Jason previews upcoming events--Santa Cruz and San Francisco Film Festivals

So I said I'd try to publicize upcoming events more. Well, starting this Thursday we have the Santa Cruz Film Festival. It's relatively new, and I haven't been to it in a couple of years, but I hope to at least make it to the opening night screening of David Arquette's "The Tripper" (horror movie, villain wears a Ronald Reagan mask, shot in Santa Cruz--awesome!) Then possibly some more of it this weekend, depending on how busy I am.

Then just a week later the big 50th anniversary of the San Francisco International Film Festival. I am so not ready at all! I have decided, for their big 50th anniversary (and because I didn't plan ahead) to splurge and get the CineVisa pass to see everything. There's no way to see enough to make it worth the $650, but it's worth it to have the freedom to see whatever I want/can see.

Now here's the deal. I haven't planned ahead. I know I'll see the Friday and Saturday night late shows. And of the films, I've already seen "Slumming" and "Third Monday in October" at Cinequest. But other than that, this is your chance to convince me what else I should see. Partly I'm asking for help, partly this is your chance to control my schedule (although I retain ultimate veto power).

So check out the schedule here. Leave a comment on this post telling me what shows I should see (I've enabled anonymous posting, but might disable it if I get too much spam). Ideally, schedule an entire day for me! General guidelines--I assume I'll be working during the day (I'll let you know if that changes) and I work in the South Bay, so getting anywhere in SF or Berkeley before 5 pm is tough (when it comes down to Palo Alto, that's a little easier). I want to see the late shows on Friday and Saturday, and want to have time to have a few (okay, many) free beers before the show (thank you, Stella Artois!) So a schedule that doesn't put me at the Kabuki at least 20-30 minutes before that night's late show is no good. Also, I generally prefer taking public transit, which means it would take me longer to get between venues. Generally, it's more efficient if I stick to one venue at a time (i.e., all day at the Kabuki, or Castro, or PFA, with very little moving between venues). Other than that, I'm up for anything. Seriously, I'd really appreciate it. Now I'll get to see if I really have dedicated readers.

Oh, and a side note, the CineVisa doesn't cover opening and closing night, so I'll be skipping those. They're generally movies that will get at least some limited release anyway, and I don't need to spend a lot of extra money just to see the stars.