PRESS RELEASES › SFFILM Unveils Lineup for 12th Doc Stories, Bringing Fall’s Most Anticipated Documentaries to San Francisco, November 5–8
SFFILM Unveils Lineup for 12th Doc Stories, Bringing Fall’s Most Anticipated Documentaries to San Francisco, November 5–8
Ten features, 11 shorts, and three Doc Talks headline a festival whose past selections have earned more than two dozen Academy Award® nominations and multiple wins
Bottom row, L to R: Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nomalizo Leah Tutu. Filmmaker Sam Pollard. Photos courtesy of HiddenLight Productions. Photo of Sam Pollard by Henry Adobonago.
San Francisco, CA—October 14, 2026—Today, SFFILM announced the lineup for the 12th edition of Doc Stories, its annual celebration of nonfiction filmmaking, taking place November 5–8 at the Vogue Theatre. The program includes 10 features, 11 short films, and three Doc Talks, giving Bay Area audiences a first look at some of the year’s most anticipated documentaries. Acclaimed filmmakers Ava DuVernay, Laura Poitras, Luke Lorentzen, Sam Pollard, and Ben Proudfoot, along with breakout artists including Erik Shirai, and J.M. Harper, will join in person. Audiences will also get an early look at films from Joshua Oppenheimer, Taliesin Black-Brown, Sean Penn, and more.
Anne Lai, SFFILM’s Executive Director, said, “For over a decade, Doc Stories has embodied the best of what SFFILM and the San Francisco Bay Area champion and celebrate in new documentary work. Each film is a wonderful portal into better understanding the world we live in. When daily life can feel quite bruising and fractious, documentaries skillfully encourage us to let our guard down and connect with real-life stories and people… sometimes challenging, often invigorating, and always meaningful. It’s a privilege to bring filmmakers, industry, and audiences—including kids—together for this annual celebration.”
Since 2015, Doc Stories has been the gathering point for the Bay Area’s documentary community, with a program that reliably features standout nonfiction work from around the world. More than two dozen Doc Stories selections have gone on to earn Academy Award® nominations, and several have won.
“Curating Doc Stories is one of the great privileges of my job because I get to spend the year seeking out films that I can’t wait to put in front of an audience,” said Jessie Fairbanks, SFFILM’s Director of Programming. “This year, I found myself drawn to filmmakers who are looking closely at the forces shaping our lives, while also revealing the humor, beauty, resilience, and contradictions within them. These are documentaries I believe deserve to be seen, talked about, and experienced together—and I’m thrilled to share them with our audiences.”
Beyond the public program, SFFILM’s Artist Development team will convene Doc Congress, a day of dialogue and networking for filmmakers, funders, and industry professionals. This year’s Doc Congress includes a dynamic group discussion on AI use in documentaries featuring Srđan Keča, director of Stanford’s MFA in Documentary Film, and Rachel Antell, co-founder of the Archival Producers Alliance. Artist Development will also host an inaugural Pitch Forum for three local filmmakers. Guest filmmakers will cap off the weekend at Sunday’s annual Doc Stories Brunch.
From November 2–10, SFFILM’s Education team will host students and teachers at Schools at Doc Stories, with free in-person screenings at SFMOMA, online programs for classrooms nationwide, and conversations with visiting filmmakers that connect to classroom studies and spark curiosity about the wider world. Alongside three selections from the main program, Schools at Doc Stories presents eight additional programs, including new and past work from Academy Award®-winning directors Ben Proudfoot and Vanessa Roth and a Future Filmmakers Showcase of original films by Berkeley High School students. Proudfoot will also lead a documentary filmmaking workshop for teens.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Most Doc Stories screenings run once, intentionally scheduled back to back, making it easy to see as many as possible. The program is listed in alphabetical order, with Opening and Closing Night films first and last. All screenings take place at the Vogue Theatre. The Doc Talks will be at the Doc Stories Lounge Sponsored by ESPN Films (30 for 30). The Teen Workshop will be held at SFFILM’s FilmHouse.
Opening Night: 14th
THU, NOV 5 AT 6:30 PM PT
THU, NOV 5 AT 9:30 PM PT
Ava DuVernay (USA 2026, 107 min)
Ava DuVernay examines the enduring promises of the 14th Amendment through a powerful chorus of voices, joining us in person to discuss this vital new documentary.
All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea
SAT, NOV 7 AT 5:00 PM PT
Jeanie Finlay (UK 2026, 99 min)
When a mystery tide of poisoned sea life washes ashore on England’s North East coast, grief gives way to a turbulent quest for answers, led by the unlikeliest of rebels.
Black Sunflowers
SAT, NOV 7 AT 8:00 PM PT
James Marcus Haney (Ukraine 2026, 97 min)
Executive produced by Sean Penn, James Marcus Haney’s kinetic, kaleidoscopic portrait of Ukrainian youth is alive with movement, color, and music. Filmed over four years the camera follows artists, drifters, soldiers, and friends as they find pockets of freedom amid mounting uncertainty.
Boatbuilders
SUN, NOV 8 AT 4:30 PM PT
Luke Lorentzen (USA 2026, 103 min)
A visually stunning ode to impeccable craftsmanship and the beauty of Maine, Luke Lorentzen’s latest documentary profiles the workers of Brooklin Boat Yard, a company building custom wooden yachts since 1960.
Citizen Osama
SUN, NOV 8 AT 11:30 AM PT
Ahmed Hassouna (Palestine, France 2026, 71 min)
A photographer turned war reporter documents life in Gaza while raising his newborn son, confronting the impossible challenge of bearing witness to catastrophe while protecting those he loves.
Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been
FRI, NOV 6 AT 8:30 PM PT
Barry Avrich (Canada 2026, 118 min)
The extraordinary singer Darlene Love has lived a big life with its concomitant ups and downs, and this film covers them all as Love herself charts her career, always leading with joy and humor, featuring Cher, David Letterman, Bruce Springsteen, Dionne Warwick, and many more.
Doc Talks: Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller
Total Runtime: 60 min
SAT, NOV 7 AT 1:30 PM PT
Join us for an intimate and candid fireside conversation with filmmakers Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller, who will discuss the timeliness of their film, They’re Here about a Minneapolis community during a wave of ICE raids.
Doc Talks: Jeanie Finlay, Luke Lorentzen, and Erik Shirai
Total Runtime: 60 min
SAT, NOV 7 AT 3:30 PM PT
Doc Talks continues with filmmakers Jeanie Finlay (All Rivers Spill Their Stories to the Sea), Luke Lorentzen (Boatbuilders), and Erik Shirai (Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing), as they discuss the cinematic power of observational storytelling and their unique approaches as both directors and cinematographers.
Doc Talks: Sam Pollard and J.M. Harper
Total Runtime: 60 min
SUN, NOV 8 AT 2:30 PM PT
Doc Talks’ final gathering profiles the esteemed and prolific Sam Pollard and rising star J.M. Harper. Pollard and Harper will discuss their newest features, Tutu and Soul Patrol, and their processes of excavating history, culture, and politics in their work.
Community Screening: Title to Be Announced
THU, NOV 5 AT 3:30 PM PT
Join us for a community screening of a very special documentary from a notable local Bay Area filmmaker that takes viewers behind the scenes of a major film production. The title of the film will be revealed in late October. Free and open to the public. Attendees must RSVP for tickets at sffilm.org.
Shorts Block: New York Times Op-Docs
Total Runtime: 99 min
FRI, NOV 6 AT 5:45 PM PT
Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
La Retaguardia
Olivier Côté, Jean-François Bouchard (Canada, Cuba 2026, 22 min)
Amid a national migration crisis, four young Cuban artists go against the tide and choose to stay.
The Revolution Against Death
Joshua Oppenheimer (Denmark, Sweden 2026, 23 min)
Joshua Oppenheimer gazes into the world of an aging community and their eccentric efforts to achieve immortality.
Son
Leona Cauklija (Sweden 2026, 13 min)
A Swedish mother’s love knows no bounds, using graffiti to track down her long lost son.
The Tuners
Paweł Chorzępa (Poland 2026, 23 min)
Distinguished tuners work tirelessly to achieve perfect pitch for their instruments at a renowned piano competition.
A Wolf in the Suburbs
Amélie Hardy (Canada 2026, 18 min)
A Mississaugan man revives his former Olympian mindset in a fight to preserve his lawn’s overgrowth.
Shorts Block: Sensory Experience
Total Runtime: 100 min
FRI, NOV 6 AT 3 PM PT
Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
Chuuraa
Evgenia Arbugaeva (UK 2026, 18 min)
A Sakha scientist journeys into Siberia’s melting permafrost, where the past emerges alongside ancestral beliefs.
Listen
Taliesin Black-Brown (USA 2026, 15 min)
As memory fades and nature changes, an Alaskan sound recordist listens closely to what remains.
Pelo Lindo
Josue Garcia Prado (Guatemala 2026, 24 min)
Decades after her son’s forced disappearance, a Guatemalan mother’s enduring faith keeps his memory alive.
Still Standing
Victor Tadashi Suárez, Livia Albeck-Ripka (USA 2026, 10 min)
After the Eaton Fire, Altadena residents confront toxic contamination in homes insurers insist are safe to inhabit.
They’re Here
Laura Poitras, Rachel Lauren Mueller (USA 2026, 25 min)
When masked ICE agents descend on Minneapolis, neighbors mobilize, tracking the movements of officers to protect one another.
You Do Not Exist
Dwayne LeBlanc (USA 2026, 8 min)
Beneath passing planes, a man reflects on memory, belonging, and the paths not taken.
Soul Patrol
SAT, NOV 7 AT 2:00 PM PT
J.M. Harper (USA 2026, 100 min)
This moving, creative, and seminal documentary depicts the final reunion of an all-Black six-man patrol team in Vietnam, ensuring that their courage and experiences are not lost to history.
Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing
SUN, NOV 8 AT 1:30 PM PT
Erik Shirai (Japan, USA, UK, Denmark 2026, 99 min)
Erik Shirai cinematically captures the spectacle of strength that is the world of professional sumo wrestling, and shines a rare spotlight on the secrecy of the sport and its formidable competitors.
Teen Workshop: Creating Untold Stories
Total Runtime: 120 min
SAT, NOV 7 AT 1 PM PT
Join Ben Proudfoot, two-time Academy Award®-winning filmmaker and the founder and CEO of Breakwater Studios, for a teen-centered documentary workshop.
Closing Night: Tutu
SUN, NOV 8 AT 7:30 PM PT
Sam Pollard (UK 2026, 102 min)
A revelatory portrait of Desmond Tutu, the beloved South African archbishop whose fearless moral voice, infectious humor, and unwavering commitment to justice helped reshape a nation and inspire generations.
SUPPORTERS + SPONSORS
Support for SFFILM’s year-round programming is made possible by our Board of Directors, whose leadership and generosity empower artists, audiences, and the future of independent film.
Doc Stories is made possible with generous support from Apple, ESPN Films (30 for 30), and Netflix.
TICKETS + MEMBER BENEFITS
Tickets will go on sale to SFFILM Members on Wednesday, October 14, at 10 am at sffilm.org. The online box offices will open to the general public on Friday, October 16, at 10 am. Ticket prices for General Admission are $20, and $16 for SFFILM Members. Senior, student, and ADA are $19. Ticket prices may vary for Special Events. Opening Night and Closing Night tickets are priced at $35 for non-members and $30 for members. Community Screening is free with RSVP. All paid tickets are subject to a $1.50 service fee.
VENUES
SFFILM’s 12th Doc Stories festival is exclusively in theaters and event spaces in San Francisco including the Vogue Theatre, Doc Stories Lounge Sponsored by ESPN Films (30 for 30) at the Laureate Bar & Lounge, SFFILM FilmHouse, and the Phyllis Wattis Theater at SFMOMA.
To learn more about their accessibility resources, parking, and transit go to SFFILM FAQs at sffilm.org/yr-faq/
ACCESSIBILITY
SFFILM is committed to providing accessible experiences at all events, whether in-person or online. Event pages will be updated with accessibility information as it becomes available, which may be after tickets go on sale. sffilm.org/accessibility
All venues are ADA accessible. The Vogue Theatre is equipped with individual closed captioning, audio description, and assisted listening devices. To request ADA accommodations, including closed captioning and audio description devices or ASL interpretation, please contact ada@sffilm.org.
For more information about accessibility at specific venues or programs, please visit sffilm.org/accessibility or contact ada@sffilm.org.
About Doc Stories
Since 2015, SFFILM’s Doc Stories is the premier documentary festival of San Francisco’s unparalleled nonfiction film culture. Through our inspired, exclusive programming selections, SFFILM has led the way in elevating documentary film as an essential art form for audiences to discover and reconsider real-life events, stories, and perspectives. The program presents anticipated screenings alongside probing conversations with filmmakers from around the world, and is a must-attend annual event for film industry leaders who represent the future of documentary filmmaking. More than two dozen Doc Stories titles have gone on to earn Academy Award® nominations and wins. The 12th edition will take place from November 5–8, 2026.
About SFFILM
For nearly 70 years, SFFILM has been transforming the world through the creativity and inspiration of film. As the Bay Area’s premier film institution since 1957, SFFILM cultivates an enduring and vibrant film culture, expertly connecting singular storytellers with passionate audiences. With world-class festivals, accessible youth programs, and robust filmmaker support, SFFILM champions cinema as a force for connection, creativity, and change. Our annual film festivals include the San Francisco International Film Festival and Doc Stories. The SFFILM Presents series and Family programming give Bay Area audiences early, exclusive access to film events all year. SFFILM’s youth Education program empowers over 15,000 local students and educators with learning opportunities that foster media literacy, global citizenship, and a lifelong love of movies. And, SFFILM propels the careers of independent filmmakers from the Bay Area and beyond through vital grants, residencies, and diverse creative development services in our Artist Development initiative.
For more information visit sffilm.org
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