‘The Invite’ and ‘Late Fame’ to Open 69th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM): Full Lineup Announced
Today, SFFILM announced the program for the 69th San Francisco International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival in the Americas. The Festival returns to San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley April 24 through May 4, 2026.
The Festival’s Opening Night returns to the newly restored Castro Theatre with an unprecedented double feature. Kicking off the night is Kent Jones’ witty and heartfelt Late Fame from Magnolia Pictures starring Greta Lee and Willem Dafoe. Both Jones and Lee are expected to join in person. The second feature is The Invite, directed by and starring Olivia Wilde. Fresh off its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and newly acquired by A24, the film also stars Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, the story follows two very different couples whose lives collide during an unexpected night together. Wilde will appear in person to present this San Francisco-set story to its hometown audience on 35mm film.
The lineup includes 79 programs from 40 countries filled with iconic and award-winning performers like Tilda Swinton, Danielle Brooks, Irrfan Khan, Dale Dickey, Dustin Hoffman, T ony Leung Chiu-wai, Paul Rudd, Lubna Azabal, Don Cheadle, Jamie Lee Curtis, Charlotte Rampling, and Demi Moore. Nearly a dozen filmmakers will be making their return to the Festival to show their latest work. The program also includes 11 SFFILM Supported titles which are projects that received grants, residencies, or support through the organization’s Artist Development and youth Education programs, reflecting the unique qualities of SFFILM’s year-round work that sustains a vibrant ecosystem of film and film culture in the Bay Area.
SFFILM’s Director of Programming, Jessie Fairbanks pointed to a program curated by a team who relishes giving audiences opportunities to discover the new, and to experience older films with fresh eyes and connections to today. “This is the sixth festival I’ve curated at SFFILM, and it remains a joy to collaborate with the team to shape a slate of distinctive, authentic stories. Alongside special programs, juried competitions, and marquee events—including our return to the Castro Theatre and Grand Lake—I wanted to honor our organization’s roots as we look ahead to our 70th anniversary next year . We’re especially thrilled to introduce a legacy retrospective from SFFILM’s archives that will become a new festival staple. Films from the Vault opens up a rich new layer of cinematic discovery and celebrates a history that continues to shape what comes next at SFFILM.” The curation of the festival program is led by Jessie Fairbanks working with Rod Armstrong, Jordan Klein, Amber Love, Bedatri Choudhury, Kristal Sotomayor, with additional assistance from Mariana Finelli and Sabrina Kim.
Anne Lai, the Executive Director of SFFILM has been reveling in the fact that people are hungry to be together , and going to movies is a fun, immersive, and fundamental way to see and understand the world. “Spring is a time of renewal—an invitation to step out, seek adventure, and connect with one another . This year’s Festival fully embraces that spirit of optimism and curiosity. My greatest hope is that audiences not only choose what they already know they’ll enjoy, but also take a chance on something entirely new. Filmmakers are audacious and excel at giving us what we didn’t even know we needed. The true gift of film is its power to help us connect and understand each other—and the guaranteed place to feel that magic is when you see it on the big screen.”
As SFFILM prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the San Francisco International Film Festival next year, five films that played at previous Festivals have been selected from the vault, highlighting the Festival’s role in championing emerging artists and inviting audiences to rediscover these films anew. The titles include Alain Dahan’s Bad Blood (Festival, 1985), Claire Denis’s Beau Travail (Festival, 2000), Guillermo del Toro’s Cronos (Festival, 1994), Agnès Varda’s Vagabond (Festival, 1986), and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s The Wages of Fear (Festival, 1978).
The historic Golden Gate Awards (GGAs) juried competition carries on for the 69th year with cash prizes awarded to New Directors Competition, Global Visions Competition, Mid-Length Competition, and a prize for the best documentary feature film with the Kirby Walker Documentary Award. There is also a special spotlight recognizing a standout Cine Latino title. As an Academy Award-qualifying festival, SFFILM will present honors for Best Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short in addition to recognizing a Bay Area Short Film, Family Short Film, and Youth Works Film. Juried competition winners for the Golden Gate Awards as well as Audience Awards for Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature will be announced at the end of the Festival.
THE PROGRAM
Big Nights
Opening Night: The Invite
Director: Olivia Wilde, Producers: David Permut, Ben Browning, Megan Ellison
(USA 2026, 107 min)
Nothing is off limits in Olivia Wilde’s (Booksmart, Festival 2019) taboo-smashing third feature where two San Francisco couples meet for a casual get-to-know-one-another dinner but instead find themselves traversing surprising boundaries of intimacy and relationships. Penélope Cruz, Olivia Wilde, Edward Norton, and Seth Rogen star.
Opening Night: Late Fame
Director: Kent Jones, Producers: Pam Koffler, Christine Vachon, Mason Plotts, Danny Roberts, H.S. Naji, Jackie Langelier , Ethan Lazar, Taylor Shung
(USA 2025, 96 min)
When a retired poet’s forgotten writings capture the attention of a vibrant NYC group, admiration, longing, and desire stir in this heartfelt, witty meditation on ambition and second chances. Willem Dafoe and Greta Lee star.
Centerpiece: I Love Boosters
Director: Boots Riley, Producers: Aaron Ryder, Andrew Swett, Allison Rose Carter, Jon Read, Boots Riley
(USA 2026, 106 min)
A fearless crew of young women led by Corvette (Keke Palmer) shoplift designer clothes across the Bay Area and sell them at deep discounts. When fashion mogul Christie Smith (Demi Moore) takes notice, their rivalry escalates—sparking a bold plan for one final heist.
Closing Night: Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back
Director: Irvin Kershner , Producer: Gary Kurtz
(USA 1980, 124 min)
After the Rebellion’s defeat on the ice planet Hoth, Luke journeys to the planet Dagobah to train with Jedi Master Yoda. Darth Vader attempts to convert Luke to the dark side.
Awards & Special Events
An Evening with Ritesh Batra + The Lunchbox
Director: Ritesh Batra, Producers: Shahnaab Alam, Marc Baschet, Benny Drechsel, Nina Lath Gupta, Arun Rangachari, Anurag Kashyap, Guneet Monga
India, France, Germany, USA, Canada 2013, 135 min)
A mistaken lunchbox delivery through the famed dabbawala network sparks an unexpected connection between a lonely office worker and a thoughtful homemaker in Mumbai.
Persistence of Vision Award: Lynne Sachs + Every Contact Leaves a Trace
Director: Lynne Sachs, Producer: Lynne Sachs
(USA 2025, 83 min)
This year’s Persistence of Vision Award celebrates experimental filmmaker and poet Lynne Sachs. Following a moderated conversation, there will be a screening of Lynne’s new film Every Contact Leaves a Trace, a rumination of memory and assumptions using as inspiration a stack of business cards collected over 40 years.
Mel Novikoff Award: Michelle Satter with a Special Screening of Beasts of the Southern Wild
Director: Benh Zeitlin, Producers: Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn
(USA 2012, 93 min)
The 2026 Mel Novikoff Award honors Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Sundance Institute’s Artist Programs, who has championed independent filmmakers there since 1981. She will be joined in conversation by Bay Area filmmaker Peter Nicks. Followed by a screening of the celebrated 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild, a project supported by both Sundance and SFFILM.
Music + Film: Mysterious Bird with Musical Performance by Gabriela Quintero featuring
Daniel Ho
Director: Beth Aala, Produces: Beth Aala, Violet Du Feng
(Mexico, USA 2026, 37 min)
Grammy-winning guitarist Gabriela Quintero steps into her first solo spotlight in Beth Aala’s intimate film, blending music, advocacy, and personal discovery, with a live performance and conversation to follow.
Special Screening: Power Ballad
Director: John Carney, Producers: Anthony Bregman, John Carney, Peter Cron, Rebecca O’Flanagan, Robert Walpole
(Ireland, USA 2026, 98 min)After former boy-band star Danny (Nick Jonas) turns a song stolen from wedding singer Rick (Paul Rudd) into a global hit, the two musicians clash in a hilarious, heartfelt, and chaotic battle over creativity and credit.
Special Screening: The Kidnapping of Arabella
Director: Carolina Cavalli, Producers: Antonio Celsi, Annamaria Morelli
(Italy 2025, 107 min)
Precocious seven-year-old Arabella convinces a troubled young woman to take her on a road trip, accidentally faking her own kidnapping—and leaving her father , played by Chris Pine, in a panic.
Narratives: USA
Hot Water
Director: Ramzi Bashour , Producers: Jesse Hope, Max Walker-Silverman, Josh Peters
(USA 2026, 97 min)
Ramzi Bashour’s poignant road movie depicts an anxious mother transporting her delinquent son from Indiana to California and highlights the glories of the American Midwest while unpacking the dynamics of parenting and letting go. With Lubna Azabal and Dale Dickey.
If I Go Will They Miss Me
Director: Walter Thompson-Hernández, Producers: Josh Peters, Saba Zerehi, Ben Stillman
(USA 2026, 89 min)
Set in South Los Angeles, this coming-of-age story blends social and magical realism, Greek mythology, and vérité observation, crafting a poetic yet grounded portrait of family, legacy, and the realities of growing up. With Danielle Brooks.
Sender
Director: Russell Goldman, Producers: Jamie Lee Curtis, Molly Hallam, Jake Katofsky
(USA 2025, 94 min)
Severance’s Britt Lower stars as a young woman whose online shopping habit turns terrifying when mysterious packages containing eerily personal items begin arriving. With Rhea Seehorn and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Tuner
Director: Daniel Roher , Producers: JoAnne Sellar , Lila Yacoub, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler
(USA 2024, 109 min)
When a piano tuner’s extraordinary hearing reveals a knack for cracking safes, his quiet New York routine gives way to a risky life of crime—just as the possibility of love suggests another future. Dustin Hoffman and Leo Woodall star.
Narratives: International
The Arch
Director: T’ang Shushuen, Producer: Paul Lee(Hong Kong 1968, 98 min)
Presented at the 1968 Festival and little-seen since then, The Arch focuses on a proud widow who has allowed herself to be treated almost as a deity because of her virtuous behavior. The original black-and-white 35mm negatives of the film have been lost. The restoration was made using extant materials from 1968, including a 35mm release print preserved at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film archive and a 35mm release print preserved and scanned at the BFI National Archive. The digital restoration was undertaken at Silver Salt Restoration. Special thanks to the descendants of Paul Lee; Les Blank Films; and the Hong Kong Film Archive, Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Arch is one ofthe films under M+ Restored, an initiative supported by CHANEL. The Arch is presented in support by Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of San Francisco.
Bad Blood
Director: Leos Carax, Producer: Alain Dahan
(France 1986, 105 min)
This noir-ish drama involving a robbery and a doomed love triangle earned director Leos Carax comparisons to David Lynch and Martin Scorsese when it screened at the 1987 Festival. Juliette Binoche stars.
Beau Travail
Director: Claire Denis, Producers: Patrick Grandperret, Eric Zaouali
(France 1999, 93 min)
Claire Denis, who attended the Festival with the film in 2000, presents her hypnotic adaptation of Herman Melville’s Billy Budd, transposing the tale to the French Foreign Legion of 1999 and exploring obsession, discipline, and desire.
Blue Heron
Director: Sophy Romvari, Producers: Ryan Bobkin, Sara Wylie, Sophy Romvari, Gábor Osváth
(Canada, Hungary 2025, 90 min)
Depicting a young girl whose family is contending with a challenging older sibling, this masterful debut weaves autobiographical and documentary elements to capture the sights and sounds of adolescence impeccably.
Cronos
Director: Guillermo del Toro, Producers: Arthur Gorson, Bertha Navarro
(Mexico 1993, 93 min)
Guillermo del Toro made his arresting debut with this vampire movie with a Latin-American twist that screened with the director in attendance at the 1994 Festival.
Elder Son
Director: Cecilia Kang, Producers: Juan Pablo Miller , Louise Bellicaud, Claire Charles-Gervais
(Argentina, France 2025, 118 min)
An Argentinian teenager and her Korean immigrant father navigate family, memory, and identity across three generations, as past and present collide in a beautifully photographed drama inspired by the filmmaker’s own family.
The Fall of Sir Douglas Weatherford
Director: Seán Robert Dunn,Producers: Scott Macaulay, Alex Polunin, Jennifer Monks
(UK, Scotland 2026, 103 min)
Peter Mullan stars as a widower and devoted local history guide whose orderly life unravels when a flamboyant fantasy TV production descends on his Scottish village, sparking chaos and upheaval.
Filipiñana
Director: Rafael Manuel, Producers: Jeremy Chua, Alex Polunin, Bianca Balbuena, Bradley Liew, Nadia
Turincev, Omar El Kadi, Rafael Manuel
(Singapore, UK, Philippines, France, Netherlands 2025, 100 min)
In this auspicious debut feature, a new hire arrives for work at a luxurious golf course on the outskirts of Manila, where she discovers something sinister hiding beneath its pristine surface.
The Fox King
Director: Woo Ming Jin, Producers: Yulia Evina Bhara, Woo Ming Jin, Edmund Yeo, Chua Jing Xuan
(Malaysia, Indonesia 2025, 94 min)
Malaysian filmmaker Woo Ming Jin returns to SFFILM with this fable-like story about twin brothers trying to make a life for themselves with scant resources as they reel from their mother’s death.
Ghost School
Director: Seemab Gul, Producer: Seemab Gul
(Pakistan, Germany, Saudi Arabia 2025, 88 min)
When her school in rural Pakistan shuts down, Rabia is told it’s the work of a spirit. Undeterred, she embarks on an adventure to investigate the tales the adults tell her.
If We Don’t Burn, How Do We Light Up the Night
Director: Kim Torres, Producer: Alejandra Vargas Carballo
(Costa Rica, Mexico, France 2025, 90 min)
In rural Costa Rica, Laura steps out of girlhood and into the world of adults. As she navigates teenage angst and messy emotions, a quiet and foreboding unease seeps into her life.
Inside Amir
Director: Amir Azizi, Producers: Amir Azizi, Ali Azizi, Elham Azizi
(Iran 2025, 104 min)
A young man hovers on the precipice of a major life change, biking through his beloved Tehran as he awaits a visa approval. This evocative tale explores the uncertainty of leaving home, even if departing means rejoining a cherished relationship.
It Would Be Night in Caracas
Directors: Mariana Rondón, Marité Ugás, Producers: Stacy Perksie, Edgar Ramirez, Stephanie Correa, Jill
Littman(Mexico, Venezuela 2025, 97 min)
The lawlessness afoot in Venezuela’s capital city is vibrantly captured in this gripping adaptation of Karina
Sainz Borgo’s novel from the filmmaking team behind Bad Hair (Festival 2014).
Lost Land
Director: Akio Fujimoto, Producer: Kazutaka Watanabe
(Japan, France, Malaysia 2026, 99 min)
Nine-year-old Somira and her younger brother Shafi are the focus of this moving drama that follows the Rohingya siblings as they journey from a refugee camp in Bangladesh to join relatives in Malaysia.
Memory of Princess Mumbi
Director: Damien Hauser , Producers: Damien Hauser , Kaleem Aftab, Shandra Apondi
(Kenya, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia 2025, 79 min)
In this futuristic sci-fi mockumentary, a filmmaker repurposes footage shot in the African nation of Umata as a love letter to the life of Princess Mumbi.
Milk Teeth
Director: Mihai Mincan, Producers: Radu Stancu, Ioana Lascăr , Cyriac Auriol, Monica Hellström, Kostantinos Vassilaros, Poli Angelova, Nikolay Todorov
(Romania 2025, 104 min)
With deftly nuanced performances and atmospheric cinematography, this riveting drama unfolds as a story of innocence lost when young Maria’s sister goes missing without a trace.
Renoir
Director: Chie Hayakawa, Producers: Eiko Mizuno Gray, Jason Gray, Fran Borgia, Christophe Bruncher,
Keisuke Konishi
(Japan, France, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Qatar , USA 2025, 118 min)
In 1987 suburban Tokyo, an 11-year-old girl’s irrepressible imagination transforms everyday life into a vivid, inventive, and deeply moving adventure.
Risa and The Wind Phone
Director: Juan Cabral, Producer: Flora Fernández Marengo
(Argentina 2025, 94 min)
In a small town where the dead call from an abandoned phone booth, a young girl discovers she alone can hear them, setting off a whimsical quest to help spirits—and find her father.
Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Rose of Nevada
Director: Mark Jenkin, Producer: Denzil Monk
(UK 2025, 114 min)
Two Cornish villagers crew on a fishing boat that was previously lost at sea and return to a world both familiar and utterly changed in this eerie, enigmatic drama. Callum Turner and George MacKay star.
A Sad and Beautiful World
Director: Cyril Aris, Producers: Georges Schoucair , Jennifer Goyne Blake, April Shih, Georg Neubert, Jasper
Wiedhöft
(Lebanon, USA, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar 2025, 110 min)
Ambitious and emotionally potent, this dynamic drama explores one couple’s romantic travails with three tumultuous decades of Lebanese history as the backdrop.
Salvation
Director: Emin Alper , Producers: Nadir Öperli, Ersan Çongar, Laurent Lavolé, Miléna Poylo, Gilles Sacuto, Stienette Bosklopper , Maarten Swart, Yorgos Tsourgiannis, İrem Akbal
(Turkey, France, Netherlands, Greece, Sweden, Saudi Arabia 2026, 120 min)
Winner of the Berlinale’s Silver Bear , Emin Alper’s tense, visually striking drama explores the explosive consequences when territorial rivalries ignite in a remote Turkish mountain village.
Silent Friend
Director: Ildikó Enyedi, Producers: Reinhard Brundig, Monika Mécs, Nicolas Elghozi, Morgane Olivier, Meng Xie
(Germany, Hungary, France 2025, 147 min)
An ancient ginkgo tree enchants longing souls across more than a century in this spellbinding cinematic triptych starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Léa Seydoux.
The Son and the Sea
Director: Stroma Cairns, Producers: Imogen West, Kelly Peck
(UK 2025, 102 min)
A restless young man leaves London for the Scottish coast in search of purpose. Along the way, unexpected friendships force him to confront who he is—and who he might become.
Space Cadet
Director: Kid Koala, Producer: Ginette Petit
(Canada 2025, 86 min)
A young astronaut embarks on her first mission, leaving her caretaker robot behind in this music-driven, animated adventure that spans the universe.
A crafting hour for families with guest Lillian Chan following the screening and Q&A. Recommended for ages 7 and up.
Those Who Whistle After Dark
Director: Pınar Yorgancıoğlu, Producers: Bekir Yusuf Aciksoz, Dilde Mahalli, Furkan Besli, Pınar
Yorgancıoğlu, Zeynep Ekmekci, Vanya Rainova, Victoria Mitreva, Sandra Müller , Michael Eckelt, Kanat
Doğramacı
(Turkey, Bulgaria, Germany 2025, 108 min)
Retired Melih drifts through life as his wife and daughter pursue risky professional schemes. When ghostly figures appear , domestic absurdity spirals in this offbeat, comic, and charming portrait of family life.
Two Pianos
Director: Arnaud Desplechin, Producer: Pascal Caucheteux
(France 2025, 115 min)
Arnaud Desplechin’s high-pitched drama follows a tempestuous pianist reconnecting with his mentor Elena (Charlotte Rampling, at her diva best) for one final duet before her retirement.
Ungrateful Beings
Director: Olmo Omerzu, Producer: Jiří Konečný
(Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, France 2025, 110 min)
What begins as a summer crush evolves into a snowballing disaster in this darkly comedic family drama that sees a recently separated father desperately try to reconnect with his kids.
Vagabond
Director: Agnès Varda, Producer: Oury Milshtein
(France 1985, 105 min)
Agnès Varda’s Golden Lion winner starring Sandrine Bonnaire as a young drop-out roaming a wintery South of France returns to the Festival for the first time since 1986.
The Wages of Fear
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot, Producer: Raymond Borderie, Henri-Georges Clouzot
(France 1953, 152 min)
Four men risk their lives driving rickety trucks loaded with nitroglycerine in Henri-Georges Clouzot’s classic thriller that last played the Festival in 1978 as part of a tribute to star Yves Montand.
The World of Love
Director: Yoon Ga-eun, Producers: Kim Se-hun, Jenna Ku
(South Korea 2025, 119 min)
Boisterous and unshakable, a young girl’s harmonious world unravels after a public clash and anonymous letters force her to confront long-buried truths, testing her sense of self and resilience.
Documentaries: USA
American Doctor
Director: Poh Si T eng, Producers: Poh Si T eng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad
(USA, Palestine, Malaysia, Qatar , Denmark 2026, 93 min)
Three U.S. doctors—Palestinian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian—strive to alleviate suffering in Gaza as war devastates its hospitals, confronting impossible choices, human suffering, and moral peril.
Cookie Queens
Director: Alysa Nahmias, Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw, Alysa Nahmias, Jennifer Sims (USA
2026, 91 min)
Four young Girl Scouts race to sell as many cookies as possible over the course of a season in this charming and warm-hearted crowd pleaser.
Recommended for film for ages 7 and up.
Figaro Up, Figaro Down
Director: Javid Soriano, Producers: Javid Soriano, Rob Richert
(USA 2026, 75 min)Tim Blevins trained at Juilliard, enthralling opera fans with his baritone before losing it all to addiction and landing on the streets of San Francisco. But then he pulled off a stunning comeback.
First They Came for My College
Director: Patrick Bresnan, Producers: Holly Herrick, Patrick Bresnan
(USA 2026, 105 min)
As the threat of a conservative curriculum takeover looms over Florida’s New College, a group of students and their professor come together to resist and push back.
Give Me the Ball!
Directors: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Producers: Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Dominic Crossley-Holland,
Dan Cogan, Chris James, Gentry Kirby
(USA 2026, 102 min)
Through rare archival footage and candid interviews in this vivid and electrifying documentary, Billie Jean
King recalls the victories, struggles, and sacrifices behind her trailblazing career.
How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps
Director: Carolina González Valencia, Producers: Brenda Ávila-Hanna, Olga Segura-Gall
(USA, Colombia, Mexico 2026, 80 min)
Filmmaker Carolina González Valencia and her immigrant mother celebrate generational joy in a striking directorial debut that brings a dose of magic and a sense of honor to domestic labor .
Joybubbles
Director: Rachael Morrison, Producers: Sarah Winshall, Will Butler , Annie Marr
(USA 2026, 79 min)
Born blind and longing for connection, Joe Engressia—later known as Joybubbles—discovers he can hack the analog telephone network with whistles, transforming curiosity into connection and sparking the phone-phreak movement. Presented with open audio description and open captions.
Nuisance Bear
Directors: Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman, Producers: Michael Code, Teddy Leifer , Will N. Miller
(USA, Canada, UK 2025, 90 min)
A yearling polar bear embodies his species in this immersive, poetic Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner, revealing the tense, fraught balance between humans and nature’s apex predator.
The Oldest Person in the World + Paper Trail
Director: Sam Green, Producers: Alison Byrne Fields, Josh Penn
(USA 2025, 87 min)
Director Sam Green makes his triumphant return to SFFILM with a deeply personal, lovingly crafted film documenting the world’s oldest people, as recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.
This film will be preceded by the short film Paper Trail, directed by Don Hertzfeldt (USA 2026, 14 min).
Time and Water
Director: Sara Dosa, Producers: Shane Boris, Elijah Stevens, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa
(USA, Iceland 2026, 90 min)
Writer Andri Snær Magnason reckons with the death of Okjökull, the first glacier lost to climate change, as Sara Dosa’s striking documentary blends vanishing ice, family memory, and urgent witness.
Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird)
Directors: Anna Fitch, Banker White, Producers: Sara Dosa, Hannah Roodman, Anna Fitch, Banker White
(USA 2026, 78 min)
Through beautifully constructed miniature sets and puppets, directors Anna Fitch and Banker White craft an elegy to the life and times of Anna’s beloved friend, Yo.
Documentaries: International
Amílcar
Director: Miguel Eek, Producers: Marie Dumoulin, Luis Correia , Mario Adamson, Natacha Ceuninck
(France, Portugal 2025, 87 min)
The life of Amílcar Cabral, revolutionary leader of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, unfolds in this essayistic documentary, weaving letters, photographs, music, and archival footage into a vivid, striking portrait of a singular political voice.
Black Is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story
Director: Yemi Bamiro, Producers: Joanna Boateng, Lizzie Gillett, Ian Bonhôte, Andrew Calof
(USA, UK 2025, 98 min)
Yemi Bamiro’s enthralling documentary celebrates photographer and activist Kwame Brathwaite, whose monumental work chronicled the joy, beauty, and glory of Black lives and experiences.
A Child of My Own
Director: Maite Alberdi, Producers: Sandra Godínez, Carla González Vargas, Maximiliano Sanguine
(Mexico 2026, 90 min)
Director Maite Alberdi employs reenactments to tell the fascinating story of a woman who fabricates a pregnancy to fulfill her dream of motherhood, triggering a months-long charade that is gripping and morally fraught.
Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles
Director: Otilia Portillo Padua, Producers: Paula Arroio, Elena Fortes, Otilia Portillo
(Mexico 2026, 87 min)
The mushrooms speak in this inventive sci-fi documentary that follows indigenous female mycologists as they document and preserve the intricate bonds between humans and fungi.
Enough Is Enough
Director: Elisé Sawasawa, Producers: Marianne Dumoulin, Jacques Bidou, Christian Bitwaiki
(Democratic Republic of the Congo, France 2025, 65 min)Displaced Congolese filmmaker Elisé Sawasawa chronicles life amid the Kivu War , capturing shocking attacks, refugee struggles, and frontline chaos in a fearless, urgent, and unflinching documentary about resilience.
Hair, Paper, Water…
Directors: Nicolas Graux, Trương Minh Quý, Producers: Julie Freres, Thomas Hakim, Julien Graff
(Belgium, France, Vietnam 2025, 71 min)
A woman regales her grandchildren with her wisdom and stories, a gift of language with which they can navigate life.
Jaripeo + Born at Night
Directors: Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig, Producer: Sarah Strunin
(Mexico, USA, France 2026, 71 min)
Questions of masculinity, sexuality, and belonging swirl in this vivid documentary that explores Michoacán’s signature “jaripeos,” rural rodeos that also serve as a somewhat secret space for queer cowboys.
This film will be preceded by the short film Born at Night, directed by Alba Cros Pellisè (Spain 2025, 18).
One in a Million
Directors: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes, Producers: Itab Azzam, Jack MacInnes, Andrew Palmer , James
(UK 2026, 102 min)
Change unfolds swiftly and powerfully in this intimate, decade-spanning portrait of Syrian refugee Israa and her family as they navigate life across multiple countries.
The Queen and the Smokehouse
Director: Iga Lis, Producers: Jerzy Kapuscinski, Magdalena Tomanek
(Poland 2025, 65 min)
The queen of the Polish town of Łeba does not wear a crown or sit on a throne. Instead, her kingdom is a
smokehouse from which she feeds mackerel and cod to thousands.
To Hold a Mountain
Directors: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Producers: Biljana Tutorov, Petar Glomazić, Quentin Laurent, Rok Biček
(Serbia, France, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia 2026, 105 min)
Armed with lessons learned from a painful past, women put up a quiet but resilient fight to preserve the dignity of their lives and home in the breathtaking Montenegrin highlands.
Mid-Length Programs
The Baddest Speechwriter of All + La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave) + Scenes
from the Divide
Total Runtime: 84 min
A trio of documentaries survey the American political landscape, both past and present. Featuring MLK Jr .
speechwriter Clarence B. Jones (in Stephen Curry’s directorial debut); Rising voice Nezza, who sings ananthem of hope at an LA Dodger game; and the supporters and opponents of Zohran Mamdani within NYC’s Jewish community.
Scenes from the Divide
Director: Alison Klayman, Producer: Arielle Angel, Daniel May, Alison Klayman, Courtney Powell
(USA 2026, 32 min)
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for New York City mayor exposes divisions within the city’s Jewish communities, reflecting broader national debates on Palestine.
The Baddest Speechwriter of All
Directors: Ben Proudfoot, Stephen Curry, Producers: Ben Proudfoot, Rachel Greenwald, Erick Peyton, Stephen Curry
(USA 2026, 29 min)
Stephen Curry’s directorial debut, co-directed with SFFILM alumni Ben Proudfoot, follows Clarence B. Jones, Martin Luther King Jr.’s speechwriter , blending storytelling and playful animated sequences to celebrate his life and impact.
La Tierra del Valor (The Home of the Brave)
Director: Cristina Costantini, Producers: Eugen Bräunig, Joanna Bräunig, Cristina Costantini, Alfie Koetter
(USA 2026, 23 min)
Nezza (Vanessa Hernandez) defies orders at a Dodgers game, singing the US national anthem in Spanish, honoring the 1945 “El Pendón Estrellado,” and inspiring hope in her community.
Still Playing + The Curfew + Nava
Total Runtime: 72 min
Three protagonists and their quietly courageous gestures of resilience weave together a cinematic journey across the world. Documenting a father’s struggle in Palestine, a woman’s fateful return to Iran, and the quotidian experiences of Pakistani diaspora, this trio of films raises essential questions about proximity to cruelty, colonialism’s lasting impacts, and what it means to show love and devotion under harrowing circumstances.
Still Playing
Directors: Mohamed Mesbah, Producer: Yannick Beauquis, Quentin Brayer
(France 2025, 37 min)
Palestinian video game creator Rasheed Abueideh raises two sons in the West Bank, where Israeli army raids are as common as his children’s robotics competitions.
The Curfew
Director: Shehrezad Maher , Producers: Lindsay Blair Goeldner , Meetra Javed
(USA 2025, 19 min)
As Pakistani American Ayaan moves into a new apartment and becomes the caretaker for his grandmother, he hears intergenerational echoes of language and history.
Nava
Director: Dena Rassam, Producers: Hadi Babaeifar , Mehrnaz Davanipour
(Iran 2025, 25 min)
Iranian singer Nava has 24 hours to spend with her father before she must leave the country.
Shorts Programs
Shorts 1: Human Flow
Total Runtime: 84 min
Traverse cityscapes, valleys, highways, and borders through films by an international ensemble of storytellers. Conversations between people and land are as alive as human dialogue in these earnest portrayals of gathering and return. Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
Drifting, South, Di Zhang (China, Canada 2025, 19 min)
highways take me anywhere I want, María Luisa Santos (USA, Costa Rica 2026, 8 min)
In the Morning Sun, Serville Poblete (Canada, Philippines 2025, 21 min)
La Petite Reine Blanche, Théo Hanosset, Mathieu Georis (Belgium, France 2026, 15 min)
Tamashi, Jess X. Snow, Ashima Shiraishi (USA, France 2026, 13 min)
Villa 187, Eiman Mirghani (Sudan, Qatar 2025, 8 min)
Shorts 2: Under Pressure
Total Runtime: 90 min
Across cultures, five women confront the forces pressing in on their lives, tracing the moments when endurance gives way to reckoning and reclaiming one’s voice becomes both risk and necessity.
Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
Because Today Is Saturday, Alice Eça Guimarães (Portugal, France, Spain 2025, 12 min)
Buried Under Years of Dust, Sophie Sartain (USA 2026, 30 min)
Dark Skin Bruises Differently, Susan Wokoma (UK 2025, 11 min)
Dua Ji, YuHan T sai (T aiwan, USA 2025, 18 min)
A South Facing Window, Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (France, Mongolia 2025, 19 min)
Shorts 3: Shapes of Love
Total Runtime: 95 min
In stories of queer love, intergenerational love, self-love, and love across borders, filmmakers deftly mediate between intimacy and universality. From before greetings to after goodbyes, these films trace love’s ever-evolving shapes. Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
Betty St. Clair, Syra McCarthy, Kyle Casey Chu (USA 2025, 12 min)
Buckskin, Mars Verrone (USA 2026, 17 min)
Can I Put You On Hold, James Cutler (USA 2025, 11 min)
Living with a Visionary, Stephen P . Neary (USA 2026, 15 min)
Long Live Livia, Zach Dorn (USA, South Korea 2025, 16 min)
Rehearsal for an Encounter, Dahee Kim (USA 2025, 5 min)
Una Notte, Rob Harris (UK 2025, 19 min)
Shorts 4: Shapes of Menace
Total Runtime: 89 min
Six sinister stories shine a piercing spotlight on every shade of menace, originating from the darkest depths of our psyches and leading to new heights of depravity. Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
Callback, Matthew Puccini (USA 2026, 16 min)
Corpus Christi, Bea Lema (Spain 2025, 12 min)
The Fall, Maxime T evissen, T om Alcamo, Hugo Hannache, Dylan Cam, Alexandre Velves, Titouan
Kervajan, Yaëlle Alberti (France 2025, 7 min)
The Veil, Gabriel Motta (Brazil 2025, 20 min)
Vultures, Dian Weys (France, South Africa 2025, 15 min)
A Year of Marriage, Pablo Camargo López (Mexico 2025, 19 min)
Shorts 5: Family Films
Total Runtime: 64 min
From intergalactic cardboard adventures to magical whales, stubborn staircases, and unexpected animal mishaps, this delightful collection of short films celebrates imagination, resilience, and the connections that bring us together.
Recommended for ages 5 and up. Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play. Total runtime 58 min.
The Apricot, Alex Z. Avila (USA, Mexico 2025, 9 min)
Cardboard, J.P . Vine (UK 2025, 8 min)
Duet, Léo Brunel (France 2025, 1)
First Winter, Schantelle Alonzo (USA 2025, 5 min)
Little Things, Noam Rignault Clement (France, Spain, USA 2026, 6 min)
A Pain in the Butt, Elena Walf (Germany, Croatia 2025, 5 min)
Swim Sistas, Catherine Joy White (UK 2025, 11 min)
THEY, Renée Zellweger (UK 2025, 8 min)
Whale 52 – Suite For Man, Boy, And Whale, Daniel Neiden (USA 2025, 11 min)
Shorts 6: Youth Works
Total Runtime: 74 min
Young filmmakers from across the globe showcase their daring creativity and craft in this collection of films that address the complexity of growing up and the innocence of youth.
Recommended for ages 11 and up. Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play. Total runtime 74 min.
Cindy Undead, Mariella Gutiérrez (USA 2025, 3 min)
Dandelion Child, Isabella Montesi (USA 2025, 6 min)
Fishbowl, Hana T aylor (USA 2025, 8 min)
Little Things, Noam Rignault Clement (France, Spain, USA 2026, 6 min)
Out of the Blue, Vivian Nguyen (USA 2026, 3 min)
Paper Boat, Y eobin Park (South Korea 2025, 10 min)
Rewinded, Aaliyah Idrissa (USA 2025, 7 min)
Rising Above the Ashes, Cade Savage Schwartz (USA 2025, 15 min)
Sonder, Lancey Quan (USA 2025, 9 min)
Tropical Fish, Shirley Xie (China 2025, 7 min)
Sound and Cinema Showcase
Total Runtime: 90 min
The second annual Sound and Cinema Showcase celebrates our partnership with the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, our filmmaking fellows, and student composers. After the films screen, there will be a Q&A with the participants. Films are in alphabetical order rather than order of play.
Breathing Room, Elivia Shaw (USA, 18 min)
The Darkest Night, Andrés Gallegos (Chile, 22 min)
Perm and Circumstance, Maria Victoria Ponce (USA, 12 min)
Talks & Workshops
Teen Filmmaking Workshop: Collaboration & Creativity
Join director duo and multi-disciplinary artists Jess X. Snow and Ashima Shiraishi, for a filmmaking workshop for teens focused on collaboration and creativity through multiple mediums. This workshop will delve into the process behind their narrative shorts as well as their latest collaborative experimental documentary, Tamashi (part of the Festival’s Shorts 1: Human Flow program), co-directed with artist and world record-breaking rock climber Ashima Shiraishi. Students will have the chance to ask the director about their career and advice for getting started in independent filmmaking. Students are encouraged to bring a story that is important to them as well as a notebook. This workshop runs for two hours and is open to students ages 13– 18; space is limited. This workshop is for students only; parents and guardians may drop off their students.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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