Steven Soderbergh to Deliver San Francisco Film Festival's State of Cinema Address

Steven Soderbergh will deliver the annual State of Cinema Address at the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival.

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Soderbergh has said he is retiring from filmmaking, which should only heighten interest in his appearance at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas on April 27, when he is scheduled to discuss the intersecting worlds of cinema, culture and society. 

An Oscar winner for helming 2000’s Traffic, the director released the thriller Side Effects in February and has directed a drama about Liberace called Beyond the Candelabra, which HBO will air May 26. His credits include the indie breakout hit sex, lies and videotape; Out of Sight; Erin Brockovich; Contagion; and Magic Mike.

"Steven Soderbergh has been a one-man force for change in the film business, never neglecting the art, entertainment or process, pushing the industry forever forward," said Ted Hope, executive director of the San Francisco Film Society. "His keen awareness of the current moment in the development of this art form makes him particularly well suited to deliver the festival’s State of Cinema Address, especially considering his apparent intention to retire from filmmaking. Who better to point the way forward than this artist whose career has embodied the spirit of independence from the very beginning? I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to hear what he has to say."

Along with the State of Cinema Address, four other programs will round out the Live & Onstage program at the festival.

"Unpredictable and fun, these shows often produce the most lasting memories at the festival," said Film Society programmer Sean Uyehara. "From the comic insights of Derek Waters to the musical genius of Mike Patton and crew or from the cinephiliac acuity of Rick Prelinger to the keen obsessions of our ‘Show or Tell’ participants, this year’s Live and Onstage selection promises to surprise and delight our audiences yet again."

The festival itself runs from April 25 through May 9 at the Sundance Kabuki Cinemas, the Castro Theatre and New People Cinema in San Francisco and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley. Further details can be found here.