Fun fund-raisers, film festivals, a chocolate celebration, tributes to human rights and humanitarianism , a parade, genre-bending music….March is another typical month of eclectic activities and intriguing events in San Francisco.
MARCH EVENTSJeffrey Toobin
March 3, at 8 p.m.
Lawyer-turned-journalist Jeffrey Toobin, a New Yorker staff writer and CNN analyst, scrutinizes and explains politics and the judicial system. He’s covered some of the hottest political and legal controversies in the country, including O.J. Simpson’s murder case, the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal and Florida’s ballot recount after the 2000 presidential election. His books include The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court.
At Herbst Theater, 401 Van Ness Ave. Tickets $20.
Human Rights and Film
March 4-28
Violations of individual liberties and the perseverance of the human spirit come alive in this series, which includes Susan Sontag’s rarely seen documentary about the Arab-Israeli conflict, shot in Israel at the end of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and films about a teenage rehab center in Tehran and about commoners in China who journey to Beijing to petition the central government, their last-ditch effort to gain justice. The opening film, 8, consists of shorts by Jane Campion, Wim Wenders and six other notable directors; Gus Van Sant filmed his, about child mortality, while working in San Francisco on Milk.
At Yerba Buena Center. Tickets $8.
Southern Exposure’s 10th Annual Monster Drawing Rally
March 5, at 6-11 p.m.
About 120 artists work in shifts to create drawings all night, which will be displayed and offered for sale for $60 each. DJ music and free valet bike parking, plus tacos and drinks for sale. Proceeds go toward the contemporary art center’s exhibitions and art education program.
At the Verdi Club, 2424 Mariposa. Donation $10 & up.
Behind the Seams: A Salute to Fashion in Film
March 7, at 5 p.m.
The 30th annual Oscars-night gala by the Academy of Friends benefits Bay Area HIV/AIDS organizations such as the AIDS Legal Referral Panel, Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Huckleberry Youth Programs, San Francisco LGBT Community Center, Tenderloin Health and the Women's HIV Program at UCSF. Expect a red carpet, cocktails and fine cuisine, a telecast of the Oscars, an auction, prize drawing and dancing.
At Fort Mason Festival Pavilion. Tickets $250.
SpaFinder Deal Days
March 8 - 14
Le Petite Rose, Avra Organic Spa, Kabuki Springs & Spa and other spas in the Bay Area band together to offer massages, manicures, facials, scrubs and other treatments at $50 each. Register free at www.spafinder.com/dealdays.
51st anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day
March 10
A commemoration of March 10, 1959, when a rebellion in Lhasa erupted in protest of China’s rule over Tibet. China snuffed out the revolt and the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s supreme spiritual and political leader, fled to India, where he’s maintained a government-in-exile since. While the Dalai Lama insists that he wants for Tibet not independence, but just greater autonomy, Beijing continues to call him a “splittist” and a “wolf in sheep's clothing.” The commemoration, a show of support for Tibetan culture and human rights in Tibet, starts at 8:30 am at Berkeley City Hall, proceeds to San Francisco sites including China’s consulate, and ends at 8:30 pm in Union Square with a vigil and concert.
For more information, check www.sfrtyc.org.
28th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
March 11-21
This year’s festival screens 109 films and videos, including locally made documentaries, box-office hits from abroad, and retrospective and newly restored titles. As the largest Asian and Asian American film festival on the continent, SFIAAFF has spotlighted several emerging filmmakers who’ve gone on to stardom, such as Ang Lee, Wayne Wang, Mira Nair and M. Night Shyamalan. Parties, panel discussions, concerts, contests and workshops are also on the agenda.
At various locations in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose. Ticket prices vary.
St. Patrick's Day Festival and Parade
March 13, at 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Billed as the largest St. Patty’s day event west of the Mississippi, San Francisco’s 159th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade starts at 11:30 am at Second and Market and proceeds to Civic Center Plaza, where Irish dancers and musicians, kids’ rides and entertainment, arts and crafts booths, and food and drink (some of it colored green) await.
Sunday Streets: The Embarcadero
March 14, at 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Barring cars from select busy streets on select Sundays, which started in 2008, proved so popular that the city is expanding the program with longer hours and more locations. This year’s car-free Sunday street series kicks off along the Embarcadero, starting at Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39, south to China Basin and Terry Francois Boulevard.
Put Your Ideals Into Practice: Doctors Without Borders
March 17, at 7 p.m.
Doctors Without Borders--which provides medical care to people caught in natural disasters (like Haiti’s quake), war, epidemics and other crises--relies on both medical personnel (surgeons, midwives, epidemiologists, lab techs, mental health specialists, pharmacists, etc.) and non-medical (people in logistics, water & sanitation, construction or administration). Some of the organization’s aid workers from the Bay Area talk about their fieldwork and field questions about how to join.
At The Women's Building Auditorium, 3543 18th St. Free.
