The San Francisco International Film Festival presented by SFFILM is an essential stop on the circuit for emerging storytellers and established filmmakers alike. The 2024 edition will take place from April 25–May 5 in venues in San Francisco and around the Bay Area. The SFFILM Festival is the longest running film festival in the Americas, bringing films from around the world to discerning and warm Bay Area audiences since 1957. SFFILM is rooted in the culture of film appreciation by exploring film as an evolutionary art form, and as a transformative force for social change.
For over six decades, the San Francisco International Film Festival has hosted countless world premieres including Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It, Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense, Sydney Pollack’s Bobby Deerfield, Wayne Wang’s Center of the World, Abbas Kiarostami’s The Wind Will Carry Us, Helen Hunt’s Ride, and Stephan Eliot’s The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Past guests of the Festival include Akira Kurasawa, Greta Gerwig, Boots Riley, Michelle Yeoh, Bo Burnham, Charlize Theron, Savanah Leaf, Shah Rukh Khan, David Byrne, Wesley Morris, Sandra Oh, Christopher Nolan, Celine Song, Mary Harron, Steven Soderbergh, and many, many more.
The 2024 SFFILM Festival will take place from April 25–May 5, 2024 with both in-person and online events, parties, talks, and more. Screening schedules, venue footprint, and in-person event structure are all subject to some change based on the realities of producing a safe and accessible film festival at that time.
See all of our submissions requirements under RULES & TERMS below.
🎥 Opportunities for Filmmakers
Festival filmmakers have several incredible opportunities to connect with our SFFILM Makers and SFFILM Education programs during the 11-day event including a series of industry talks and pitch sessions to discuss future projects and funding resources as well as participate with Bay Area students and educators through student screenings, school visits, hands-on workshops, and more.
"Few festivals are more suited to their city than the SFFILM Festival. It’s clearly a festival programmed by those who love film for people who love film.” — Variety