Sections
Browse the program by film or event type. Sections will take you right to your favorite kind of program.
Awards + Special Events
Catch this year’s awardees and star-studded flicks, often with talent in attendance, along with our talks and workshops.
Documentaries: International
From profiles of musicians, mushroom hunters, and mountain activists, these films introduce viewers to issues and viewpoints from around the globe.
Documentaries: USA
Girl Scout entrepreneurs, tennis great Billie Jean King, and a young polar bear who vexes humans are among the subjects of the Festival’s enthralling US documentaries.
Narratives: International
From Romania to Pakistan to Japan and other points around the globe, this lineup of films brings the world to your doorstep.
Narratives: USA
A diverse group of homegrown auteurs offers engrossing perspectives on life in the 50 states.
Short Films + Mid-Lengths
The Festival’s short films and mid-length films, made by filmmakers both veteran and new, pack each moment with storytelling power.
Spotlights
Our Festival Spotlights illuminate groups of films within particular spheres of interest. Pick your favorite flavor!
Bay Area Voices
The manifold qualities of the Bay come into focus with these films set in the Bay or made by local filmmakers.
Cine Latino
Queer rodeo participants and mushrooms in Mexico and a portrait of the Korean diaspora in Argentina showcase the diverse textures and cinematographic excellence of Latin American storytelling.
Documentary Competition
Since 2009, SFFILM Makers programs have granted more than $9 million to independent filmmakers worldwide. Join us as we celebrate these talented independent storytellers and bring their stories to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Family Friendly
A young astronaut embarking on a space mission, Girl Scouts hawking cookies, and shorts for—and sometimes made by—youth offer captivating fare for parents and kids alike.
From the Vault
Films from the Vault revisits previously presented titles at the San Francisco International Film Festival, highlighting the Festival’s role in championing emerging artists and iconic auteurs and inviting audiences to rediscover these films anew.
Global Visions Competition
Striking new voices compete for awards and recognition with this juried competition.
New Directors Competition
Meet the new crop of emerging narrative talent as SFFILM presents stellar debut features from around the world.
Shorts + Mid-Length Films
From animation to documentary, experimental to family-oriented, the Festival’s short and mid-length film programs offer terrific work under 30 minutes while our mid-length programs focus on the wide range of work between 31 and 59 minutes in length.
World Cinema
Travel the world without ever leaving the Bay with this program of narrative filmmaking with a global perspective.
World Documentaries
SFFILM’s documentary showcase celebrates the finest in nonfiction filmmaking from around the world, near and far.