The Russian Center of San Francisco was founded in 1939 by Russian immigrants as a focal point for the preservation of their rich cultural heritage. Tradition was passionately kept alive through operas, operettas, choirs, grand balls, folk dance ensembles and plays. Generation followed generation, and still the goal remains to preserve and display the warmth and spirit of the Russian culture. As a non-profit cultural organization, the Russian Center annually produces many cultural activities including operas, dance concerts, folk dance classes, social gatherings and lectures. The Russian Festival, held every February, is a three day showcase of food, art, music and dance, and attracts thousands of people from all over the San Francisco Bay Area and the world. The Russian Center is home to Teremok, a State certified Russian pre-school, Congress of Russian Americans, Museum of Russian Culture, Russian Life Daily Newspaper, a library of Russian books, Russian folk dancing classes, rhythmic gymnastic classes .
Swank Cocktail Bar is a stylish neighborhood lounge with mid-Century flair, outdoor seating, and a central fireplace. Located at the junction of Laurel and Pacific Heights, we're a short walk from the Vogue Theater, Jewish Community Center, UCSF, Presidio Branch Library, and the Laurel Village shopping district. Swank serves up a tantalizing mix of craft cocktails and small bites, set in the elegant surroundings of its Pacific Heights neighborhood. Whether spending your evening in front of a roaring fire, watching a favorite sporting event or participating in the weekly Brainstormer Pub Quiz every Wednesday, 7:30pm – 9:30pm, Swank is the perfect place to imbibe and unwind. Having an event, party, or get together? You can book a private event with us. Email us at: [email protected].
Industrial Light & Magic is an American motion picture visual effects company that was founded in May 1975 by George Lucas. It is a division of the film production company, Lucasfilm, which Lucas founded, and was created when Lucas began production of the film Star Wars. For many years, particularly during the widespread inception of computer graphics in film during the 1980s, ILM was considered the leading industry standard production house for computer graphics in film; many studios other than Lucasfilm sent scenes to the studio for CGI. It is also the original founder company of the animation studio Pixar.ILM originated in Van Nuys, California, then later moved to San Rafael in 1978, and since 2005 it has been based at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio of San Francisco. In 2012, The Walt Disney Company acquired ILM as part of its purchase of Lucasfilm.
The San Francisco Film Centre has a 2,775 sq. ft. hall, The Palm Room, with a view of the historic Main Post and the Golden Gate Bridge. Located on the ground floor, the Palm Room has an adjoining veranda, as well as a catering kitchen for events.
The Letterman Digital Arts Center, located in the Presidio, San Francisco, became the new combined home of Industrial Light and Magic, LucasArts, and Lucasfilm's marketing, online, and licensing units in 2005.Opening ceremonies were held June 25, 2005. The $350 million, 850,000 square foot (79,000 m²) center is home to 1500 employees, who began moving there in July, 2005. The grounds were designed by landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, who has also restored San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square. The design architect for the buildings was Gensler, and architect of record was HKS, Inc.The Lobby of Building B is open to the public during regular business hours and contains a gallery of Lucasfilm memorabilia including props and costumes from the Star Wars film series.The Presidio is a former U.S. Army base. The arts center takes its name from its location on the former site of the army's Letterman Army Hospital, which was named for Dr. Jonathan Letterman, medical director for the Army of the Potomac in the U.S. Civil War.The building earned a LEED Gold certification. One of the reasons was the building was built from the recycled remains of the building it replaced, the Letterman Army Hospital.
The Federation has largely been portrayed as an socialist economic utopia. On Earth, war and poverty have been eliminated. Individuals strive for self-betterment rather than fiscal remuneration.
Building on a legacy of more than 50 years of bringing the best in world cinema to the Bay Area, the San Francisco Film Society is a national leader in exhibition, education and filmmaker services. The crown jewel of the Film Society's exhibition program is the San Francisco International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival in the Americas and a beloved showcase of cinematic discovery. An essential stop on the international film festival circuit, SFIFF is well regarded as a significant celebration of world cinema in one of the country's most beautiful cities. Last year's Festival featured 263 screenings of 158 films from 51 countries, which were attended by over 210 filmmakers and industry guests from over 21 countries around the globe. The Film Society's additional year-round initiatives in film exhibition include a robust Fall Season of specialized film series and countless individual public and member screenings and events with special guests in person. Filmmaker360, the Film Society's filmmaker support program, offers unparalleled assistance and opportunities designed to foster creativity and further the careers of independent filmmakers nationwide and oversees one of the largest film grant programs in the country, which disperses nearly $1 million annually to incubate and support innovative and exceptional films. Recent Filmmaker360 success stories include Short Term 12, Destin Cretton's sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest 2013; Ryan Coogler's debut feature Fruitvale Station, which won the Un Certain Regard Avenir Prize at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the narrative category at Sundance 2013; and Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin's debut phenomenon which won Sundance's Grand Jury Prize and Cannes' Camera d'Or in 2012, and earned four Academy Award nominations. The SFFS Education department offers year-round media literacy programs to over 10,000 K-12 students, develops college and university programs to help students transition into the professional filmmaking arena and connects international filmmakers with local institutions of learning through a prestigious Artist in Residence program. Its pioneering Schools at the Festival program exposes a new generation of viewers to the best in international and independent cinema every year at SFIFF, bringing thousands of Bay Area students to Festival screenings and engaging them with filmmakers from around the world.