And so, inevitably, February has arrived. Widely understood to be the grimmest month of the year, the afterglow of the holidays has well and truly dissipated and the weather is aspiring to levels of bleakness rarely seen beyond the Scottish moors.
But fear not, Mission residents. We are pushing through it with a huge variety of artsy events, community resource sharing and, crucially, free food.
Let’s dive into what this week has to offer.
Thursday, February 2
25th Indie Film Festival
The Roxie Theater, near 16th and Valencia Street, is today launching the 25th Independent San Francisco Film Festival.
Some 95 independent films from around the world will be available to watch in person until next Thursday, or online until Feb. 12. For a full list of the films on offer, take a look at the SF Indie Film Festival website. You can pay to watch individual movies, online or in person, or buy a pass that gives you access to everything from $90.
And, if you want to start off the festival in style, there will be a launch party at the nearby 518 Valencia from 8 p.m. Expect art, music, and beer.
Dignidad film screening
The Brava Theater Center will be hosting a screening of Dignidad tonight at 7 p.m. The documentary follows California domestic workers organizing for workplace protections during the pandemic.
Tickets are free, and can be reserved on the Brava Theater website, alongside more information about the event. Wearing a mask is recommended.
We wrote a little more about what to expect here.
SF Symphony: ’emergency shelter intake form’
Tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., the San Francisco Symphony is going to be performing ’emergency shelter intake form,’ a piece described as “an unflinching narration of the fear, humiliation, and insurmountable obstacles associated with being unhoused in America.”
The piece was composed by Brooklyn-based songwriter Gabriel Kahane, and will be conducted by Edwin Outwater. Before the concert, homelessness nonprofits Compass Family Services, HomeRise, and San Francisco SafeHouse will be sharing information.
Tickets are available from $35 and can be bought on the SF Symphony website.
Friday, Feb. 3
Tamaliza at the 24th Street BART Plaza
Calle 24 is hosting a resource fair at the 24th Street Plaza on Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
Various neighborhood organizations, including the Latino Task Force, La Raza Community Resource Center and Bay Area Community Resources, will be set up to talk about the services they can offer.
A DJ will be spinning vinyl and, perhaps most crucially of all, tamales of all stripes — Puertorriqueño, Mexicano, Salvadoreño, Nicaragüense, Guatemalteco, and Colombiano — will be available to whomever wants them.
Art show at Ritual Coffee
Ritual’s Valencia store will host its first art show of the year from 7 to 9 p.m. this Friday. The show, called “Eternal Bloom,” will feature nine artists, a DJ, and lots of wine.
“Our art is nostalgic, ancestral, colorful and resolutive,” wrote the artists. “Our individual growth flowers from our recent and difficult experiences. A reflective array of work that removes boundaries: This is art without judgment.” They have worked in a variety of mediums, including paints, fabric, illustration, and collage.
Admission to the event is free. You can find out more on the Ritual Coffee website.
Johnny Cash tribute at The Chapel
From 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at The Chapel, fans of the musical duo Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash are in for a treat.
Local artists Danny Evans and Essence have come together to “pay homage to their heroes and dig deep into their combined passion for roots music.” Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. More information can be found on The Chapel’s website.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Commit your love letters to print
With the ominous pink glow of Valentine’s Day on the horizon, now is the perfect time to get creative with how you show your affection.
From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., local businesses StorefrontLab and Shotwell Paper Mill are teaming up to gather messages of love and commit them to print for free. To get your personal message printed on handmade paper, drop by StorefrontLab at 337 Shotwell.
More details can be found on the StorefrontLab website.
Heart-Speak exhibit opening
This new exhibition from Javier Pérez is launching on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.
In this exhibit, Pérez has created a collection of sculptures that give form to dichos, popular sayings that often contain moral truths and are based down through the ages.
Admission to this weekend’s reception costs $5, and the collection will be available to see until March 4. More information can be found on the Mission Culture Center website.
Sunday, Feb. 5
A arty day at the Mission Cultural Center
On Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Mission Cultural Center will host a printmaking workshop for would-be Lotharios to create their own Valentine’s cards. Tickets are $10.
And you won’t even need to move for your next event of the weekend. From 3 to 5 p.m., the work of six Afro-Latin artists will be on display in a reception at the center. The gallery admission fee is $5 and the exhibition will be open until March 4th.
You can find out more on the Mission Cultural Center website.
The Fab Feb Food Fest
Mission queer bar El Rio has teamed up with nonprofit La Cocina to host a benefit party this Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m. The money raised is intended to go towards maintaining the bar’s new bathrooms.
Live music, drag performances, and all manner of food and drink from local businesses will be up for grabs. Tickets are available in tiers, but start from $60; you can find more information on the El Rio website.
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Manny’s: State of the Union
In collaboration with the San Francisco Democrats, Manny’s will be hosting a viewing party for Biden’s State of the Union address on his second year in office.
The event will kick off at 6 p.m. and will feature discussion after the speech. You can find more information on the Manny’s website.
If there are other events going on that you think should be on this list, please feel free to let me know at will@missionlocal.com.
Let’s be sure to support the “homeless” takeover of San Francisco! The more homeless, the merrier.