Since 1991, SFFILM’s Schools at the Festival outreach program has created a vital connection between the annual San Francisco International Film Festival and the local educational community, providing students of all ages the opportunity to experience stories from around the world.
The Schools at the Festival program introduces students ages 6 to 18 to international film and the art of filmmaking while promoting media literacy, deepening insights into other cultures, enhancing foreign language aptitude, developing critical thinking skills, and inspiring a lifelong appreciation of cinema.
2021 Program
Please submit all Schools at the Festival ticket orders online here. Act soon, programs fill up quickly!
Acorns: Tonko House Presentation
Tue, Apr 13 at 10:00 am PT
Online | 60 min
Tonko House, a long-time favorite of SFFILM Education, is an independent animation studio located in Berkeley, California. Their main objective as artists is to create stories that deliver entertainment and awareness for people of all ages. Their latest creation is the short series Acorns, the story of three small acorns on a journey to become great great oak trees. Everyone at some point goes through a life changing transition. The existence of these acorns are the perfect encapsulation of this: Small acorns spread far away with the power of nature, root down to the earth, and then transform into mighty trees many times their original size, and thus starts a new journey. The program will include a screening of Acorns and a behind-the-scenes presentation with Tonko House artists Bradley Furnish, Ryusuke Villemin, and Toshi Nakumura. Students will also have the opportunity to send in questions and follow along with a hands-on creativity activity.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Art/Media, English Language Arts, Environmental Science, Peer/Youth Issues
Recommended Grades: K – 5
Art & Science of Lucasfilm: ILM Art Department
Tue, Apr 20 at 12:00 pm PT
Online | 90 min
This presentation marks the 13th year of our long running collaborative educational series in which experienced professionals from Lucasfilm talk about their educational journeys and the career path that led them to where they are today. Artists and leaders in the field share their expertise in a behind-the-scenes, interactive multimedia presentation that demonstrates the intersection of art, science, and technology in the entertainment industry, all while making connections to current STEAM curriculum topics. Our look at the ILM Art Department will feature Senior Concept Artist Tyler Scarlet, who will discuss designing creatures and characters for film. His work has been a part of the exciting worlds created for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Kong: Skull Island, and Ready Player One, just to name a few. He also has experience creating concept art for TV, theme parks, and VR.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Arts/Media, Career Path Training, Math, Peer/Youth Issues, Science
Recommended Grades: 6 – 12
Calamity, A Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary
Fri, Apr 16 at 10:00 am PT
Online
Directed by Rémi Chayé
France | 2020 | 90 min
It’s 1863 and 12-year-old Martha Jane and her family are headed West across the United States in search of a better life. After her father is hurt in a serious accident, she takes charge of her siblings and learns to drive the family wagon. Utterly practical and bold, Martha Jane trades her constricting skirts for the ease of boys’ breeches and never looks back. Her unconventional style and brazenness don’t sit well with the pioneer community, and when the leader of the convoy wrongly accuses her of theft, she must run away to find proof of her innocence. In the Wild, she discovers herself and a world which shapes her into the mythical and mysterious Calamity Jane.
This film is in French with English subtitles.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view film at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: African Studies, Elementary School, Environmental Science, Journalism, Middle School, Science, World/Current Affairs
Recommended Grades: 3 – 12
Program Note: Mild Peril
City of Ghosts: Netflix Presentation
Mon, Apr 19 at 10:00 am PT
Online | 90 min
City of Ghosts, an innovative new animated series from Netflix follows the Ghost Club, a group of curious young adventures who explore the city of Los Angeles interviewing ghosts, solving problems and learning about their city’s diverse culture, neighborhoods, and history. The program will include two episodes of the series, screened in advance, and a behind-the-scenes presentation with showrunner and creator Elizabeth Ito and members of her creative team. Students will have the opportunity to send in questions and follow along with a hands-on creativity activity.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view episodes at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: African American Studies, Art/Media, Asian American Studies, English Language Arts, History, Peer/Youth Issues, Social Studies
Recommended Grades: K – 5
Cuban Dancer
Thu, Apr 15 at 12:30 pm PT
Online
Directed by Roberto Salinas
Italy/Canada/Chile | 2020 | 98 min
At 15, Alexis is a promising dancer at Havana’s Cuban National Ballet School. Confident in his abilities, Alexis already envisions a future of stardom. But when his family joins his sister in Florida, Alexis’s joy at their reunion is tempered by the need to start over in an alien environment. Shot over five years, this captivating, coming-of-age documentary soars on tremendous dance sequences and Alexis’s immense talent as he leaps toward his destiny.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view film at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Dance/Performing Arts, History, Latin American Studies, Peer/Youth Issues, Social Studies, Spanish
Recommended Grades: 6 – 12
Homeroom
Mon, Apr 12 at 10:00 am PT
Online
Directed by Pete Nicks
USA | 2020 | 90 min
Oakland High School’s 2020 senior class faces extraordinary challenges beyond graduation and college applications even before COVID-19 disrupts the school year. Led by an activist student council, the largely African American and Latinx student body demands the school board remove police from campus, a defiant act that eerily foreshadows the protests sparked by George Floyd’s death. In shining a light on these courageous youths, The Waiting Room and The Force director Peter Nicks brings his Oakland trilogy to a riveting close.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view film at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: African American Studies, History, Latin American Studies, Peer/Youth Issues, Social Studies, Student Activism, World/Current Affairs
Recommended Grades: 8 – 12
Program Note: Brief Violent News Footage, Profanity
Lily Topples the World
Tue, Apr 13 at 12:30 pm PT
Online
Directed by Jeremy Workman
USA | 2021 | 91 min
Lily Hevesh delights in creating intricate designs with dominoes, temporary installations that last just long enough to knock down. It is a passion she discovered at nine, founding a YouTube channel soon after to display her colorful creations. Nearly two million subscribers, appearances on the The Tonight Show, corporate events, and various conventions later, Lily is a Gen Z star. Jeremy Workman’s lively documentary spotlights Lily’s inspired, labor-intensive installations and offers an insightful portrait of a vibrant artist and entrepreneur who has turned play into her life’s work.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view film at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Arts/Media, Math, Science, Peer/Youth Issues, Women/Gender Studies
Recommended Grades: 4 – 12
Mum is Pouring Rain + The Snail and the Whale + Zog and the Flying Doctors
Thu, Apr 15 at 10:00 am PT
Online
Mum is Pouring Rain
Directed by Hugo de Faucompret
France | 30 min
Jane, a strong-minded and independent little girl, is sent off to stay with her grandma during the holidays while her mother struggles to overcome a bout with depression. Reluctant and angry at first, Jane brightens as the trip quickly turns into a welcome adventure filled with time for healing, magical discovery, and unexpected friendships.
In French with English Subtitles.
The Snail and the Whale
Directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon
UK | 26 min
The latest from the award-winning studio Magic Light Pictures is a beautiful story of an unlikely friendship, that begins when a snail that longs to see the world hitches a lift on a humpback whale’s tail. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs, volcanoes, sharks, and penguins, experiencing a wonderous celebration of a lush and diverse natural world.
Zog and the Flying Doctors
Directed by Sean Mullin
UK | 24 min
A mermaid with a sunburn, a unicorn who’s grown a second horn, and a sneezing lion test the skills of a trio of flying doctors who are committed to treating all kinds of creatures, real and mythical. Each new challenge is a test that helps Princess Pearl, Sir Gadabout, and Zog the dragon develop into a perfect partnership.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view films at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Arts/Media, English Language Arts, Environmental Science, French, Mental Health, Peer/Youth Issues
Recommended Grades: K – 5
My Octopus Teacher
Mon, Apr 12 at 12:30 pm PT
Online
Directed by Pippa Ehrlich & James Reed
UK/South Africa | 2020 | 90 min
After years spent filming some of the planet’s most dangerous animals, Craig Foster was burned out and depressed, his family relationships in turmoil. He decided to put a halt to his career to reconnect with his own roots – the magical underwater world of the kelp forest off the coast of his hometown – Cape Town, South Africa. For nearly a decade, Craig went diving daily in the icy cold waters, ditching wetsuit and scuba rig in one of the most predator dense places on earth. The common octopus he met and tracked became first his subject, then his teacher, showing him things no human had ever witnessed. Shot over eight years, with 3000 hours of footage, the film documents a unique friendship, interaction and animal intelligence never seen before.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view film at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Arts/Media, Environmental Science, Mental Health, Science
Recommended Grades: 3 – 12
Program Note: Mild Peril
Shorts 6: Family Films
Wed, Apr 14 at 12:30 pm PT for Q&A
Tue, Apr 20 at 10:00 am PT for Q&A
Online | 72 min
Titles are listed alphabetically rather than in order of play.
This diverse collection of stories is sure to please the smallest members of your family, along with the young at heart and everyone in-between. Featuring a deeply moving documentary exploring race in America, a delicately animated adaptation of a Hans Christian Anderson classic, and a vertically-challenged dinosaur longing to give his best friend a comforting embrace.
A Concerto is a Conversation
Directed by Ben Proudfoot & Kris Bowers
USA | 13 min
Acclaimed pianist and film composer Kris Bowers uncovers his family history, connecting his grandfather’s journey from Jim Crow Florida to his own musical premiere at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The conversation plays like a beautiful melody, revealing how the struggles of one generation pave the way for the next generation’s successes
Broken Bird
Directed by Rachel Harrison
USA | 10 min
Birdie, a biracial girl pulled between separated parents, searches for her identity as she prepares for her Bat Mitzvah and adulthood. A visitation day with her dad offers an opportunity to invite him back into her life.
Intermission
Directed by Simon de Glanville
USA | 4 min
Trapped in the clutches of lockdown, a quiet and empty London awakens to a beautiful spring day. Nature opens the door, providing soft, dappled sunlight and sweet birdsong that inspires a moment of collective human solidarity.
Kapaemahu
Directed by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer & Joe Wilson
USA | 8 min
In ʻŌlelo Ni’ihau with English subtitles
Brought to life with lush animation and narrated through an ancient Hawaiian dialect, a tale unfolds of four mysterious stones on Waikiki Beach, their healing powers, and the male and female spirits living within them.
The Magical Forest And The Things
Directed by Dave Russo
USA | 4 min
A delightful fable illustrating the importance of personal responsibility in a world in which overconsumption runs rampant. Full of magical apple and chocolate trees, giants, and one parent who really just wants to get dinner made.
Tiny T Rex And The Impossible Hug
Directed by Galen Fott
USA | 9 min
Tiny. T. Rex is concerned his tiny tyrannosaurus arms won’t be enough to comfort a good friend who is feeling down. After some deep thinking paired with rigorous physical training, he realizes big hugs come from big hearts.
To: Gerard
Directed by Taylor Meacham
USA | 8 min
A spontaneous sleight-of-hand performance provides an unassuming mailman with a moment to instill wonder in a delighted young audience member. A moving story of how true magic can come from inspiring someone to follow their dreams, even when one hasn’t been given the chance to achieve their own.
Tulip
Directed by Andrea Love & Phoebe Wahl
USA | 9 min
Delightful stop-motion animation fills the screen with a menagerie of needle-felted garden creatures in this adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairytale Thumbelina. We follow Tulip, a child born from a flower, as she ventures into the lush wildlife outside her home in search of where she belongs.
Us Again
Directed by Zach Parrish
USA | 7 min
An elderly man and his young-at-heart wife rekindle their zest for life through dance on the rainy streets of New York City. This latest Disney short incorporates a vibrant funky score and the choreography of award-winning dance duo Keone and Mari Madrid.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view films at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: African American Studies, Arts/Media, Dance/Performing Arts, English Language Arts, History, Peer/Youth Issues
Recommended Grades: K – 6
Shorts 7: Youth Works
Fri, Apr 16 at 12:30 pm PT for Q&A
Online | 77 min
Titles are listed alphabetically rather than in order of play.
Young filmmakers from throughout the world offer up fresh and daring voices in this selection of narrative, documentary, and animated films. From a lighthearted and comedic vision of the apocalypse to a documentary about working and living in Kozan, Adana, Turkey, to earnest treatises on growing up through the COVID-19 pandemic, these films are an introduction to the cinematic future.
A Cure For Humanity
Directed by Jared Fontecha & Iziyah Robinson
USA | 7 min
Two high schoolers put the perilous and disastrous events of 2020 into a larger context of the historical oppression of marginalized people around the world, delivering their message with vigor. The short includes a spoken word piece by Iziyah Robinson.
This is a Bay Area Voice film.
A Loco Vivid Dream
Directed by Marek Ścibior
Poland | 10 min
In Polish with English Subtitles
In a dreamlike series of reflections, time itself seemingly pauses as a teenager documents vistas left vacant by a quarantine in Gydnia, Poland.
Greta
Directed by Sofie Verweyen
USA | 8 min
Sofie Verweyen’s short dramatizes the internal life of a young Greta Thunberg, the film encouraging the viewer to interrogate the ways in which we trivialize the ongoing climate crisis and asks what lessons society can learn from our activist youth.
i hate winters.
Directed by Shivesh Pandey
India | 9 min
In a film that takes a diaristic approach, a young woman expresses an earnest longing for a love that has ended too soon and left her whole world cold.
ILEA
Directed by Samuel Correa
USA | 12 min
In this futuristic short, a young woman, Lyra Bishop, fights the deep expanse of space through intellect and initiative. From her deeply mediated and indoor life, Lyra protects and connects with family through years of separation by navigating one-sided forms of communication.
Just as I am
Directed by Arianna Azzaro
Italy | 3 min
In Italian with English Subtitles
In the form of a personal statement, Emma asserts her thoughts and opinions outright, encouraging us to express ourselves in ways most true to who we are, no matter what traditional feminine stereotypes and gender roles may dictate.
Kozan
Directed by İlayda İşeri
Turkey | 6 min
In Turkish with English Subtitles
Following not only the everyday life of a farmer but also her frustrations and feelings, this film portrays a life in Kozan, Adapazarı, Turkey.
MUSIC FOR THE END OF THE WORLD
Directed by Emmanuel Li
UK | 7 min
Emmanuel Li’s uplifting and hilarious short dares to dance in the face of certain demise through a sun-drenched apocalypse with colorful animation and enchanting imagery of the last teenager on Earth.
Stranger Strings
Directed by Ava Salomon
USA | 2 min
A violin virtuoso battles increasingly difficult obstacles as her stunning performance crescendos to an unexpected comic finale. You can hope for the best but always prepare for the worst.
Through Their Eyes
Directed by Alisha Heng
USA | 11 min
Through stop-motion animation, Alisha Heng renders an idyllic setting for a cohabitating wolf and a rabbit that harbors tension at every turn as the days tick by and charming pretense comes crumbling down.
What’s that sound?
Directed by Tanya Cyster
USA | 2 min
Animated with style and wit, Tanya Cyster crafts a short depicting a frustrated cat inspecting every corner of a house to find and stop a mysterious and aggravating sound.
This is a Bay Area Voice film.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view films at your convenience.
Suggested Subjects/Themes: Arts/Media, Drama/Acting, English Language Arts, Journalism, Mental Health, Peer/Youth Issues
Recommended Grades: 6 – 12
Writing With Fire
Wed, Apr 14 at 10:00 am PT
Online
Directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh
India | 2021 | 93 min
Investigative reporter Meera emerges as a central character in this moving and triumphant documentary. She is one of the undaunted women from India’s lowest caste behind Khabar Lahariya, an online newspaper and YouTube channel dedicated to uncovering abuses of patriarchy and government malfeasance. Armed only with their smart phones, these fearless journalists roam the state of Uttar Pradesh, delivering unflinching coverage of the country’s extremist Hindu leadership, rape culture, and rampant corruption that victimizes those without voice or power.
Screening link(s) will be sent to view film at your convenience.