The most popular film noir festival in the world is fully returning to the Bay Area

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The world is getting darker and more bitter, and now is the perfect time to dive into the cesspool of black and white drama, femme fatales and sinister crimes – and now you have 10 days to do so.

Noir City, the most popular film noir festival in the world, or so it claims, is launching a 20th anniversary program on Friday at the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland.

Citing the uncertain future of the Castro Theater due to the location being taken over by Another Planet Entertainment, the festival moved across the bay in 2022 to a shortened four-day run at Auckland’s historic Film Palace.

Now Noir City is back with a full program, with a 10-day schedule that includes many films with one thing in common – they were all made in 1948, so everyone is celebrating their 75th anniversary.

Famed “Noir Czar” Eddie Mueller, who runs the popular “Noir Alley” in Turner’s classic films, admitted that Grand Lake may be smaller than the Castro, but it intends to remain a movie theater.

It’s “great for what we do,” Muller said in a festival press release.

Noir City has long had a passionate following, with many visitors dressing up in period costumes. Film noir captures our imaginations because of the highly stylized visuals and dialogue, and because many of the pictures were almost one-shots, made as B-movies meant to increase double billing during Hollywood’s golden age.

This year’s festival program includes a host of stellar classics such as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall in Key Largo and Orson Welles lady from shanghaialong with rarely shown titles such as theft; Sleep my love; and Velvet touch.

Individual tickets are available online and at the box office, while the Festival Passport, which gives you access to all 24 screenings plus a priority seat, sells for $200.

Noir City 20

January 20-29
grand Lake Theatre, 3200 Grand Avenue, Oakland.
$20 for dual features, $200 for a passport

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