and restaurants perched on the canal waterfront in San Rafael.

The evening capped 11 days of sold-out screenings that drew more than 68,000 filmgoers, far surpassing 2014's then-record attendance of 61,000. The festival included myriad acclaimed filmmakers and special guests, including MVFF Audience Award winners and likely Academy Award contenders Spotlight and Room, as well as tributes to actors Sir Ian McKellen, Carey Mulligan, Sarah Silverman and Brie Larson and appearances from directors Tom Hooper, Tom McCarthy, Catherine Hardwicke and Cary Fukunaga with their films the Danish Girl, Spotlight, Miss You Already and Beasts of No Nation, respectively.

Festival organizers said the event drew more than 68,000 attendees to its Marin venues.
 
“This was an amazing eleven days for film lovers, music enthusiasts, and members of the industry,” said Mark Fishkin, Founder/Director of the Mill Valley Film Festival. “We are so proud to be a festival that filmmakers—both local and international—return to year after year to present their films to our sophisticated and influential Bay Area audiences, who love to see and nurture these new works. With the beautiful backdrop of Marin County and a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere, the Festival gives filmmakers and audiences alike the opportunity to share their work and experiences in a collaborative and convivial setting. It’s gratifying to hear others say ‘It’s a festival second to none’”.

“The response to our women’s initiative, Mind the Gap, has been incredible—with engagement across the Festival," added Director of Programming MVFF Zoë Elton. "MVFF has had a long-term commitment to women in film, but in this year’s program we’ve upped the ante in the conversation about women, work, and film. Our goal was to step up and model what a film festival can do: We celebrated women creators from around the world in films; we produced panels, tributes, an exhibit on Ingrid Bergman, and an installation on female role models. These events and programs galvanized audiences and filmmakers alike to engage in an issue whose time is now. Mill Valley has been a-buzz!”
 
MVFF38 also featured a pair of classic films: a free screening of the The Wizard of Oz in Old Mill Park in Mill Valley, and a sold-out screening of Return of the Jedi_, preceded by a costume contest and two sneak-peek trailers of The Force Awakens, which hits theaters in December.

Over the course of her 23-year career, Sarah Silverman has drawn widespread acclaim as a stand-up comedian and as an actress in both TV (The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers) and film (The Aristocrats, School of Rock), largely on her ease – and willingness – to make the uncomfortable funny.

But in the intense addiction drama I Smile Back, Silverman looks to make the uncomfortable simply discomfiting, playing attractive, intelligent suburban wife and devoted mother of two Laney Brooks, whose seemingly picture-perfect life belies the fact that beneath the façade she's ridden with depression and disillusionment that send her careening into a secret world of reckless compulsion.

Ih her portrayal of Brooks, Silverman displayed such dramatic chops that she'll be honored with the Mill Valley Award during a Spotlight event at the 38th Mill Valley Film Festival, which runs Oct. 8-18.

After I Smile Back debuted at Sundance Film Festival in January, Silverman drew rave reviews, with Variety's Scott Foundas declaring, "Rarely has a performer striven so concertedly to shed any trace of his/her comedy roots as Sarah Silverman does over the course of I Smile Back, an addiction drama in which the acerbic comedienne gives the kind of warts-and-all, let-it-all-hang-out (body parts, fluids, etc) turn that awards' consultants dreams are made of..."

The Mill Valley Film Festival screening of I Smile Back, a film adaption of a novel by Amy Koppelman, will be followed by a line on-stage Q&A with Silverman and a presentation of the MVFF Award.

Raised in New Hampshire before attending New York University, Silverman joined comedy juggernaut Saturday Night Live in 1993 as a writer and feature performer. She's garnered two Emmy Awards and a Grammy nomination.

The California Film Institute will unveil the complete schedule for the 38th Mill Valley Film Festival on September 15.

Watch Sarah Silverman and the filmmakers of I Smile Back discuss the film at the Variety Studio at Sundance:

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After 11 days, dozens of star-studded events and hundreds of film screenings, the 37th Mill Valley Film Festival drew to a close Sunday night, and it did so with panache.

Actress Laura Dern, who has "been engaging audiences with her entirely unique and wholly authentic screen presence" since the mid-1980s, was the guest of honor. Dern appeared at a screening of her latest film, Wild, in which Reese Witherspoon stars in this adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir, a striking account of the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail trek she undertakes to grieve the death of her mother (Dern) and help give closure to a troubled past. 

Dern, the daughter of celebrated actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd and the star of such films as Mask, Blue Velvet, Wild at Heart, Rambling Rose, Jurassic Park, and Citizen Ruth, was the subject of a tribute and held a Q&A session after the screening

After that event, hundreds turned out for the Closing Night Party at Maple Lawn Estate at the Elks Lodge in San Rafael. The party featured live music by Danny Click and cuisine from Sol Food, Theresa & Johnny’s Comfort Food, Big Jim’s BBQ, and West End Cafe, among others.