SanFranciscoFilmSociety's blog

Festival

Festival presentation: 

Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival is the longest-running
film festival in the Americas. Held each spring for two weeks, the
International is an extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and
innovation in the country’s most beautiful city, featuring some 150 films and
live events with more than 100 filmmakers in attendance and nearly two dozen
awards presented for cinematic excellence. The Festival attracts an annual
audience of more than 80,000.

“Few festivals are more suited to their city than the International. It’s clearly a
festival programmed by those who love film for people who love film.” — Alex
Romanelli, editor, Variety

 

Festival Nickname: 

SFIFF

Edition: 

54

Festival Logo: 

Theme: 

African Films

American Films

Art-house films

Asian Films

Awards

Documentary

Education

European Films

Independent

International

Latin American Films

Category/Format: 

Documentaries

Fiction Features

Independant

Mixed

Short films

Highly anticipated by its loyal and passionate audiences, championed by civic and
community leaders, admired and adored by filmmakers and closely watched by
industry professionals, SFIFF is one of the most important events in the Bay
Area’s cultural calendar and an important stop on the international festival
circuit.

The International is deeply rooted in the strongest and finest traditions of
appreciation of film both as an art form and as a meaningful agent for social
change. It is a cultural treasure for Bay Area audiences, who embrace new
ideas, compassionate humanity and world citizenship. SFIFF features a bonanza
of narrative feature films, live action and animated shorts, television and
theatrical documentaries, experimental work and a variety of new digital media,
as well as a smart lineup of industry panels and seminars, awards events, onstage
tributes, retrospectives and the highly acclaimed Schools at the Festival
program, which brings 4,200 students in grades 1–12 into the festivities.

Remarkably intimate for a festival of its size and scope, the International combines a
range of marquee premieres, international competitions, hard-hitting
documentaries, digital media work and star-studded gala events.