Isaac Mizrahi Brings Cabaret to North Bay

Break out the suits, ties, top hats and yes—polish those pearls—because the North Bay is about to get a whole lot more fabulous with the arrival of the legendary designer and multi-hyphenate performer Isaac Mizrahi, whose live show will play in Sonoma County this spring as part of his newly-announced California concert tour.

Mizrahi is a celebrity of many talents, best known for his influence in the world of fashion as well as his magnetic stage presence, razor-sharp wit and captivating storytelling. He brings his signature flair to a one-night-only cabaret-style performance at the Green Music Center in Rohnert Park on Wednesday, April 24. There, he will perform accompanied by a top-tier jazz sextet, giving guests an evening that promises a genre-defying blend of song, humor and charm that only he can deliver.

Those who attend Mizrahi’s upcoming Sonoma show can expect a show that’s equal parts intimate salon and polished stage production—curated yet casual, hilarious yet heartfelt, with music perfectly matched to the moment. It’s a performance that mirrors the Sonoma spirit: artful, vibrant and with just the right amount of glam to match. In short, a perfect pairing for the acoustically stunning Weill Hall at the Green Music Center.

But beyond fashion and TV, Mizrahi really seems to come alive and dazzle audiences when live on stage. Rohnert Park’s performance falls between tour stops in La Jolla and San Francisco, making it the only North Bay appearance on the tour. For Sonoma County audiences, it’s a rare chance to catch a world-class performer without leaving Wine Country.

For those who don’t know or could use a quick reminder, Mizrahi initially joined the hall of fame for his work in helping to redefine American fashion in the 1990s. In the past three decades since then, he has remained a pop culture fixture across multiple entertainment and apparel industries. He’s dressed A-list icons, made high fashion more accessible to all and has even appeared on television (notably as a judge on seven seasons of Project Runway All-Stars). 

Now, Mizrahi is a true Renaissance celebrity, with a New York Times bestselling memoir under his belt, a podcast underway, and he’s working as a producer on a Hulu show to boot. Oh, and somehow Mizrahi is still finding the time to travel up and down California to put on live shows for his fans.

Tickets for Isaac Mizrahi’s April 24 show at the Green Music Center—and all other California tour dates—are available now at HelloIsaac.com.

Open Mic: The North Bay Way, Putting Ourselves on the Map

The North Bay—we know where it is but not necessarily what it is.

Is it a particular vibe? A state of mind? A swelling real estate bubble about to burst? 

Yes, yes, and you can afford real estate?

Unlike its geographic sibs, the North Bay has long endured something of an identity crisis. The South and East Bays are both major cultural hubs that boast world-class universities and have made a global impact on arts and technology. 

Our local university just gutted a dozen programs, so don’t expect any impactful art or tech. But there’s enough wine and weed here to show you a better time than any on-campus amateur anyway. 

What we need is our own set of “You know you’re in the North Bay when … ” jokes. Humor has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. For example, you know you’re in the North Bay when your glass of wine costs more than your entree.

Remember when Sonoma County identified as the “Redwood Empire?” Trees. You’re going to base your brand on trees, SoCo? “Wine Country” has certainly been an upgrade, though nobody checked in with Napa about sharing the moniker. When finally asked, Napa replied, “Sonoma who?”

To this day, Marin County operates under the specter of being, as writer Duncan Campell wrote in the UK’s Guardian, “ … A home for superannuated hippies, lying around in hot tubs listening to Grateful Dead tapes with a joint in one hand and a glass of Chardonnay in the other.”

For reasons I have yet to understand, there’s a “We don’t talk about Solano” vibe regarding that particular county, which crowd-sourced info hubs like Wikipedia claim is in the North Bay, whereas frenemy combatants on Reddit argue it’s not.

Whatever it is, there’s still room for another North Bay county, right? Here’s my radical secession plan: Novato and West Petaluma, which border each other on at least two sides of the compass—and share an outsider ethos to their respective counties—could secede and form a new county. We’ll call it Olompali (for the state park they also co-border, which likely means “Southern Village” in the Coast Miwok language). There, I fixed it.

But speaking to the totality of The Great N.B., it’s not that we need to define what’s within our tri-county borders; we just need to define ourselves. As Thor said after his planet was destroyed in the movie Ragnarok, “Asgard is not a place; it’s a people.”

Ditto for the North Bay. We’re a people. And a lot of dogs. But mostly a people. And I’m happy to be a people with you.

Daedalus Howell is the editor of the Pacific Sun and North Bay Bohemian. He makes media and movies at dhowell.com. Reprinted from the spring edition of North Bay Magazine, a Weeklys publication.

Stoke & Hope, ‘West Marin Naturalist Hour’

It is easy to overlook the home of 90.5 KWMR. It shares a small building on a backstreet in Point Reyes Station. 

But KWMR inhabits a small but critical niche in our social ecology—that of the community-based, all-volunteer public radio station. And looking at their program calendar tacked outside their two-chair porch, one sees KWMR anchors a whole ecosystem of local communities. Each show is a like world, and their number could easily fill this weekly column for a year. 

However, I will confine myself to the show that introduced me to KWMR, West Marin Naturalist Hour. I first caught it on a random alternate Monday play day, trucking out to Drakes Bay. The topic was keystone species eel grass.

The hour is hosted by California-certified naturalists and easy friends, Liz Wilhelm, Dallas Smith and Seamus Tomkins, who all have extensive backgrounds in ecotourism. Each alternate Monday, they guide a guest ecologist to interview, continuing their ongoing conversation about the ecology of West Marin—and more broadly the California coast. Across 70 archived episodes, they have built out of talk a model of that vast ecology that hints at the true complexity of our environmental systems. 

No less impressive is the network that undergirds their talk model: 70 naturalists, biologists, park rangers, eco-adventure guides, agriculturalists, nonprofit conservationists and nature-inspired artists who are some of the chief stewards of our coast.

It is a challenging time for environmentalists … Just as it is a challenging time for the advocates of public radio. While not downplaying these challenges, the hosts of West Marin Naturalist Hour present their topics with “stoke and hope.” And that’s not just the sun-saturated temperament of these nature guides. There is a lot to be stoked on.

Conservation efforts around the West Marin seashore offer many success stories to share with the community and the wider world.

Cincinnatus Hibbard: What are some favorite episodes to get us started on your series?

Liz Wilhelm: Julie Berwald on jellyfish, Richard Vacha on animal tracking and Theresa Harlan on “Coming Home to the Cove.”

Dallas Smith: Preston Brown on salmonids, Pat Kleeman on amphibians, Hanna Hindley on marine protected areas and Dan Flores on a “Wild New World.”

You describe the area around Point Reyes and Tomales Bay as an ecological hotbed …

Seamus Tomkins: Point Reyes is on “The Pacific Flyway,” so 50% of North American bird species pass through here. And of course we have our year round residents too.

LW: Also the gradation of Tomales Bay. You start down here at Point Reyes Station, where Lagunitas Creek flows into the wetlands. There you have the furthest southern in-tact coho salmon habitat. Weaving through the wetlands up Tomales Bay to Dillan Beach and the ocean, you have all these different zonations where different species thrive at different times of year.

ST: Looking from Tomales Bay, you see this side is all grasslands, and that side is woodlands and repairing areas and creek beds … You have so many ecological niches for species out here. We’re always discovering something new.

DS: But none of that would exist if people didn’t care. People care about the land out here. When the land is protected, species thrive. We want people to care.

Learn more. Enter linktr.ee/KWMRlinks or scan the below QR code to learn more. There are links to the current KWMR fundraising drive (about a third of their funding is threatened by the Trump administration). There are also links to Wilhelm and Smith’s ecotourism business, Pt. Reyes Adventure Co., and Tomkins’ band, Spacesuit, and of course the show’s archive.

Culture Crush, April 23

San Rafael

Ballet? Yes, Pliés

Hear ye, hear ye—entertainment awaits. And villagers so inclined may come and feast their senses upon modern ballet dancers, Renaissance-era choral music and more. In other words, RammDance’s modern ballet studio is joining forces with a live chorus from Areté Singers to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the West Coast Arts Foundation. One may come out to watch and maybe even join in as RammDance puts on a show to celebrate the West Coast Arts Foundation’s quarter-century anniversary in appropriate style, pomp and circumstance.

RammDance Company’s performance will take place at 2pm on April 26 at the West Coast Arts Foundation performance studio in San Rafael, located at 1554 Fourth St. To learn more, visit rammdance.org.

Petaluma

Join the Circus

Time to run away to the circus—Petaluma’s new Cider Circus, to be exact. One may pack a bag and brush up on their acrobatics, because everyone and their grandmother is running away for a day at Cider Circus to celebrate cider, beer and other beverages from more than two dozen natural Northern California producers. And they may join in on the music, games and food to match the beverages. If joining Cider Circus is wrong, then no one wants to be right. Cider Circus runaways may come via train, bike, tightrope or by paddling up the river—that is to say, no drinking and driving clown car shenanigans. Early bird tickets cost $45 each, and children are welcome to attend for free (as are dogs, provided they stay on their leashes).

Tickets are at bit.ly/cider-circus. Cider Circus will take place from 1 to 6pm on Saturday, April 26 along the banks of the Petaluma River at Steamer Landing Park, located at 6 Copeland St. in Petaluma.

Petaluma

Surfs Up in Petaluma

Some serious waves are about to hit Petaluma … and before y’all get worried, this is an announcement for an art exhibition (and definitely not a tsunami warning). Now that we’re on the same wavelength here, it’s time to get stoked for a local exhibition from water and surf landscape artist Robb Havassy. Those who love art, the ocean and/or artwork of the ocean may follow the current down to Usher Gallery, which is hosting Havassy and his expressive and aquatic collection of works entitled Into the Light. So, do not barrel roll gently into that good light, folks—instead, one may catch a wave and hang loose looking at some art.

The opening reception of ‘Into the Light’ will take place from 5 to 8pm on Saturday, May 3 in the Usher Gallery, located at 1 Petaluma Blvd. N. in Petaluma.

Sausalito

Local Treasures Meet Legal Heist 

What if local art lovers could spend a night feeling like a bougie and legal version of Bonnie and Clyde? Well, no need to speculate when Marin Open Studios hosts their Local TreasuresBenefit for Art in a historic bank vault turned art room at the Sausalito Center for the Arts. The pièce de résistance of the evening is the “pick a treasure” game, which goes alongside a wine pull and a vacation auction (and art, obviously). One may grab their finest pinstripe suit and bowler hat, and not forget their getaway car—i.e., a sober designated driver—’cause the benefit is all set to have an open bar alongside gourmet catering from Insalata’s and other local restaurants.

The Marin Open Studios ‘Local Treasures Benefit for Art’ will take place from 6 to 9pm on Saturday, April 26 at the Sausalito Center for the Arts, located at 750 Bridgeway. To buy tickets, go to bit.ly/MarinOS25.

Your Letters, April 23

Planet Pleaser

This past Tuesday, April 22, we celebrated Earth Day—hopefully by reducing our driving, reusing shopping bags and cutting back on consumption of animal products.

A 2023 study in the respected journal Nature Food found that even a 50% reduction in our meat and dairy intake would lead to a 60% decrease in associated greenhouse gas emissions. A 2022 study in Environmental Research Letters found that livestock farming accounts for 80% of global deforestation.

Animal agriculture generates a large portion of our greenhouse gases. Animal waste contaminates our waterways. Production of corn and soybeans to feed animals raised for food exhausts our croplands and aggravates world hunger. Deforestation to create animal pastures reduces absorption of greenhouse gases and destroys wildlife habitats.

It’s not just about preserving our personal health and avoiding animal cruelty anymore. Fortunately, our local supermarket offers a rich variety of vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts and fruits for our dining pleasure. The dairy aisles contain plant-based milks, cheeses and yogurts. The frozen foods section displays lots of plant-based healthy, eco-friendly, cruelty-free meats and ice creams.

Let’s use April 22 as the turning point for our new lease on life.

Steven Alderson
Santa Rosa

Pelosi Patois

Normally, I keep a tight lip and don’t say much (not much I don’t) regarding C.J. Corsini and his apparent (to me anyway) hijacking of Weeklys’ Letters to the Editor.

But his last letter (April 16-22) nailed it. Not only is each point spot on; Corsini is the only person (besides me) to call out Nancy Pelosi for what she is now, always has been and always will be: a useless white woman.

David Dale
Sonoma Valley

Close Up, Aperture Cellars Makes Its Shot

Winemaker Jesse Katz is globally recognized for creating exceptional wines. He also consults for elite clients and has earned multiple 100-point ratings from top critics.

Katz’s background, combined with experience making wine across the globe, has given him a unique vision for identifying extraordinary vineyard sites that preserve and showcase the distinctive qualities of each location and varietal, often in areas others have overlooked. He is proud to say Sonoma County is such a place.

Amber Turpin: What’s your job?

Jesse Katz: Founder and head winemaker of Aperture Cellars and Devil Proof Vineyards.

How did you get into that work?

My passion for wine began during my youth through travels with my family, following my artist father, Andy Katz, whose photography projects often took us to some of the world’s best wine estates and regions. These journeys instilled in me a deep appreciation for the culture, terroir, and artistry of winemaking and viticulture. 

This passion led me to an immersive journey into the wine world, including studies at Fresno State and hands-on experience at prestigious estates such as Pétrus, Screaming Eagle, Viña Cobos, Bodega Noemía and many others.

I feel very fortunate to have observed how great wines are made in diverse styles, climates, regions and soils throughout my life—from childhood to my professional career. Introduced to wine in my early teens through my father’s artwork, I have always been attuned to the sense of place, with an artistic approach deeply ingrained in me.

Did you ever have an “aha” moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.

Learning that some of the best cabernet sauvignons and Bordeaux varietal wines in the world are being made in Sonoma.

What is your favorite thing to drink at home?

Wine. I love—and drink—a lot of different types of wines. My wine choice depends on the setting, company, what I’m eating, etc. I drink a lot of Champagne, aromatic whites, blends, and cabernet sauvignons from all over the world, but always enjoy trying new things.

Where do you like to go out for a drink?

We are blessed with a ton of wonderful options in Sonoma, but a go-to spot for me is chef Dustin Valette’s Rooftop 106. I also love going out for drinks at the outdoor patio at Hazel Hill, which overlooks the stunning vineyards of the Montage Healdsburg Resort. The restaurant’s menu pairs perfectly with the Montage’s estate wine, Surveyor (I was involved in officially launching the exclusive label’s first vintages when the resort opened).

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to be drinking (besides fresh water)?

One of our single vineyard wines from Aperture. I think it would help bring me back home with every sip.

Aperture Cellars, 12291 Old Redwood Hwy., Healdsburg, 707.200.7891. aperture-cellars.com.

Free Will Astrology, April 23-29

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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries filmmaker Akira Kurosawa devoted meticulous attention to weather conditions. He would postpone shooting a particular scene for days, waiting for the influx of the exact right blend of wind, clouds or precipitation to create the ideal ambiance. I recommend you adopt his patient sense of timing in the coming weeks, Aries. While you typically prefer direct action, now is a favorable phase to coordinate your desire to get what you need with life’s changing conditions. What advantages might you gain by waiting for the ripest moments to arrive?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You can’t see or hold the wind, though you can feel its force and observe its effects. It scatters some seeds far and wide, dispersing them to grow in unexpected places. When harnessed by turbines, the wind is a renewable energy source. It can be utilized to pump water and fuel telecommunications equipment. Winds influence daily weather by transporting water and heat. I have summarized wind’s qualities because I see this upcoming phase of your cycle as being wind-like, Taurus. You won’t necessarily have to be obvious to spread your influence. You will be able to work behind the scenes in potent ways. Who knows where your seeds will land and germinate? There will be surprises.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Earth’s first big ecological crisis happened 2.5 billion years ago. Ancient bacteria became a successful life form. They proliferated. The only problem was, they produced an abundance of oxygen, which was toxic to all the other existing life forms at that time. And yet that bump in evolution was ultimately essential in the rise of complex organisms that thrive on oxygen, like us. We wouldn’t be here today without bacteria’s initially problematic intervention. Nothing as monumentally major or epic will occur for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. But I do suspect that what may initially seem disruptive could ultimately generate positive outcomes. I hope you prime yourself to transform challenging situations into opportunities for growth. For best results, set aside your fixed beliefs about what’s necessary for maximum progress.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): From the 17th through the 19th centuries, Paris was famous for its salons. There, artists, writers and big thinkers assembled to exchange ideas and inspire each other. The salons were often orchestrated by illustrious, educated women in their private homes. They were hotbeds of networking and cultural innovation. Listening and learning were key elements. Now would be an excellent time for you to organize, host or encourage similar gatherings, Cancerian. You have extra power to facilitate the stellar socializing that generates zesty connections and spreads invigorating influences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) was one of the bravest Americans who ever lived. After escaping enslavement, she heroically returned to other southern plantations many times to help free enslaved people. To accomplish her miraculous rescues, she relied in part on her dreams and visions—what she called divine guidance—to navigate through challenging situations. I suspect you will soon have access to similar assets: extraordinary courage and help from unusual or even supernatural sources. Use these gifts wisely, Leo.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The nations of planet Earth launched 263 space flights in 2024 and are on track for more than 300 in 2025. Most of the satellites and spacecraft are devoted to scientific research. A relatively small proportion is dedicated to communication, navigation and military uses. I would love for you to have an equally high level of exploratory and experimental energy in the coming weeks, Virgo. You will align yourself with cosmic rhythms if you spend more time than usual investigating the frontiers. It’s time to expand and extend yourself.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): What’s the oldest living organism on Earth? It’s a bristlecone pine tree nicknamed “Methuselah.” Almost 4,800 years old, it resides somewhere in California’s White Mountains, though its precise location is kept secret to protect it. In the spirit of shielding and nurturing valuable things, I urge you to consider maintaining similar safeguards in the coming weeks. Like Methuselah, your precious processes and creations might thrive best when allowed to grow free from undue attention. You may benefit from maintaining privacy and silence about certain matters as they develop.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I love to gaze out my office window at Gallinas Creek during high tide. At certain interludes, the water is perfectly still. It almost perfectly reflects the sky in every detail, with all its clouds, birds and hues of blue. My conscious mind knows the difference between the real sky and reflected sky, but my eyes can’t discern. That’s a helpful metaphor for all of us all the time, and especially for you in the coming weeks. It will be crucial for you to maintain an acute awareness of what’s genuine and what’s illusory.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian anthropologist  Margaret Mead (1901-1978) revolutionized her field. She didn’t study other cultures from a distance with a detached perspective. Instead, she learned their languages and immersed herself in their daily lives. So she earned the intimate understanding to conclude, “What people say, what people do and what they say they do are entirely different things.” This is a crucial principle for you right now. You must directly observe people’s actions rather than simply believing what they say about themselves—or what others say about them. You must look beyond surface declarations to understand the deeper rhythms and patterns. For best results, be a devoted participant, not an uninvolved judge.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn mystic Alan Watts wrote The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. He proposed that each of us is far more glorious than our separate, isolated egos. It’s difficult to come to this understanding, however, since our culture conspires to hide it from us. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you will have an unprecedented chance to partly shatter this taboo in the coming weeks. I have high hopes that you will discover deep truths about yourself that have previously been unavailable.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Beginning in 1946, Bedouins exploring caves near the Dead Sea discovered an immense trove of ancient documents written on parchment. These manuscripts provided many new revelations into early Christianity, biblical texts, and the history and culture of Judaism. I suspect that in the coming weeks, you may experience a metaphorical equivalent of this breakthrough and unveiling. To prepare, meditate on these questions: 1. What mysterious parts of your life story would you like to have illuminated? 2. About which aspects of your past would you like to receive new truths? 3. Is there anything missing in your understanding of who you really are?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): White light enters a glass prism and is translated on the other side into a rainbow of colors. That’s because each color rides its own wavelength, even while seamlessly blended in the white light, and then gets bent differently by the prism. The magic of the prism is that it reveals the hidden spectrum within, the latent diversity contained within the apparently monolithic beam of white light. In the coming weeks, Pisces, I predict that you will be like a prism, bringing out vibrancy in situations or relationships that may seem nondescript or mundane at first glance. Your ability to discern and appreciate multiple perspectives will enable you to create an intriguing kind of harmony. You will have the power to notice and reveal beauty that has been veiled or unnoticed.

Law and Disorder: Historic Legal Drama at Marin Theatre

Scrappy, divinely profane and absolutely necessary for these fraught times, It’s True, It’s True, It’s True, now in its U. S. premiere at Mill Valley’s Marin Theatre through May 4, is inventive, funny and biting. 

With a structure that hits frappé on the traditional play format, this 75-minute confrontational punk-rock romp is equipped with living tableaus, gorgeous stylized costumes by Pamela Rodriguez-Montero and furious musical interludes. 

This is just what theater needs right now; pedestrian frivolity gives way to in-your-face provocation and lewdness that made a lot of the menfolk in the audience visibly squirm. Women theatergoers may be all too familiar with the situation at hand. Director Rebecca Wear and the all-female cast lean into that shared reality as they hammer out this ultimately redemptive story, uncaring as to their effect on the patriarchy. I’m here for it.

Ripped from 17th century court transcripts and adapted by Billy Barrett and Ellice Stevens, the story follows gifted Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi (played with subtle dignity, then growing force, by Emily Anderson) as she testifies about her rape at the hands of the dastardly Agostino Tassi (a repulsive yet charming Maggie Mason), the famous painter her father hired as her tutor. 

It is soon painfully apparent that it is Artemisia on trial, with the audience as jury. A sly judge (Alicia M.P. Nelson, channeling Kenan Thompson on SNL) presides over all, offering smirks and sight gags with careless abandon.

The most impactful interludes involve the aforementioned tableaus of two of Gentileschi’s paintings, complete with a commedia dell’arte-influenced scene featuring two voyeuristic “elders” (Mason, and Keiko Shimosato Carreiro, doing amazing character work), who act in a distinctly repulsive contemporary manner that will inspire many a vengeful thought. 

The whole production is interesting to scrutinize, especially the costumes. Mason wears an intricate leather jacket fashioned in what must be hundreds of safety pins and spikes, while Anderson dons an exquisite gold and blue brocade gown. The Mikiko Uesugi-designed set is versatile and serves as a sometimes literal canvas to the action. 

Sound design by Matt Stines is dynamic and rollicking. The smaller Lieberman Theatre venue meant that musical vocals were often lost, which is a shame because they were performed with tangible, justified rage.

Lovers of revolutionary new theater will want to catch this experience.‘It’s True, It’s True, It’s True’ runs through May 4 at Marin Theatre, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. Weds-Sat, 7:30pm; Sat & Sun, 2pm. $10-$81. 415.388.5208. Recommended ages 17 & up. marintheatre.org.

Land O’ Docs, Film Fest at Rafael

DocLands, Marin County’s esteemed documentary film festival, takes place at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael starting Wednesday, April 30 and runs through Sunday, May 4. 

Tickets are on sale now. And as always, DocLands has a wide variety of docs from around the globe as well as our own backyard.

While certainly every single day since the November election seems to provide a new subject matter for a fury inducing documentary, Mark Fishkin, founder and executive director of the California Film Institute, who puts on the event, frames things in a slightly more hopeful way.

“DocLands 2025 arrives at a time of profound change. The old proverb, ‘May you live in interesting times,’ has never felt more relevant,” he said. “This year’s films will educate, amuse, enrage and inspire. But what we declared at the very first DocLands still holds: Documentaries are more important and entertaining than ever.”

Joni Cooper, director of programming for DocLands, added, “We were intrigued by the sheer number of personal stories that emerged this year—stories that not only aligned beautifully with all three DocLands programming strands: The Great Outdoors, Wonderlands and especially Art of Impact, but also addressed urgent environmental and cultural issues. 

“These inspiring films illustrate what individuals and communities—young and old—can achieve when confronted with social and systemic challenges,” Cooper continued.

This year’s festival features 25 premieres, including two world premieres (The Invisible Mammal and Thaw) from filmmakers with deep ties to Marin County. 

Kristin Tièche’s doc, The Invisible Mammal, seeks to debunk many of the fears, myths and misunderstandings surrounding bats. Using beautiful slow motion cinematography and a bevy of California-based experts, Tièche’s film is certain to attract both wildlife lovers and chiroptophobes (folks with a deep fear of bats) alike. 

Speaking via email, Tièche, who graduated from Tamalpais High School, said, “As someone who grew up in Mill Valley, attending the Mill Valley Film Festival, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have our world premiere at its sister festival, DocLands. 

“I always loved early October when the little town of Mill Valley became the center of the independent filmmaking world, and I got to see films from all over the world that I would otherwise never get a chance to see. Those films inspired me to tell my own stories and share my films at festivals,” she added.

Tièche promised the film is going to look stellar on the big screen. She also noted that in case one misses it during its big premiere, it will also screen May 1 at the Rafael as part of California Film Institute’s DocLands educational program and May 4 as part of the institute’s ongoing DocTalk program. 

Another local filmmaker whose film will find an audience for the first time is Robin Hauser. Her Thaw centers on the popular yet often fraught practice of women who freeze their eggs in hopes of procreation somewhere down the line. 

The film follows the intimate journeys of three American women as they grapple with life-altering decisions about their biological clocks, hoping for results in an impossible to foresee future. 

Hauser is a San Francisco native and has lived in Marin for the last 16 years. When speaking about the opportunity to premiere Thaw so close to home, she said, “My producers and I are thrilled to hold the world premiere at DocLands Film Festival, one of the most prestigious documentary festivals in the U.S.” She continued, “As filmmakers with roots in the Bay Area, we have a devoted following in Marin, and we look forward to sharing this deeply emotional and timely film about women’s choices to extend fertility.”

Indeed, Hauser’s producers include Joanne Lubeck Esser, who grew up in Marin, as well as San Francisco-based Annie Marr and Sonoma resident Jennifer Steinman, who is not only co-producer but also edited the film.

In addition to the deep slate of films, on Sunday, May 4, DocLands will host a panel on documentary filmmaking with the specific topic of how to build an audience. Guests include Tièche as well as Peter Hutchison and Lucas Sabean (The Invisible Doctrine), Ryan Andrej Lough (You Need This) and Jenny Ash (Flight 149: Hostage of War). 

The panel takes place 10:30-11:30am in the Mark Fishkin Room located in the Rafael Theater. So one should be sure to grab a coffee and get there early, as tickets are free but required.

Another intriguing facet of the fest is the popular annual “DocPitch LIVE!” event which takes place at the Rafael Theater opening night, Wednesday, April 30, at 7. This festival kickoff event will give selected filmmakers a chance to pitch their doc project. And the winner will receive the second most important thing for a doc filmmaker behind a compelling story—big chunks of cash. 

To clarify—“DocPitch initiative provides cash awards to filmmakers completing feature-length documentaries to further their projects’ development,” says the organizer’s website. How is this accomplished, one may ask? It just so happens that those in attendance will help decide.

The prize money is split into three categories, with the attending audience deciding which project will earn a $45,000 Audience Award. An additional $55,000, including a $40,000 Jury Award, will be awarded to the remaining four film teams by an industry jury. 

This year’s projects include Alex Rivera’s deportation-centered doc, Banishment; Kimberly Reed’s gender/sex conversation starter, The Gender Project; Samuel Pigott’s doc, How to Get Away With Greenwashing, which investigates nefarious goings-on at a Chilean nature preserve; Masha Karpoukhina and Michael Preston’s co-directed nature preservation by way of chinook salmon doc, In Between Worlds; and S. Leo Chiang’s Parachute Kids, which details the common trend of parents from Taiwan sending their children to the U.S. unaccompanied in order to secure a better future. Good luck choosing a winner with those amazing choices.

Tickets to DocPitch LIVE! are free, but one must have a ticket to attend. Talk about a thrilling and challenging way to kick off a film festival.

Possibly the best part of attending a film festival is the people one meets standing in line or sitting in a theater and the conversations cinema can spark. Speaking to this, Fishkin buttoned things up nicely, saying, “Here in Marin, DocLands connects our community to the world beyond our borders through stories that spark empathy, curiosity and action.

“By supporting theaters like the Rafael, Sequoia and the Lark, you help sustain festivals, independent cinemas and the filmmakers behind these essential stories,” Fishkin continued. “That connection begins with engaged audiences who understand the power of film.”  

Information and tickets for all things DocLands can be found at doclands.com.

Poetry World Series Comes to Mill Valley Library on Friday, April 25

Players drafted. Batting order decided. Umpires prepared. The night is fast approaching for the Poetry World Series at the Mill Valley Library, where two teams of bards will swing at curveballs thrown by ever-clever emcee Daniel Handler (aka children’s book author Lemony Snicket).

Those in the know have tickets in hand for the free in-person event on Friday, April 25. The rest should register right now on the library’s website. Beer, popcorn and music are included.

Now that we’ve taken care of those logistics, let’s delve into the rulebook of this zany baseball-themed competition that gives the audience a taste of poignant, funny and even bawdy works from the Bay Area’s best poets. 

The Game

Two teams, Blue and Green this year, have a roster of three poets each. A poet from Blue and a poet from Green trot to the plate. When the emcee pitches a random topic from the audience, the players lickety-split search through their oeuvre for a poem that relates—no writing on the fly. 

The Play

The inning begins when the first poet reads their work aloud, stunning the audience with their ability to stoke profound feelings in perfect strangers. Play continues with poet two’s reading. 

The Scoring

After every three innings, the two well-qualified umpires muse over the poetry and pull their hair out trying to select a winner. When push comes to shove, the umps may rely on a Ouija board, Magic 8 Ball or other cutting-edge scientific equipment to help them decide.

Nine innings, and one team goes home with the 2025 Poetry World Series bragging “writes.”

If last year’s competition serves as a barometer, the audience is in for a rip-roaring evening. Moving rapidly from lovely lyrics to guttural verses, the poets delight and surprise every time they swing their metaphorical bat. 

With “fertility” as her prompt, 2024 competitor Christell Victoria Roach read “Origin Story,” an ode to her mother. “Nana stretched like any mother who has given life to children, hands laid upon my mother’s womb, praying for the child, I breathed in the tongues of a community of mothers passed from bosom to bosom…”

Later in that game, Handler pitched “unpeeled” to Jacques J. Rancourt, who responded with a randy poem about the soul titled “Monster Cock,” in which a gay go-go dancer “pulls out a cock roughly the size of my forearm.” 

And so it went last year. And this year’s competition, in between the frivolity and repartee, will deliver the same breadth and depth of the exquisite art form, says former Marin poet laureate Rebecca Foust, co-founder of the Poetry World Series. 

The event remains true to its origin story, which began in 2008. Foust had become struck by the sameness, the static nature, of poetry readings at bookstores and libraries.  

“There were rap poetry competitions all over the place, and they would have hundreds of people attending, whereas your normal poetry reading in a library would have 10 people,” she said. 

Foust joined forces with poet Melissa Stein and University of San Francisco English professor Dean Rader to redesign the format of poetry readings. The trio aimed to attract people other than poets to the events and keep them engaged. Inspired by San Francisco Giants fever taking place at the time, the baseball theme emerged. The Poetry World Series opening game took place at the San Francisco Public Library, with Marin’s Michael Krasny emceeing.

Seventeen years later, the umps are still yelling, “Play ball.” The event’s success lies in the poet line-up, which is anything but haphazard. A steering committee recruits published poets who also have a certain je ne sais quoi.

“We read everyone’s work first, and then we go hear their readings or watch them on YouTube,” Foust said. “Because we’re looking for poets who are strong on the stage as well as strong on the page.”

Poetry World Series emcee Daniel Handler, author of the beloved children’s novel series, “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” delivers a unique stage presence of his own. He deftly keeps the show moving by quipping about the competition, while also expressing reverence for the work. 

It’s a winning combination, likely because of Handler’s sincerity—he has a passion for poetry.

“The Poetry World Series is something I love doing,” Handler said. “You get to hear from a variety of poets who are approaching their work from all kinds of different angles. And then there’s a goofball competition going on on top of it that makes the whole thing super lively and unpretentious.”

Still, Handler realizes that some may be wary to come out for an evening of poetry. We asked him to give the uninitiated a stanza or two of inspiration.

“You’re kind of asking a heroin addict what they get out of drugs,” Handler joked. “I mean, I read poetry every day. It’s a great thing to read instead of an article about upsetting circumstances that you already know about and can’t do anything about. It’s a better thing to read than figuring out who you want to text while you’re waiting for a bus or an appointment.”

“And for the work that I do, it’s a great way to keep my brain in the inventive and imaginative space that poetry enjoys,” he continued. “Yeah, I’m a convert and a proselytizer in the world of poetry, and I try to get people into it who haven’t read it since someone made them in an academic setting. Because I think if you pick up a book of poetry and you read it a little bit, that you will actually have a great time.”

Seriously, who can resist that pitch? Begin with baby steps by getting over to the Mill Valley Public Library on Friday for the Poetry World Series. The all-star lineup includes poets Armen Davoudian, Luiza Flynn-Goodlett, Christian Gullette, Michal “MJ” Jones, Mia Ayumi Malhotra and Yaccaira Salvatierra, with umpire duties shouldered by Randall Mann and Julia Levine.

And don’t forget the added perks—free popcorn and beer. 

“Poetry and alcohol have worked together for thousands of years,” Handler said. “And Mill Valley is no exception.”

The Poetry World Series is at 7pm on Friday, April 25 at the Mill Valley Public Library. Pregame refreshments begin at 6:30pm. Adults and high school students only. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Register at bit.ly/poetry-world-series.

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Poetry World Series Comes to Mill Valley Library on Friday, April 25

Players drafted. Batting order decided. Umpires prepared. The night is fast approaching for the Poetry World Series at the Mill Valley Library, where two teams of bards will swing at curveballs thrown by ever-clever emcee Daniel Handler (aka children's book author Lemony Snicket). Those in the know have tickets in hand for the free in-person event on Friday, April 25....
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