Masterminds Finalist Nara Denning

This Thursday SF Weekly will be hosting Artopia, an art show at Project One featuring the 10 finalists in our annual Masterminds contest. That night, we'll award $2,500 grants to three lucky artists. In the meantime, we'll be previewing the works of the works of the finalists here on All Shook Down.

Nara Denning is the girl version of Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin; her antique aesthetic is mixed with a real gift for storytelling and some tech genius. Her silent films show off San Francisco in all its blackshadowed glory, buildings tilted impossibly and neon signs glowing from every corner. Shadows and reflections are specialties, often digitally enhanced but never corny. She's obviously a fan of German Expressionism, but not a servant of it - we like the way she plays with intertitles.

She also draws from an interesting pool of local talent, notably composer Stoo Odom, whose original scores help hold her silent narratives together.