SF360

Deadlines

Festival: Hot Docs
Jan 13, 2012
Hot Docs – Canadian International Documentary Festival (April 26–May 6, 2012) is a competitive event seeking Canadian and international documentaries of all lengths (feature length: 60 min. or longer; mid-length: 30 to 59 min.; short: under 30 min.) and subject matter. ELIGIBILITY: Submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2011; cannot have been screened publicly prior to January 1, 2011; must be Toronto premieres; must be in English, subtitled in English; must be exhibited in one of the following screening formats: 35mm film, DigiBeta (NTSC or PAL) and HDCAM. Entry fees: $33.90 CDN for short films; $67.80 CDN (before December 2, 2011) or $118.65 CDN (before January 13, 2012) for mid and feature length films. AWARDS: Hot Docs features two juried competition programs and several noncompetitive programs. DEADLINE: December 2, 2011 (early); January 13, 2012 (late). WEBSITE: hotdocs.ca/.
Home

Essential SF: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Michael Fox
Nov 3, 2011
With riveting characters, cascading revelations and momentous breakthroughs, Epstein and Friedman’s work paved the way for contemporary documentary practice.
In Depth

Essential SF: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Michael Fox
Nov 3, 2011
With riveting characters, cascading revelations and momentous breakthroughs, Epstein and Friedman’s work paved the way for contemporary documentary practice.
November 3, 2011

Essential SF: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
Michael Fox
Nov 3, 2011
With riveting characters, cascading revelations and momentous breakthroughs, Epstein and Friedman’s work paved the way for contemporary documentary practice.
Home

Essential SF: Karen Larsen
Michael Fox
Oct 31, 2011
Universally warm sentiment is attached to the Bay Area's hardest working indie/art film publicist.
In Depth

Essential SF: Karen Larsen
Michael Fox
Oct 31, 2011
Universally warm sentiment is attached to the Bay Area's hardest working indie/art film publicist.
November 3, 2011

Essential SF: Karen Larsen
Michael Fox
Oct 31, 2011
Universally warm sentiment is attached to the Bay Area's hardest working indie/art film publicist.
Home

Unbound by Genre, Taiwan's Films Travel Unique Paths
Adam Hartzell
Oct 13, 2011
Expectations defied in Taiwan Film Days. It could be argued that Taiwanese cinema, best known through the work of three auteurs, Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, is not tied to audience-generating genres. It’s certainly been able to travel more diverse cinematic avenues than some of its neighbors. San Francisco Film Society's Taiwan Film Days running from October 14–16, however, offers evidence for any number of arguments you’d like to make about Asian cinema and Taiwan in particular. On the docket this year are ...
Deadlines

Funding: TFI Documentary Fund
Oct 10, 2011
The TFI Documentary Fund provides grants and guidance to exceptional filmmakers developing engaging feature-length documentaries which emphasize character and that allow audiences to consider history, culture and society through the experiences of extraordinary individuals. ELIGIBILITY: Submissions must be non-fiction motion pictures with an intended length of at least 70 minutes and should creatively document unique character(s); submissions can be in the advanced stages of development, production or post-production and must not have aired on any form. Foreign language documentaries are eligible, but must be subtitled and suitable for an American audience. Applicants must be over 18-years old. $25 entry fee. AWARDS: Grants of at least $10,000 will be awarded in 2012. DEADLINE: October 10, 2011. WEBSITE: tribecafilminstitute.org/tfi_documentary/.
Home

Goldmacher IDs Perps Behind Financial Crisis
Michael Fox
Oct 3, 2011
An East Bay filmmaker takes another look at U.S. financial woes with 'Heist,' which world premieres at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
October 6, 2011

Goldmacher IDs Perps Behind Financial Crisis
Michael Fox
Oct 3, 2011
An East Bay filmmaker takes another look at U.S. financial woes with 'Heist,' which world premieres at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Q & A

Goldmacher IDs Perps Behind Financial Crisis
Michael Fox
Oct 3, 2011
An East Bay filmmaker takes another look at U.S. financial woes with 'Heist,' which world premieres at the Mill Valley Film Festival.
Home

Identifying Your Documentary’s Signature Style
Karen Everett
Sep 20, 2011
Developing a style that sets your film apart is key to capturing audience attention in nonfiction.
september 22 2011

Identifying Your Documentary’s Signature Style
Karen Everett
Sep 20, 2011
Developing a style that sets your film apart is key to capturing audience attention in nonfiction.
Story Structure

Identifying Your Documentary’s Signature Style
Karen Everett
Sep 20, 2011
Developing a style that sets your film apart is key to capturing audience attention in nonfiction.
Deadlines

Funding: The Roy W. Dean LA August Grant
Aug 30, 2011
The Roy W. Dean Film and Writing Grants fund shorts, documentaries and low budget independent features. ELIGIBILITY: New film and video projects (including works-in-progress) that are unique and benefit the society. Student filmmakers, independent producers or independent production companies are all welcome. AWARDS: Winner gets a variety of awards including scholarships and cash prizes for different production fields. DEADLINE: August 30, 2011. WEBSITE: fromtheheartproductions.com/grant-lavideo.shtml.
August 11, 2011

'Between Two Worlds' Places Politics of Speech in Spotlight
B. Ruby Rich
Aug 5, 2011
Filmmakers take personal approach to Jewish cultural debates.
Home

'Between Two Worlds' Places Politics of Speech in Spotlight
B. Ruby Rich
Aug 5, 2011
Filmmakers take personal approach to Jewish cultural debates.
In Depth

'Between Two Worlds' Places Politics of Speech in Spotlight
B. Ruby Rich
Aug 5, 2011
Filmmakers take personal approach to Jewish cultural debates.
Home

Essential SF: ‘Freedom On My Mind,’ ‘The Good War’
Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2011
The best of the Bay Area's historical docs transform our understanding of previous eras, and, consequently, our own.
In Depth

Essential SF: ‘Freedom On My Mind,’ ‘The Good War’
Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2011
The best of the Bay Area's historical docs transform our understanding of previous eras, and, consequently, our own.
July 28, 2011

Essential SF: ‘Freedom On My Mind,’ ‘The Good War’
Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2011
The best of the Bay Area's historical docs transform our understanding of previous eras, and, consequently, our own.
Home

Notes on Leveraging the Big Bash Climax
Karen Everett
Jul 27, 2011
The planned "reversal" gives documentary filmmakers a means to build drama from otherwise anti-climactic moments.
July 28, 2011

Notes on Leveraging the Big Bash Climax
Karen Everett
Jul 27, 2011
The planned "reversal" gives documentary filmmakers a means to build drama from otherwise anti-climactic moments.
Story Structure

Notes on Leveraging the Big Bash Climax
Karen Everett
Jul 27, 2011
The planned "reversal" gives documentary filmmakers a means to build drama from otherwise anti-climactic moments.
Home

Essential SF: 'Holy Ghost People,' 'Samsara'
Michael Fox
Jul 13, 2011
SF filmmakers Peter Adair and Ellen Bruno created classics on religious intensity.
In Depth

Essential SF: 'Holy Ghost People,' 'Samsara'
Michael Fox
Jul 13, 2011
SF filmmakers Peter Adair and Ellen Bruno created classics on religious intensity.
July 14, 2011

Essential SF: 'Holy Ghost People,' 'Samsara'
Michael Fox
Jul 13, 2011
SF filmmakers Peter Adair and Ellen Bruno created classics on religious intensity.
Home

We Want Answers
Karen Everett
Jun 14, 2011
Asking the right questions is an art; a consultant speaks on how to conduct documentary interviews that will help structure your film.
June 16, 2011

We Want Answers
Karen Everett
Jun 14, 2011
Asking the right questions is an art; a consultant speaks on how to conduct documentary interviews that will help structure your film.
Story Structure

We Want Answers
Karen Everett
Jun 14, 2011
Asking the right questions is an art; a consultant speaks on how to conduct documentary interviews that will help structure your film.
Home

‘Kiss the Cook’ Sparks Weidlinger’s Appetite
Michael Fox
Jun 1, 2011
Tom Weidlinger creates a cooking show that offers surprises for the slow-foodie.
In Production

‘Kiss the Cook’ Sparks Weidlinger’s Appetite
Michael Fox
Jun 1, 2011
Tom Weidlinger creates a cooking show that offers surprises for the slow-foodie.
June 2, 2011

‘Kiss the Cook’ Sparks Weidlinger’s Appetite
Michael Fox
Jun 1, 2011
Tom Weidlinger creates a cooking show that offers surprises for the slow-foodie.
Home

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre
Karen Everett
May 17, 2011
Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.
May 19, 2011

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre
Karen Everett
May 17, 2011
Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.
Story Structure

New Approaches Embolden Doc Genre
Karen Everett
May 17, 2011
Nonfiction filmmakers are re-engaging audiences with an entrepreneurial spirit and a focus on creative narrative strategy.
Home

Devor Mulls Odd Journey of Sara Jane Moore
Michael Fox
May 11, 2011
'Zoo' director Robinson Devor uncovers the strange history behind the Gerald Ford assassination attempt in ’70s San Francisco.
In Production

Devor Mulls Odd Journey of Sara Jane Moore
Michael Fox
May 11, 2011
'Zoo' director Robinson Devor uncovers the strange history behind the Gerald Ford assassination attempt in ’70s San Francisco.
May 12, 2011

Devor Mulls Odd Journey of Sara Jane Moore
Michael Fox
May 11, 2011
'Zoo' director Robinson Devor uncovers the strange history behind the Gerald Ford assassination attempt in ’70s San Francisco.
News & Blogs

San Francisco Film Society Announces New $300,000 Documentary Film Fund
Apr 22, 2011
Press Release: The San Francisco Film Society announced the new SFFS Documentary Film Fund, which over the next three years will disburse a series of annual grants totaling $300,000 to support feature-length documentaries in postproduction. The SFFS Documentary Film Fund is created to support singular nonfiction film work that is distinguished by compelling stories, intriguing characters and an innovative visual approach. The first grant cycle application period opens June 17; the first winners will be announced September 30. More at sffs.org.
april 22 2011

SFIFF54 Finds Life Among the Ruins
Matt Sussman
Apr 21, 2011
As the San Francisco International Film Festival opens, key films consider the value of place.
Home

SFIFF54 Finds Life Among the Ruins
Matt Sussman
Apr 21, 2011
As the San Francisco International Film Festival opens, key films consider the value of place.
Reviews

SFIFF54 Finds Life Among the Ruins
Matt Sussman
Apr 21, 2011
As the San Francisco International Film Festival opens, key films consider the value of place.
april 22 2011

Looking for the Moral with Bill Nichols
Michael Fox
Apr 20, 2011
Social-justice filmmaking gets discussed in a Bill Nichols'-moderated salon during SFIFF.
Home

Looking for the Moral with Bill Nichols
Michael Fox
Apr 20, 2011
Social-justice filmmaking gets discussed in a Bill Nichols'-moderated salon during SFIFF.
In Production

Looking for the Moral with Bill Nichols
Michael Fox
Apr 20, 2011
Social-justice filmmaking gets discussed in a Bill Nichols'-moderated salon during SFIFF.
April 14, 2011

Film Globally, Screen Locally
Michael Fox
Apr 13, 2011
Local filmmakers reflect on the opportunities presented by screenings at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
Home

Film Globally, Screen Locally
Michael Fox
Apr 13, 2011
Local filmmakers reflect on the opportunities presented by screenings at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
In Production

Film Globally, Screen Locally
Michael Fox
Apr 13, 2011
Local filmmakers reflect on the opportunities presented by screenings at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
April 5, 2011

Fearless: Independent Chinese Documentaries
Apr 7, 2011
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hosts and dGenerate Films and Fandor present ‘Fearless: Independent Chinese Documentaries,’ which features six independent Chinese political docs; continuing this week with 'Tape' (April 7), 'Ghost Town' (April 10) and '1428' (pictured, April 14). More at ybca.org.
Home

Nonfiction's Future Lies in Optimism
Karen Everett
Mar 15, 2011
A new crop of filmmakers are building audiences by showing nonfiction doesn’t have to be depressing to reveal hard truths.
March 17, 2011

Nonfiction's Future Lies in Optimism
Karen Everett
Mar 15, 2011
A new crop of filmmakers are building audiences by showing nonfiction doesn’t have to be depressing to reveal hard truths.
Story Structure

Nonfiction's Future Lies in Optimism
Karen Everett
Mar 15, 2011
A new crop of filmmakers are building audiences by showing nonfiction doesn’t have to be depressing to reveal hard truths.
March 8, 2011

Film and Video Makers at Cal
Mar 10, 2011
Pacific Film Archive hosts ‘Film and Video Makers at Cal,’ which offers an array of short narratives, documentaries and music videos by UC Berkeley student filmmakers. More at bampfa.berkeley.edu.
News & Blogs

SFIFF54 Announces Documentaries in Golden Gate Awards, Films in New Directors Competition
Mar 4, 2011
Press release: The 54th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 21 - May 5) today announced its documentaries in competition for the Golden Gate Awards and films in competition for the New Directors Prize. The International will award close to $100,000 in total prizes this year. Sixty thousand dollars will be awarded to winners in three categories: investigative documentary feature ($25,000), documentary feature ($20,000) and Bay Area documentary feature ($15,000). The New Directors Prize of $15,000 is given to a narrative first feature that exhibits a unique artistic sensibility and deserves to be seen by as wide an audience as possible. Seventeen countries contributed to the production of the 11 films in this year's competition. Click through for titles or visit sffs.org.
Festivals

Hope Springs Eternal at Green Film Festival
Michael Fox
Mar 3, 2011
An environmental film festival with exceptional flair enters the San Francisco scene.
Home

Hope Springs Eternal at Green Film Festival
Michael Fox
Mar 3, 2011
An environmental film festival with exceptional flair enters the San Francisco scene.
March 3, 2011

Hope Springs Eternal at Green Film Festival
Michael Fox
Mar 3, 2011
An environmental film festival with exceptional flair enters the San Francisco scene.
News & Blogs

Ford Foundation: $50 Million Fund Launched for Next Generation of Documentary Filmmakers
Jan 19, 2011
Press release: "...The new initiative, called JustFilms, will invest $10 million a year over the next five years to support and expand the community of filmmakers and mediamakers around the world focused on creating documentaries with passion and purpose, but who often lack funding to realize their visions or reach audiences." More at fordfoundation.org.
January 11, 2010

German Gems Film Festival
Jan 14, 2011
Castro Theatre hosts the German Gems Film Festival, a three day event showcasing recent German features, shorts and documentaries. It begins on Friday with ‘Mahler On The Couch,' a feature directed by father and son team Percy and Felix Adlon, with an Opening Night after party following. More at castrotheatre.com.
December 9, 2010

Stanford's MFA Doc Program Teaches Cardinal Rules, and How to Break Them
Sara Dosa
Dec 9, 2010
A night with Stanford’s Doc Film MFAs offers insight into a storied program.
Home

Stanford's MFA Doc Program Teaches Cardinal Rules, and How to Break Them
Sara Dosa
Dec 9, 2010
A night with Stanford’s Doc Film MFAs offers insight into a storied program.
Reviews

Stanford's MFA Doc Program Teaches Cardinal Rules, and How to Break Them
Sara Dosa
Dec 9, 2010
A night with Stanford’s Doc Film MFAs offers insight into a storied program.
News & Blogs

Criterioncast: Oscar Documentary Shortlist with Trailers
Nov 30, 2010
Bay Area filmmaker Charles Ferguson's 'Inside Job' was among the 15 documentaries on the Academy Awards shortlist. Joshua Brunsting at Criterioncast offers the full roundup with trailers. More at criterioncast.com.
December 2, 2010

Malmberg Builds a Following with 'Marwencol'
Jessica Sapick
Nov 29, 2010
A first-team non-fiction feature filmmaker hits it big with miniatures story.
Home

Malmberg Builds a Following with 'Marwencol'
Jessica Sapick
Nov 29, 2010
A first-team non-fiction feature filmmaker hits it big with miniatures story.
Q & A

Malmberg Builds a Following with 'Marwencol'
Jessica Sapick
Nov 29, 2010
A first-team non-fiction feature filmmaker hits it big with miniatures story.
Home

'Client 9' Reclaims Spitzer
Dennis Harvey
Nov 18, 2010
'Client 9' makes the case that Wall Street, not women, brought Eliot Spitzer down. This month commenced with the most stellar edition yet of what's become America's favorite political pasttime, a game we call Out with the (Sorta) Old, In with the (Kinda) New. Payback was especially directed at the current administration's failure to get the economy back to booming. Yet as one of the year's biggest documentaries, Charles Ferguson's Inside Job, noted, conservative politicos and their allies were very much in on the policies that got our collective piggy bank broken and looted in the first place. Though it can certainly stand on its own merits, Client 9 (which opens at local theaters this...
November 18, 2010

'Client 9' Reclaims Spitzer
Dennis Harvey
Nov 18, 2010
'Client 9' makes the case that Wall Street, not women, brought Eliot Spitzer down. This month commenced with the most stellar edition yet of what's become America's favorite political pasttime, a game we call Out with the (Sorta) Old, In with the (Kinda) New. Payback was especially directed at the current administration's failure to get the economy back to booming. Yet as one of the year's biggest documentaries, Charles Ferguson's Inside Job, noted, conservative politicos and their allies were very much in on the policies that got our collective piggy bank broken and looted in the first place. Though it can certainly stand on its own merits, Client 9 (which opens at local theaters this...
Home

Essential SF: Les Blank
Michael Fox
Nov 6, 2010
Eat, dance, love: Les Blank brings nonfiction back to life in a long and storied career.
In Depth

Essential SF: Les Blank
Michael Fox
Nov 6, 2010
Eat, dance, love: Les Blank brings nonfiction back to life in a long and storied career.
November 11, 2010

Essential SF: Les Blank
Michael Fox
Nov 6, 2010
Eat, dance, love: Les Blank brings nonfiction back to life in a long and storied career.
November 3 2010

Essential SF: Les Blank
Michael Fox
Nov 6, 2010
Eat, dance, love: Les Blank brings nonfiction back to life in a long and storied career.
Home

Essential SF: 'Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,' 'Paulina,' 'First Person Plural'
Michael Fox
Oct 6, 2010
The Bay Area's best first-person documentaries take us through a lens, darkly.
In Depth

Essential SF: 'Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,' 'Paulina,' 'First Person Plural'
Michael Fox
Oct 6, 2010
The Bay Area's best first-person documentaries take us through a lens, darkly.
October 7, 2010

Essential SF: 'Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter,' 'Paulina,' 'First Person Plural'
Michael Fox
Oct 6, 2010
The Bay Area's best first-person documentaries take us through a lens, darkly.
Festivals

Mill Valley's 33rd Launches
Sura Wood
Oct 5, 2010
Mill Valley brings an eclectic collection of indies and world cinema to audiences.
Home

Mill Valley's 33rd Launches
Sura Wood
Oct 5, 2010
Mill Valley brings an eclectic collection of indies and world cinema to audiences.
October 7, 2010

Mill Valley's 33rd Launches
Sura Wood
Oct 5, 2010
Mill Valley brings an eclectic collection of indies and world cinema to audiences.
Home

Gardner's Global Views Unnerve at YBCA
Sara Dosa
Sep 26, 2010
Three decades of Robert Gardner films scrutinize the human condition.
Reviews

Gardner's Global Views Unnerve at YBCA
Sara Dosa
Sep 26, 2010
Three decades of Robert Gardner films scrutinize the human condition.
September 30, 2010

Gardner's Global Views Unnerve at YBCA
Sara Dosa
Sep 26, 2010
Three decades of Robert Gardner films scrutinize the human condition.
September 21, 2010

SF Irish Film Festival
Sep 23, 2010
The San Francisco Irish Film Festival offers Roxie audiences three days of contemporary Irish cinema, including features, documentaries and short films paired with free pints of Irish cider. Closing night film 'His & Hers' won the Cinematography Award at Sundance 2010.
September 7, 2010

9/11 Truth Film Festival
Sep 10, 2010
VIZ screens a collection of documentaries that offer a variety of views on the events of September 11, 2001. 'Press For Truth' on opening night will be followed by a Q&A with director Ray Nowosielski.
Festivals

Telluride Unveils 37th Film Festival
Gianmaria Franchini
Sep 3, 2010
Surprising themes and high profile documentaries are among the highlights of the Telluride 2010 lineup.
Home

Telluride Unveils 37th Film Festival
Gianmaria Franchini
Sep 3, 2010
Surprising themes and high profile documentaries are among the highlights of the Telluride 2010 lineup.
September 9 2010

Telluride Unveils 37th Film Festival
Gianmaria Franchini
Sep 3, 2010
Surprising themes and high profile documentaries are among the highlights of the Telluride 2010 lineup.
August 17, 2010

Junichi Suzuki's War Documentaries
Aug 17, 2010
'Live with Honor, Die with Dignity' and 'Toyo's Camera,' two films by Bay Area filmmaker Junichi Suzuki that look at the war at home and abroad for Japanese Americans during WWII, play three final days August 17-19 at Viz Cinema.
Home

Essential SF: 'Berkeley in the Sixties,' 'Brother Outsider,' 'Weather Underground'
Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2010
Three Bay Area documentaries correct the historical record.
In Depth

Essential SF: 'Berkeley in the Sixties,' 'Brother Outsider,' 'Weather Underground'
Michael Fox
Jul 28, 2010
Three Bay Area documentaries correct the historical record.
Home

Essential SF: 'Times of Harvey Milk,' 'Crumb,' 'Cockettes'
Michael Fox
Jul 23, 2010
Three films document essential chunks of San Francisco's tragic and mythic past, told in empathetic but non-hagiographic testimony.
In Depth

Essential SF: 'Times of Harvey Milk,' 'Crumb,' 'Cockettes'
Michael Fox
Jul 23, 2010
Three films document essential chunks of San Francisco's tragic and mythic past, told in empathetic but non-hagiographic testimony.
Festivals

Storylines of Silverdocs 2010
Sara Dosa
Jul 1, 2010
Storytelling took center stage at the U.S.'s pre-eminent documentary film festival, Silverdocs, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Home

Storylines of Silverdocs 2010
Sara Dosa
Jul 1, 2010
Storytelling took center stage at the U.S.'s pre-eminent documentary film festival, Silverdocs, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Festivals

Frameline34, a Festival Refreshed
Matt Sussman
Jun 25, 2010
Critical consensus on Frameline34 marks it a good year. The audience wanted something different, and the festival has largely obliged.
Q & A

On the Road with 'Joan,' Stern and Sundberg Talk Big Picture
Michael Fox
Jun 14, 2010
The makers of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work speak about their latest, as well as the state of documentary filmmaking.
In Production

Koppelman Maps International Cybercrime, Cuban Opera
Michael Fox
Jun 9, 2010
Charles Koppelman's documentary in progress, Zero Day, exposes each of three threats to the Internet: cybercrime, cyberespionage and cyberwarfare.
Story Structure

Thinking Like a Screenwriter for your Documentary
Karen Everett
May 31, 2010
Moving past genre distinctions may help some filmmakers find the best dramatic arc and the most powerful truths.
News & Blogs

Festivals from Cannes to Marfa, San Francisco Filmmakers Reporting
Emile Bokaer, Cynthia Mitchell
May 21, 2010
Bay Area filmmakers report back from film festivals far (Cannes) and wide (Marfa).
Q & A

Behind the Music with 'Simonal'
Julia Barbosa
May 3, 2010
The documentary Simonal: No One Knows How Tough it Was explores the polemic surrounding a man considered by many to be the greatest singer in Brazilian history.
Reviews

Unresolved Conflict in 'American Radical,' 'Promised Lands'
Dennis Harvey
Mar 25, 2010
YBCA s month-long, six-part Human Rights and Film series closes with two documentaries on the Arab-Israeli conflict made 35 years apart.
Digital

Sights and Sounds of South by Southwest
Hannah Eaves
Mar 24, 2010
Tens of thousands of artists, aficionados and businesspeople flock to Austin for a festival that is part online conference, part film festival, and more than part music.
Festivals

SF International Asian American Film Festival's Archival Tour
Adam Hartzell
Mar 19, 2010
A theme that emerged in this year s SFIAFF was the importance of archives in the film world.
In Production

Laotian Tourists Focus Murray's Camera
Michael Fox
Mar 2, 2010
When Laos revised its visa structure to allow visitors to stay for more than one week, Westerners with digital cameras surged over the border.
Reviews

Herzog's Unexpected 'My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done'
Dennis Harvey
Feb 19, 2010
With its comfortable suburban setting, flashback structure and mystery-suspense framework, My Son, My Son is, by Herzogian standards, almost mainstream-conventional. I said almost.
Story Structure

Best Length for Documentary Films
Karen Everett
Feb 9, 2010
How long should your documentary be? If your audience begins to glaze over or feel restless, you've lost the opportunity to leave them wanting more.
Festivals

SF Indiefest at Twelve
Matt Sussman
Feb 4, 2010
It s a strange time for independent film, with scaled-back specialty divisions and online self-distribution, but SF Indiefest remains a champion of the unsung and un-buzzable.
Festivals

Words from Sundance Staffers: Jon Ho
Hilary Hart
Jan 28, 2010
Hilary Hart, who annually holds down the late-night shift at the Egyptian at Sundance, offers interviews with fellow workers at the festival.
Documentary

Talking Heads to Storytellers
Fernanda Rossi
Jan 27, 2010
You might fare better in today's market with a character-driven story, the Doc Doctor advises.
In Production

Connie Field's Magnum Opus on Anti-Apartheid Movement
Michael Fox
Jan 12, 2010
By any measure, the long-awaited release of Have You Heard from Johannesburg? shapes up to be one of the major documentary events of 2010.
In Production

Nani Walker's 'Other Nature' At 15,000 Feet
Michael Fox
Jan 5, 2010
Nani Sahra Walker went to Nepal for seven months, and returned with a one-hour documentary. OK, a rough cut. No big deal? Enlightenment guaranteed, indeed.
Q & A

George Csicsery's Hard Problems
Michael Fox
Jan 4, 2010
With more than 25 documentaries to his credit, many on mathematicians and scientists, George Csicsery is arguably the most prolific filmmaker in the Bay Area.
In Production

Legal Eagle Eye Kristine Enea Zooms 'Off the Grid'
Michael Fox
Dec 8, 2009
Kristine Enea's documentary shows The EcoCenter, a San Francisco environmental educational facility that treats and recycles wastewater and generates its own solar power.
Reviews

New Social Issue Dramas from Rainin Grant-Winners
Michael Fox
Nov 24, 2009
The scoop on the projects of the inaugural class for the SFFS/Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking Grants, which support lively, intelligent social-issue narrative films.
Reviews

Daven Gee Docs on the New American Family
Michael Fox
Nov 17, 2009
Two films from Oakland filmmakers, Dhana & Indra and Family 2469, illuminate the changing face of the country as the 21st Century unfolds.
Reviews

On the Road Before 'The Recess Ends'
Michael Fox
Nov 10, 2009
Shot in depressed burgs and 'burbs across the country, this documentary looks at the U.S. at its lowest economic ebb in generations.
Q & A

Ellen Schneider's Active Voice
Michael Fox
Aug 31, 2009
Ellen Schneider speaks on the impact of social-issue documentaries and her San Francisco-based strategic communications company Active Voice.
Reviews

Kim Longinotto and Women Make Movies Film Festival
Adam Hartzell
Aug 27, 2009
A mini-retrospective of the work of Kim Longinotto plays during the Women Make Movies Film Festival at the Roxie.
Q & A

Weimberg/Ryan on Conflict and Conscience
Sura Wood
Jun 7, 2009
Berkeley-based filmmaking team Gary Weimberg and Catherine Ryan speak about social justice as a career and their film Soldiers of Conscience.
Documentary

When the Personal is Political
Fernanda Rossi
Jun 2, 2009
Ask the Documentary Doctor: Where does the filmmaker stop existing to give way to the reporter/activist/responsible citizen with camera in hand?
Festivals

SFIFF52: Jennifer Maytorena Taylor and a 'New Muslim Cool'
Sura Wood
Apr 6, 2009
Jennifer Maytorena Taylor's documentary, New Muslim Cool, focuses on Hamza Perez, a Catholic hip hop artist, who converted to Islam; whose life is now a crucible of disparate urban influences.
Documentary

Growing a Good Story, Naturally
Fernanda Rossi
Feb 6, 2009
Ask the Documentary Doctor: If my doc doesn't follow a fiction three-act model, will it fail in the market?
Reviews

'Full Battle Rattle' On the Endless War
Matt Sussman
Oct 16, 2008
Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss's film candidly explores 'the ground truth' of Iraq without setting foot in the country.
Q & A

Documenting the Lyme Epidemic
Michael Fox
Oct 9, 2008
Andy Abrahams Wilson talks about Under Our Skin, his elegantly crafted film on the underreported epidemic of Lyme disease.
In Production

Straight and Not So Narrow 'Crooked Beauty' In Production
Michael Fox
Oct 1, 2008
In 'Crooked Beauty,' mental health is re-imagined and redefined.
Reviews

'Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer'
Dennis Harvey
Sep 23, 2008
Whether you dig jazz or not, O'Day's charisma and story make this movie riveting.
Q & A

Stephen Olsson and Link TV
Michael Fox
Aug 17, 2008
SF360.org talks to the senior director of original programming at Link TV, which provides an antidote to the standard television news mix.
Reviews

"Shelter"
Dennis Harvey
Mar 24, 2008
Writer/director Jonah Markowitz's Shelter is a romantic gay surfer that more than earns its spurs in terms of real-world credibility and psychology.
Festivals

The San Francisco Irish Film Festival
Eve O'Neill
Mar 4, 2008
San Francisco Irish Film Festival begins this Wednesday at the Roxie with a slate of narratives and documentaries imbued with Ireland's particularly unique sense of time and place
Festivals

Berlin & Beyond at 13
Michael Fox
Jan 10, 2008
The Goethe-Institut's festival offers a pointed reminder that Germany, Austria and Switzerland aren't just in the center of Europe, but in the middle of international cinema.
Reviews

SFMOMA's Emile de Antonio Series
B. Ruby Rich
Jan 3, 2008
As this retrospective makes clear, de Antonio's documentaries are a different species entirely from the kind of celebrity-driven, headline chasing theatricals now in favor.
Reviews

Phil Chambliss, Arkansas Auteur
Dennis Harvey
Nov 15, 2007
Meet Phil Chambliss, a 54-year-old, recently retired gravel pit nightwatchman who makes what might be termed cinematic folk art.
Festivals

International Latino Film Festival and S.F. International Animation Festival
Robert Avila
Nov 8, 2007
In the wake of Mexican cinema's triumphant showing at the 2007 Oscars, these films serve to confirm how some of the biggest surprises can come from the shortest of distances.
Q & A

Aaron Woolf Seeding Doubt in "King Corn"
Jonathan Marlow
Oct 29, 2007
Woolf shares insights drawn from his disparate experiences as a filmmaker in Peru, a fisherman in Alaska, and a restauranteur in New York.
Festivals

The 11th Arab Film Festival
Robert Avila
Oct 18, 2007
The Arab Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is featuring not just 80 movies from 13 countries, but is also including screenings in LA, a first for a Bay Area-based fest.
Reviews

"In Search of Mozart"
Max Goldberg
Sep 25, 2007
"In Search of Mozart" is a comprehensive overview of the composer's generous genius and one of the finest examples of the PBS-style, talking heads-and-cutaways documentaries in recent memory.
Reviews

"Revolution Summer"
Michael Fox
Aug 30, 2007
Miles Matthew Montalbano's evocative and empathetic portrait of Bush-era dissatisfaction among the post-collegiate set.
Festivals

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Michael Fox
Jul 19, 2007
Savvy moviegoers outside the target demographic have learned to scout the niche fests' programs for films that premiered to raves at Berlin or Cannes.
Q & A

Video-Diary Pioneer Spencer Nakasako
Michael Fox
Mar 17, 2007
Spencer Nakasako gets the credit for starting the still-cresting wave of first-person camcorder documentaries back in 1995, but he claims it was largely an accident.
Q & A

51 Birch Street, Revisited
indieWIRE
Nov 6, 2006
Through a close examination of his own family, filmmaker Doug Block explores universal questions about our own mothers and fathers in 51 Birch Street.
Reviews

Stand Up, Be Counted: Grassroots Docs Warn of Electronic Voting
Jonny Leahan
Oct 27, 2006
With the midterm elections less than two weeks away, a crop of documentaries are collectively trying to get a message across that has largely been passed over by the mainstream media.
Q & A

Amy Berg's "Deliver Us From Evil"
indieWIRE
Oct 23, 2006
Segueing from network television news to documentary features, Amy Berg makes her debut with a shocking, powerful film about pedophile priest Oliver Grady.
Reviews

Peter Whitehead's '60s
Max Goldberg
Sep 14, 2006
The provocative documentary filmmaker is recalled with a retrospective at Yerba Buena Center For the Arts.
Festivals

Ariella Ben-Dov on View-Mastery and "Women's Work"
Susan Gerhard
Sep 11, 2006
The founder of the Madcat International Film Festival talks about the 2006 lineup.
Festivals

Arab Film Festival 2006
Robert Avila
Sep 7, 2006
Executive director Bashir Anastas discusses this year's lineup.
Q & A

Amos Gitai's Reality
Michael Fox
Aug 1, 2006
The veteran Israeli filmmaker, in town for the Jewish Film Festival, talks about radical art and Free Zone.
Q & A

New Executive Director of S.F. Cinematheque on Experimental Film
Michael Fox
May 29, 2006
Newly appointed S.F. Cinematheque executive director Caroline Savage discusses the state of experimental film.
Q & A

Terry Zwigoff, "Confidential" and Uncensored
Michael Fox
May 8, 2006
San Francisco filmmaker Terry Zwigoff, a former curmudgeon softened by success, discusses Art School Confidential.
Festivals

Picks for the San Francisco International Film Festival
Susan Gerhard
Mar 31, 2006
The List: B. Ruby Rich picks her favorites for the 2006 San Francisco International Film Festival.