By popular demand, we’ll be bringing Helvetica back to San Francisco for another evening at the Embarcadero Cinemas, Monday, August 6 at 7pm. Get tickets now.

The Melbourne screening (part of the 4th annual Character conference) on July 22nd is now sold out. Thanks to organizer Stephen Banham and everyone who purchased tickets, looking forward to this Sunday!

The Narrows, a gallery in Melbourne, Australia, opened a poster exhibition from Experimental Jetset today which will run until August 4, 2007.

From The Narrows site:

“Experimental Jetset (Marieke Stolk, Erwin Brinkers and Danny van den Dungen) have shaped their identity on the grid of 60’s modernist design; text slotted into geometric columns — voiced in the ubiquitous tones of Helvetica. Smartly arranged, the unmistakable skeleton of their work has become a platform for a culturally profound visual dialogue that is affecting and conceptually rich.

This installation of over 40 posters, explores the state of mind of the ‘flaneur’, walking around the city, and the language graphic designers use to give faces to words and sentences. Arranged side by side, the gallery space is transformed into a labyrinth of typographic poetry.”

The Narrows will also play host to the afterparty following the Melbourne screening of Helvetica on July 22nd.

The San Diego screening last night was a homecoming of sorts, I lived here for about fifteen years in the mid-80’s to late-90’s. So the pre-screening reception felt more like a wedding reception than a film party: dozens of round tables filled with old friends I hadn’t seen in years, live jazz in the background, and lots of drinking. The Martin sisters, Jeff Dirkes, Jimmy Jazz, Mike and Kelly Moe, Mike Green, Jim Benham, Bruce and Amy Fernbaugh, John and Pam Yeiser, Rob Gregory, Tim Bunning, Clea Hantman, Jeff Motch, and of course Josh Higgins, an old friend and bassist for the band Fluf who now organizes events for AIGA San Diego.

How cool is that skateboard???

The film showed inside Sherwood Auditorium, a lovely old theater inside the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla. 375 people enjoyed the movie, actually I think there was more laughter during this screening than any we’ve done so far (note to you filmmakers out there: free beer before the film = good). Then Josh Higgins presented me with a custom Helvetica skateboard with the logo they’d designed for the event. Best-Helvetica-gift-ever!

When I was introducing the screening, I mentioned that I’d been kicked out of San Diego State University, twice. After the film, a woman came up to me and said, “I’m a graphic design professor at San Diego State.” To which I replied, “So when do I get my honorary degree, dammit!”

El Ten Eleven in action

Then we headed over to The Whistle Stop for an afterparty featuring a live set from El Ten Eleven. I cannot tell you how many people have commented on their music in the film during this tour, or asked who are they, where can they buy the music, etc… The good news is that they’ve just released a new CD, Every Direction is North, which includes a bunch of tracks used in the film. Their previous album is also available on iTunes. Get it!

I also got to re-live the joys of scarfing down a carne asada burrito with guacamole at a taco stand at midnight. There are certain things that all ex-San Diegans miss when they leave town, and that’s definitely one of them. Thanks again to Josh, AIGA SD, all the volunteers who helped out with the event, Sam Chammas, Kristian and Tim from El Ten Eleven, and the lady who made that burrito.

Tickets for the August 7th Vancouver premiere, hosted by the GDC, are now on sale. This evening will feature a gala afterparty and a post-screening discussion with me, novelist and Helvetica fan Douglas Coupland, and type legend Jim Rimmer. Get the full details here!

Britdoc has announced their screening schedule, and day passes are now on sale. Helvetica will screen in Oxford on Wednesday, July 25th at 6pm. If you’re involved in documentary film in the UK, you’re already going to this festival. If you need more information, see their site.

Five days of Irish rain (Irish Rain… that’s actually a good name for a new fabric softener) couldn’t stop two excellent events last week. Dublin, aka The City that Bono and the Edge Built, is packed with designers who turned out for a standing-room only Sweet Talk event at the Sugar Club. We were all honored to have Wim Crouwel in attendance to give an hour-long presentation of his work over the past 50 years, his influences, and his design philosophy. Wim also stuck around for a post-screening panel discussion with me, Michael C. Place, Aidan Grennelle, and Alastair Keady, emceed by Ciaran O’Gaora. Probably one of the best, funniest, most controversial panel discussions we’ve had yet. As my girlfriend Brigid says, “the Irish love a good argument.” Thanks to Richard Seabrooke and Aidan Kelly for all the work, and for all the pints.

Michael C. Place (with tongue), Richard Seabrooke of Sweet Talk

The director shows an incredulous Aidan Kelly his ska moves. 1-2-3-4, Specials!

Next was a screening at the University of Ulster in Belfast, Northen Ireland. What I thought would be a 90-minute drive turned into 5 hours… it took 2 hours just to get out of the Dublin city limits! The screening was scheduled to begin at 6:30pm, and we finally got to Belfast at 6:15… but the film went off right on time. Afterwards we joined organizer Christopher Murphy (who teaches at the university and also runs the excellent publishing company Fallt) and friends at an outdoor pub in an alley packed with revelers, buzzing with possibilities. And despite the gloomy weather, Belfast itself seemed to be buzzing with possibilities… I’d like to return in the future to see the next stage in this city’s life.

Detail from the Belfast film poster… so true….

The San Diego screening July 10th at MCA La Jolla is shaping up to be one hell of an event. AIGA San Diego is hosting a reception before the film at 6pm with appetizers from Hash House A Go Go, beverages from the Tractor Room and live jazz by Chris Prescott (Pinback) and friends. At 7:30, attendees will walk across the street to the Sherwood Auditorium, located on the museum grounds, to watch the film. A Q&A with yours truly will follow, and then an afterparty at legendary San Diego watering hole The Whistle Stop starts at 10pm until whenever. Special live musical guests: Helvetica soundtrack faves El Ten Eleven!

I’ve heard people are coming from as far away as San Francisco for this. Tickets are going fast, and will sell out, so get yours now.