By Jennifer Maerz
Is James Franco the new Kevin Bacon? Until he makes a movie where he rides his bicycle around a loft, I'm not totally convinced. But the locally-born actor/writer/prankster is very well connected to everyone from Ellen Page to Stephin Merritt.
His book of short stories, Palo Alto (his hometown), has been adapted into a movie, directed by the latest Coppola to hit Hollywood, Gia Coppola – and it stars Franco as a SCYLF (soccer coach you'd like to fuck). Palo Alto the movie premieres locally as part of SFIFF, on May 3. A second Franco-related premiere, Child of God, will also premiere on April 25 at SFIFF – this one is his directorial adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's depressing as fuck novel of the same name (apparently Franco has made the film version "bleakly funny").
To help celebrate the double Franco action we'll be getting with SFIFF, the city's biggest and best film bender created this "Six degrees of James Franco" graphic. Not mentioned in this lovely constellation is Franco's newest Instagram "connection."
From SFIFF, the Franco Map Key:
Gold Circles: All films screening at this year's festival, SFIFF57
Pink Circles: Films not in the festival, but obviously are the connectors
Plain Text: Actors, Directors and Authors
Gold Dots: Familial relations
Overlapped Circles: Films inspired by other films/subjects
Gold dotted line: Additional connection to screening at SFIFF57
Enjoy!