48 Hills | Independent daily San Francisco news + culture

Lilly Wachowski on 30 years of ‘Bound,’ trans revolution, and Nazis snatching ‘The Matrix’

'We had reservations back then about speaking about our art because we were both closeted trans women,' says filmmaker, appearing at Frameline.

Movies Joshua Rotter - June 16, 2026

Gay by the Bay and zero f*cks: Frameline digs up local film scene classics

For 50th year, LGBTQ+ film fest goes deep with beloved landmarks, hot-hot shorts, and underground delights.

Movies Pam Grady - June 16, 2026

Lurie wants to make ballot arguments too expensive for small campaigns

EXCLUSIVE: Dramatic increase in fees would help big-money and undermine grassroots groups. It goes before the supes Wednesday.

City Hall Tim Redmond - June 16, 2026

Nymphia Wind’s gorgeous gowns told a resilient story at Asian Art Museum

'Drag Race' winner spoke about her exquisite creations, combining ancient motifs with fierce representation (bananas included).

Fashion Chloe Yang - June 16, 2026

Music

Oh, you’re in a giant ska band? Voluntary Hazing is laughing too

John-Paul Shiver - June 15, 2026

Crowd favorite 12-piece kicks off first national tour at Bottom of the Hill—bring your shutter shades.

Business + Tech

The terrifying agenda behind the billionaire-funded Abundance movement

Tim Redmond - June 15, 2026

Behind the Big Tech money machine is a vision for society that ought to make us all very, very scared

Movies

50 is the new 20, darling: Frameline Fest celebrates golden year of queer film

Dennis Harvey - June 15, 2026

Stars past and present align for world's longest-running LGBTQ movie festival. Here's our inside guide.

Onstage

Fresh Meat Fest serves queer Chinese dance, Puerto Rican disability drag flair

Joshua Rotter - June 15, 2026

25th anniversary of queer arts showcase features sterling lineup of talent from all corners of the LGBTQ universe.

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A week of budget protests as Lurie’s brutal cuts hit everyone except the cops

The Agenda Tim Redmond - June 14, 2026

Plus: Letting big institutions off the planning hook—and yet another bizarre prosecution from DA Brooke Jenkins. That's The Agenda for June 14-19

Chakrabarti endorses Chan; Congressional race could be very close

Campaign Trail Tim Redmond - June 12, 2026

The winner will not only go to DC but unlike Pelosi, will play a critical role in the future of local politics

We love you, Mamie Van Doren

Movies Joshua Rotter - June 12, 2026

95-year-old Hollywood legend's new memoir 'You Thought I Was Dead' gushes with celebrities, sex, champagne—and survival.

Good Taste: The spice must flow

Food & Drink Tamara Palmer - June 11, 2026

Emeryville’s regional Indian restaurant fires up a spicy collab with Mediterranean San Francisco sister.

BIG WEEK: Juneteenth, $5 Book Fair, Dolly Parton Pride, Golden Gate Park Band Fest…

Big Week Marke B. - June 11, 2026

BIOMETRICKS, The Dish, Messthetics, Sunset Night Market, Township Rebellion, Lil Sweet Treat, more to do!

Some hard, factual truth about the needless brutality of the Lurie budget

News + Politics Tim Redmond - June 10, 2026

It's not about waste. It's about bad priorities

An Oakland union researcher wrote a book. Her characters brought class into it

Lit James Tracy - June 10, 2026

New novel 'Muñeca' by Cynthia Gómez delivers Gothic fiction suffused with queerness and rebellion.

The wild inside story of San Francisco’s first gay film festival

Movies Marc Huestis - June 10, 2026

50 years ago, a ragtag bunch of local geniuses got together to show their scrappy Super 8s—and a movement was born.

Ciao bella! Pasta, puppets, parade drew revelers to Festa Italiana in North Beach

Festival Emma Garcia - June 10, 2026

Two days of feasting, dancing, and live music—plus plenty of strong coffee and wine—celebrated Italian culture.

Free 48 Hills keychain for our next 100 monthly donors!

Featured Marke B. - June 10, 2026

We're rolling out more perks for our recurring monthly donors, including free newsletter upgrades and Gala tickets.

Drama Masks: Aurora Theatre tiptoes back onstage after closure

Stage Review Charles Lewis III - June 10, 2026

... but another East Bay institution bids adieu. Plus: SF Opera's 'The Barber of Seville' lands the slapstick, needs more 'Figaro.'

Kitfo to kickflips: How the Bay’s oldest Ethiopian restaurant supports Addis Ababa skaters

Culture Alan Chazaro - June 9, 2026

Oakland's Cafe Colucci collabs with Ethiopia Skate to boost burgeoning scene halfway across the world.

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Movies

Lilly Wachowski on 30 years of ‘Bound,’ trans revolution, and Nazis snatching ‘The Matrix’

'We had reservations back then about speaking about our art because we were both closeted trans women,' says filmmaker, appearing at Frameline.

Movies Joshua Rotter - June 16, 2026

50 is the new 20, darling: Frameline Fest celebrates golden year of queer film

We love you, Mamie Van Doren

The wild inside story of San Francisco’s first gay film festival

Music

Oh, you’re in a giant ska band? Voluntary Hazing is laughing too

Crowd favorite 12-piece kicks off first national tour at Bottom of the Hill—bring your shutter shades.

Music John-Paul Shiver - June 15, 2026

Live Shots: Fou Fou Ha!’s erotic clownery reminded us that pleasure is resistance

As SF nightclubs struggle to hold on, local DJs are being squeezed out

Under the Stars: Wealthy Women are here to lay down heavy truths

Art

Memories of us: Puerto Rican diasporic photography inspires Norma I. Quintana

At Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, silver gelatin prints conjure the sanctuary of connection—and a sociology of shared imagery.

Art Mary Corbin - June 2, 2026

In a different light: How Venice fixed Monet

Like her mother, sculptor Maryam Yousif is inspired by a Mesopotamian warrior queen

Blending archeology and translation, Paola de la Calle’s art digs deep

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Housing

New Melgar-Lurie plan for affordable housing is great; cutting other funding is not

Expanding the Housing Trust Fund could bring in $125 million a year. Repealing Prop. I could wipe out almost as much

Housing Tim Redmond - May 24, 2026

Cutting fees for developers has not encouraged much new housing

Tax on big business for housing has been a huge success

The best and worst of CA housing policy, on display at UCLA conference

Politics

Lurie wants to make ballot arguments too expensive for small campaigns

EXCLUSIVE: Dramatic increase in fees would help big-money and undermine grassroots groups. It goes before the supes Wednesday.

City Hall Tim Redmond - June 16, 2026

Chakrabarti endorses Chan; Congressional race could be very close

An Oakland union researcher wrote a book. Her characters brought class into it

Wiener claims right-wing dark money is out to prevent him from winning. Seriously?

Opinion

Should SF offer sanctuary for the Statue of Liberty?

If Trump wants to bulldoze Lady Liberty, maybe we can make room in the Bay

Humor Joel Schechter - June 7, 2026

Hey Elon: SF has lots more tech oligarchs you can go ahead and sue

Letter to the Editor: Lurie’s ‘Reset Center’ is a disaster waiting to happen

Progressives never push term limits

Sponsored link

Performance

Fresh Meat Fest serves queer Chinese dance, Puerto Rican disability drag flair

25th anniversary of queer arts showcase features sterling lineup of talent from all corners of the LGBTQ universe.

Onstage Joshua Rotter - June 15, 2026

48 hillsIndependent San Francisco News + Culture

48 hillsIndependent San Francisco News + Culture

48 Hills is community-supported journalism

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