SFFILM returns to the Castro Theatre starting with its San Francisco International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival in the Americas! From Jonathan Demme’s STOP MAKING SENSE celebrating its World Premiere—and 15th anniversary—with the Talking Heads and dancing in the aisles to Sandra Oh honoring the career of Michelle Yeoh with conversation and dancing on stage, SFFILM events at the Castro are for movie-lovers by movie-lovers.

Kent Jones (USA 2025, 96)

Producer: Pam Koffler, Christine Vachon, Mason Plotts, Danny Roberts, H.S. Naji, Jackie Langelier, Ethan Lazar, Taylor Shung

Narratives: USA

Film Logline

When a retired poet’s forgotten writings capture the attention of a vibrant NYC group, admiration, longing, and desire stir in this heartfelt, witty meditation on ambition and second chances. Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee star.

Film Description

The latest feature from Kent Jones (former director of the New York Film Festival) is a gently piercing dramedy about ambition, obscurity, and the echoes of youthful dreams. Ed Saxberger (a beautifully restrained Willem Dafoe) once arrived in New York determined to be a poet, publishing a slim volume before settling into the quiet routines of postal work. As his retirement nears, an ardent group of downtown bohemians, led by the captivating Gloria (Greta Lee), discover Ed’s long-forgotten book and insist on honoring him with a literary salon. What begins as flattery soon stirs doubt, longing, and unexpected desire. With a sharp, literate screenplay by Samy Burch, Jones crafts a wise, sparkling New York tale about reinvention, and the courage it takes to be truly seen. —Jessie Fairbanks