3/2/2026 | USA | culture | ✓ Verified - variety.com

Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ Sets West Coast Premiere as San Francisco International Film Festival Centerpiece – Film News in Brief

#Boots Riley #I Love Boosters #San Francisco International Film Festival #Oakland #Keke Palmer #Demi Moore #Grand Lake Theatre

📌 Key Takeaways

Boots Riley's 'I Love Boosters' premieres as centerpiece of SF International Film Festival
Film follows young women using shoplifting as social justice act in Oakland
Two screenings available April 28 at Oakland's Grand Lake Theatre
Tickets on sale for members March 2, public March 4
Riley has long history with SFFILM as they first recognized his talent

📖 Full Retelling

Filmmaker Boots Riley's latest feature film 'I Love Boosters' will premiere as the Centerpiece of the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival on April 28, 2026, at Oakland's historic Grand Lake Theatre, where Riley will engage in an onstage conversation following the screening, continuing his relationship with the festival that first recognized his talent. The film follows a crew of young women, led by Keke Palmer's character Corvette, who turn shoplifting into an act of defiance by traveling across Oakland, nabbing coveted items, and selling them at discounted prices to make fashion more accessible. Their activities attract the attention of fashion mogul Christine Smith, portrayed by Demi Moore, compelling the group to plan one final heist with the help of supernatural allies and time-bending technology. The Centerpiece program will feature two screenings at the Grand Lake Theatre with showtimes at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., offering audiences multiple opportunities to experience Riley's latest work which he describes as 'my best work' and particularly meaningful since it's set in his hometown Bay Area.

🏷️ Themes

Film Premiere, Social Commentary, Local Cinema

📚 Related People & Topics

Boots Riley

American rapper, filmmaker, and activist

Raymond Lawrence "Boots" Riley (born April 1, 1971) is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and filmmaker. He is the lead vocalist of The Coup and Street Sweeper Social Club. He made his feature film directorial debut as the writer and director of the science fiction dark comedy film Sor...

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Keke Palmer

American actress, singer, and television host (born 1993)

Lauren Keyana "Keke" Palmer ( KEE-kee; born August 26, 1993) is an American actress, singer, and television host. She has received numerous accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and nominations for a Daytime Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Time magazine included her on its list ...

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Demi Moore

American actress (born 1962)

Demi Gene Moore ( də-MEE; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. Her accolades include a Golden Globe, an Actor Award, and nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awar...

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Grand Lake Theatre

Movie Theater, in Oakland, California

The Grand Lake Theatre is a historic movie palace located at 3200 Grand Avenue and Lake Park Avenue in the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, California.

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Oakland, California

City in California, United States

Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat of and the most populous city in Alameda County, California, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is the most populous city in the East Bay,...

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San Francisco International Film Festival

Annual film festival in San Francisco

The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and video production with an emphasis on work that has not ye...

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