45th San Francisco International Film Festival

So instead of buying a plane ticket, buy a festival pass and see the world -- region after region -- from the comfort of our wonderful city. Let the festival be your window into the hidden cultures of the world, into our great human diversity, and into our ample collective vision.

I was lucky enough to have recently viewed some of the films presented this year. It feels like I have just returned from an epic Homeric journey -- from the busy city of Seoul and over the country side of South Korea, onto the spacious plains of China, and across the amber Russian fields.

By the Ganges River, and the people living there, I heard their wonderful raga and Ravi Shankar, at eighty years old, speak about his spirit, his life, and his family.

On the vast wind swept Iranian desert I saw a boy that could have been from Arizona, or Greenland, or Marin. And from the blue coast of Brazil, to the dusty market at Senegal or Santiago, and onto the industrial ports of Tangier -- one thing is common. We all share the human experience, it's ups and downs -- life, love, laughter and death.

The visions you are about to see at the festival are not found in your local video store, in fact, many of these films will never be screened in America again. So involve yourself into this opportunity to become a special guest of the San Francisco Film Society and purchase your tickets today. By doing so you will support the 45th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival and your sense of curiosity and adventure.

The films that I have seen are on the right. I am not done viewing films. Please check back when the film festival is over to see my final recommendations and conclusions.