Doc Stories FAQ

Yes, you can find it here!

Not this year! But there are live virtual filmmaker Q&As for all programs, and we invite audience participation. These free live Q&As are viewable on any event page.

Once you buy a ticket and/or pass, navigate to the relevant event page on our website and click “Stream Film”. Live talks and Q&As will be hosted on the same event page, just scroll down to find it. All event pages are accessible from our Doc Stories Series Page.

Use the chat function in the bottom right corner of the screen to ask a question. You can expect a speedy response between 9am and 10pm (PST). You can also call our Box Office at 415-561-5006 for support.

1. Sign into your account here on SFFILM.org
2. Navigate to your Upcoming Events on your account menu in the top right corner (or just click here)
3. You can now click the "Go to Event" buttons for each upcoming event, and then "Stream Film" on any of those pages to watch your films or generate your Roku / Apple TV watch code.”

Ticket buyers and passholders can find streaming links and information about scheduled Q&As here, in each event page.

No, your login credentials for the Roku or Apple TV apps are different from your credentials for SFFILM.org. Ticket holders must enter the 9-digit code that is generated when you click "Stream Film". If you are a Doc Stories passholder, you will be emailed your login credentials on December 3rd when the Doc Stories program launches.

View and purchase tickets to Doc Stories programs here. Ticket buyers will receive an email reminder when the streaming window opens for the film, or 1 hour before a live talk starts. Even though our live talks are all free, please RSVP to receive email reminders.

You will need to create an account on the SFFILM website to attend Doc Stories, as all of your tickets to virtual programs will need to be tied to an account. This is the most secure way we can ensure that you will be able to view your programs during the Doc Stories series.

Yes, make sure you are signed in to your account. If you have voucher codes that are not attached to your account, click “Know a Promotion Code?” and enter your code there. All vouchers are valid for the Doc Stories series. E-mail boxoffice@sffilm.org if your voucher code is not working.

Click “Get Tickets” on any event page and you will see a “Know a Promotion Code” option. Enter your promo code and click “Apply”, and you will see your free or discounted ticket option pop up.

All live talks are free to watch, along with all Q&As associated with films. One film, Coded Bias, is available to stream free of charge.

Some virtual screenings have audience caps. Check event pages for availability, and always get your tickets early to ensure you have a spot.

There may be a “noon release” of tickets on the last day of Doc Stories (Sunday Dec 6) if any event has reached capacity before then.

As with all SFFILM events, members receive first access and discounts on tickets. If your membership includes a Ticket Pack, it can be applied to stream films free of charge.

Here are the recommend system requirements for watching films on these devices:

• PC: Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Windows 10
• Mac: Mac OSX 10.12 or later
• Web Browsers: We recommend using the newest version of Google Chrome as your web browser. Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera are also supported. Internet Explorer is not supported.
• Roku: 3rd generation (2013) or newer
• Apple TV: 4th generation (2015) or newer
• iPhone/iPad: iOS 11.2 or newer, using Safari or Chrome 
• Android: version 6.0 or newer

Yes! Here is an overview of how to set up your Roku or Apple TV to stream films.

Ticket-buyers:

• Navigate to the event page on SFFILM.org. You will be prompted to sign in to the account you used to buy a ticket.
• Click the blue “STREAM FILM” button on the event page to start your 24-hour viewing window.
• You will see a pop-up window — choose the option to “Watch on Roku or Apple TV.” A 9-digit code will be displayed.
• Download the SFFILM at Home app on your Roku or Apple TV, and enter that 9-digit code to watch.

Passholders:

• Download the SFFILM at Home app on your Roku or Apple TV.
• You should have received an email from SFFILM this week with your Passholder credentials to sign into the Roku or Apple TV app directly. If you cannot find this email, chat with our staff using the chat tool in the bottom right corner and they can get you set up.

Yes! You can Chromecast from PC and Mac computers as well as from an Android device. Navigate here for a guide to using Chromecast or here for a guide to using AirPlay. You can AirPlay a film from an iPad or iPhone to an Apple TV as well.

Unfortunately our platform does not support Amazon Fire Stick.

Yes! You can watch films and live talks on iPhone/iPad using Safari or Chrome on iOS 11.2 or later. You can watch films and live talks on Android 6.0 or later.

We use adaptive bitrate streaming which means the streaming quality will automatically adjust based on your internet speed. If your internet connection is poor or inconsistent you may experience problems during playback. If you’re on wifi, try moving closer to your router.

Check that your system meets the minimum requirements listed above in the Technical Requirements section. Try using a different browser or device if possible, to see if the issue persists. If none of these work, talk to our staff from 9am to 10pm using the chat tool in the bottom right corner!

This error happens in a Google Chrome browser means you need to do a “hard reload” of your system, see our directions below. If you are getting this error outside of Google Chrome, please talk to our staff from 9am to 10pm using the chat tool in the bottom right corner!

To do a “hard reload” in Chrome on a Mac:

• In the menu at the top of your screen, go to View -> Developer -> Developer Tools
• Now right click on the “refresh” icon in Chrome and you should see an option to “Empty Cache and Hard Reload”
• Choose that option and now try streaming the film. It should work!
  
  

If that does not work for you, try a different web browser. For example, if you are using a Safari browser, try using Google Chrome or Firefox instead. If switching browsers does not work, try watching on a different device. For example, if the video is not playing on your iPad, try watching on a computer instead.

Download the "SFFILM at Home" app on your Roku or Apple TV. Once you are in the Roku or Apple TV app, you will see an option to sign in as a passholder. Click on that, and you can either “”pair”” your TV with your computer using by navigating to www.watch.sffilm.org/pair and signing in using your credentials, or sign in directly on the Roku or Apple TV app.

Your Doc Stories passholder login was emailed to you at the opening of the series, but feel free to talk to our staff from 9am to 10pm using the chat tool in the bottom right corner if you are having trouble finding these credentials.

Visit the event page on SFFILM.org to view the Q&A (these can be viewed live, or as a recording after the event has ended).

In order to keep live talks and Q&As free and accessible, these are all hosted on SFFILM.org. This means they can’t be viewed using Roku or Apple TV. To watch conversations on your TV, you will need to connect your computer or device to your TV via HDMI cable, Chromecast, or AirPlay.

Films must be purchased for access (with the exception of Coded Bias, which is free). Live talks and Q&As are viewable on our website, free of charge. 

They’re all live! And if you miss a live talk or Q&A, you can navigate to the event page to view the recording (typically available within 2 hours following an event).

Yes! Following each Q&A, the recording will be available to view on the event page on SFFILM.org. Recordings are typically available within 2 hours following an event.

Doc Stories films are only viewable in the state of California. Live talks and Q&As can be viewed from anywhere.

Find Q&A times on the calendar page (in chronological order) and on the Doc Stories series page (in alphabetical order).

All films are streamable between Dec 3 at 12:01 am and Dec 6 at 11:59 pm, except for Gunda which has a slightly limited window (Dec 4 at 12:01 am to Dec 6 at 11:59 pm). Once you begin streaming a film, you have 24 hours to complete the film. Please note, all films will be unavailable after 11:59 pm on December 6; if you start a film late on December 6, it will turn off before midnight.

The “streaming window” is the duration of availability for a film during the Doc Stories festival. The “viewing window” is the 24-hour window to finish a film once you click “Stream Film”.

Once you begin streaming a film, you have 24 hours to complete the film. Please note, all films will be unavailable at 11:59 pm on December 6; if you start a film late on December 6, it will turn off before midnight.

You can watch as many times as you wish within your 24-hour viewing window. Your 24-hour viewing window starts once you click "Stream Film".

All films in Doc Stories 2020 will be presented without watermarks.

Yes, you can skip the trailer and sponsor reels each time you come back to a program.

The following films have closed captioning (available on your computer only, not on Roku or Apple TV):

• Coded Bias
• Doing the Work: Documentary Shorts (three films in this shorts program): Do Not Split, Pandemic 19, and Then Comes the Evening
• New York Times Op Docs (five films in this program):
  Almost Famous: The Lost Astronaut, Club Quarantine, Huntsville Station, Hysterical Girl, The Torture Letters
• MLK/FBI
• Stray
• Through the Night

All live talks and Q&As will be recorded and captions will be added after the live event commences. You can expect captioned recordings to be available on each event page on SFFILM.org shortly after the date of the live event.