San Francisco Premiere
At 92, Kim Novak remains one of Hollywood’s most enduring enigmas - a luminous star who, at the peak of her fame, turned her back on the spotlight to embrace a life of self-expression and authenticity. Once the top box office draw in the world, she rebelled against the studio system and the confines of celebrity, choosing individuality over image, and art over artifice.
KIM NOVAK’S VERTIGO is a lyrical and intimate portrait, blending rare archival footage with deeply personal reflections and vivid glimpses into Kim’s reclusive life. While Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo remains her most iconic role, the film explores how that performance - and the duality it captured - mirrors the ongoing tension between image and identity that shaped Kim’s life. As she revisits fragments of her past a deeper story emerges: one of defiance, reinvention, and the quiet power of a woman who walked away from fame to remain true to herself.
Screening as part of this year’s Hitchcock Fest, running Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25 at the Balboa. Click here for this year’s schedule.
This film can be used with loyalty cards or our 2026 annual CinemaSF passes