Rockwell to Open Film Fest With Conviction

Critically acclaimed actor and Bay Area native Sam Rockwell will open the 33rd annual Mill Valley Film Festival with a screening of Conviction, a film in which he plays a man wrongfully convicted of murder who is freed after a trial in which he is represented by his sister.

The film is based on the true story of Betty Anne Waters, an unemployed, high-school dropout single mother who puts herself through law school to represent her brother Kenneth, who was convicted of murder in Ayer, Massachusetts, in 1980.

Rockwell, one of the stars of the recent blockbuster Iron Man 2 and acclaimed for his work in such films as Moon, Frost/Nixon and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, will appear at the opening night screening and gala on Oct. 7 at CinéArts@Sequoia in Mill Valley at 7 p.m. Rockwell was born in Daly City and raised in San Francisco, graduating from McAteer High School and attending the San Francisco School of the Arts.

The film stars Hilary Swank as Betty Anne Waters, along with Minnie Driver, Melissa Leo, Juliette Lewis and Peter Gallagher and was directed by Tony Goldwyn.

Pamela Gray, who wrote the original screenplay for Conviction, will also appear at the opening night screening. Gray previously wrote original screenplays for A Walk On the Moon and Music of the Heart, the latter of which earned Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG nominations for Meryl Streep,

The Mill Valley Film Festival, presented by the California Film Institute, runs Oct.7 to 17, at the CinéArts@Sequoia and the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center.

"The City of San Rafael is delighted to once again host the film festival in the beautiful Smith Rafael Film Center, which we consider to be the jewel of our downtown," said San Rafael Mayor Al Boro. "Visitors can enjoy a unique film at the festival and also dine or visit one of our many eateries and shops."

Tickets go on sale Sept. 16 for donors, Sept. 19 for institute members and Sept. 22 for the general public. See the festival's Web site for more details.