Rob Nilsson: a local hero

Rob Nilsson’s Film Month

San Francisco Public Library’s Art/Music/Recreation department is pleased to screen five films – August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - by a leading American Independent filmmaker who’s often billed an heir to John Cassavetes, to whom he dedicated his film Signal 7. The movie (shot in 1984) is often seen as ground-breaking transfer video to film paving the way for the digital revolution. Although born in Wisconsin 1939, he has made the Mill Valley area his home since. Most of films have premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival. 

Each screening begins at 1 p.m.

Mr. Nilsson has directed over two dozen feature length films and several TV dramas. For his first feature, Northern Lights, Mr. Nilsson, along with his co-director John Hanson, won the prestigious Camera de’Or at Cannes in 1979.

San Francisco Public Library carries many of Mr. Nilsson’s films in our collection which can be checked out to patrons. Also, the San Francisco History Room has in its reserve collection several films from Mr. Nilsson’s series titled 9@Night. Patron are advised to use the SFPL catalog:

We recommend the following titles to those who would like to read up on Rob Nilsson’s view on films and his contribution to independent cinema in the US.

For further reading, we also suggest:

    Wild surmise : a dissident view by Rob Nilsson (Bloomington, IN : Authorhouse, 2013)

2    Shoot it! : Hollywood Inc. and the rise ofindependent film by David Spaner (Vancouver : Arsenal Pulp Press, c2012)

3    The Reel Truth : EverythingYou Didn't Know You Need To Know About Making An Independent Film by Reed Martin (New York : Faber and Faber, 2009)

4    Not Hollywood : independent film at the twilightof the American dream by Sherry B. Ortner (Durham : Duke University Press, 2013)

5    American independent cinema : indie, indiewood and beyond edited by Geoff King, Claire Molloy and Yannis Tzioumakis (New York : Routledge, 2013)