Penrod and Sam

Donald Sosin Pianist Donald Sosin has been creating and performing silent film music for fifty years, playing for major festivals, archives, and DVD recordings. He has been resident accompanist at New York’s Film Society of Lincoln Center, the Museum of the Moving Image, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. His scores are heard regularly on Turner Classic Movies and his music accompanies films on more than fifty DVD releases. Donald has performed at SFSFF since 2007.

Frank Bockius Versatile percussionist Frank Bockius specializes in jazz and is versed in medieval, flamenco, and Latin music styles. He has performed for dance and theater companies as well as in his own bands, including the jazz quintet Whisper Hot and the percussion ensemble Timpanicks. He joined the Guenter Buchwald’s Silent Movie Music Company twenty years ago and has since performed for silent films at festivals in Kyoto, Pordenone, and Sodankylä, Finland. He made his first appearance at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in 2014.

William Lewis A classically-trained pianist, organist, composer, and marionettist, this is William Lewis’ debut performance at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Mentored as a composer and silent film accompanist by Donald Sosin, he has been writing for silent films since 2014. Composing the scores entirely of his own music, he strives to create both passionate and (mostly) historically appropriate music.

Image credit: Pamela Gentile