Much was made last year over Katherine Bigelow’s Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker, and rightly so. Finally, the question was raised: Where are all the female directors? The answer, as evidenced by the Petaluma International Film Festival, seems to be: beneath the mainstream. Among the 40-odd films showing this weekend, there are 10 made by women. They range from the 15-minute vignette Walking by Jeanne Herry, who got her start working with the great Louis Malle, to the full-length Beijing Taxi, a slice-of-life documentary by Miao Wang. Of special note is Chrystene Ells appearing in person with her film Sisu, based on the true story of a Finnish immigrant in Canada who is driven so mad by the Great Depression that he builds a boat to sail home—1,200 miles inland. The festival runs Friday–Sunday, Oct. 22–24, at Boulevard Cinemas. 200 C St., Petaluma. Times vary. $10 per screening. 415.381.4123.
.October 22-24: Petaluma International Film Festival at Boulevard Cinemas
