The Bicycle Film Festival
New environmentalism (the kind that feels as good as it looks) shares a lot with the urban bike culture movement. A major catalyst in bringing different riders together over the last several years has been The Bicycle Film Festival.
Guided by what is perhaps the most offbeat curatorial premise of the many festivals out there, the 5th Annual event opens in San Francisco this Wednesday, October 5th. As one of the preeminent bike capitals, it follows that this stop is looking like the apex of the fest's tour and its history. To kick off the four-day event, a rock show at The Independent features some of today's most inventive music-makers, including Gang Gang Dance, San Francisco's own electro-dub quartet Tussle, and The Mall, also local favorites. An art show opens Thursday at the Red Ink Gallery (1035 Market between 6th and 7th) with bike-themed art by such well-known artists as Shaun O'Dell, Swoon (on the heels of her recent lauded solo show at Deitch), and photos by the ubiquitous Ricky Powell. Films get underway on Friday at the Mission District's Victoria Theater. The San Francisco premiere of “Still We Ride," a documentary about the Critical Mass arrests in NYC since last year's Republican National Convention, is sure to be popular in the city where Critical Mass originated. Other highlights of the seven programs include a film by Dogme veteran Jorgen Leth and rare footage of bike styles from New York to San Francisco to Sao Paulo.
Tickets are available for pre-sale on the Bicycle Film Festival's website and all events tout valet bicycle parking.
