Film screenings with discussion in San Francisco — 47 upcoming

Comparsa

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Oct 24 ·12:30 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

Filmmakers will be in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. A screening of Comparsa, a documentary following sisters Lesli and Lupe in Ciudad Peonia, Guatemala, who use art and performance to heal community trauma and confront violence against women after 41 girls are killed in a state-run facility. The film explores how they organize a youth movement featuring exuberant street performances, towering puppets, and fire-breathing stilt walkers to reclaim public space and challenge corruption. Built on a 15-year relationship between filmmakers and subjects, it is a portrait of sisterhood, peacebuilding, and art's transformational power.

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Film: SF Latino Film Festival: Community Voices

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Oct 24 ·3:10 pm ·New People Cinema ·San Francisco

Filmmakers will participate in a post-screening Q&A. A screening of eight short films from the SF Latino Film Festival's Community Voices program, featuring works by local filmmakers including James Hall, Alma Amancay Herrera-Pazmiño, Naomi Garcia Pasmanick, Noemi Ochoa, Xander R. Trejo, and Nicolas Jara. The program includes narratives ranging from cultural documentation and community art to speculative fiction, with runtimes from 4 to 15 minutes.

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One in a Million

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Oct 24 ·3:40 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

Post-screening Q&A with director Jack MacInnes and film subject Israa, moderated by Carrie Lozano. A screening of One in a Million, a ten-year documentary following Israa from age 11 as she and her family flee Syria across the Aegean Sea to Germany, navigating adolescence, identity, and belonging in exile. Co-directed by Itab Azzam and Jack MacInnes, the film chronicles war, displacement, and the tension between new freedoms and Syrian traditions.

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Steal This Story, Please! — Amy Goodman with Tia Lessin

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Oct 24 ·6:00 pm ·New People Cinema ·San Francisco

A screening of the documentary Steal This Story, Please! with journalist Amy Goodman and director Tia Lessin for a post-screening Q&A. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Carl Deal and Tia Lessin examine three decades of Amy Goodman's career as a trailblazing investigative journalist at Democracy Now!, covering global conflicts and stories silenced by commercial media. The film explores how Goodman navigates a news landscape reshaped by corporate consolidation and political assaults on truth, offering both a portrait of resistance and a meditation on democracy when the press surrenders to power.

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Film: SF Latino Film Festival: Libertad

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sun, Oct 25 ·1:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

Post-screening Q&A with the filmmaker. A screening of Libertad, a documentary about Alejandra, an Indigenous transgender woman from Oaxaca, Mexico who fled violence 30 years ago and now seeks reunion with her elderly mother while advocating for immigrant, LGBTQ+, and indigenous rights in California. The film explores family, identity, and the transnational challenges of survival and solidarity across borders. Part of the 18th annual SF Latino Film Festival at the Roxie Theater.

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Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sun, Oct 25 ·1:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

Introduction by directors Stephens and Sprinkle with Q&A moderated by Madison Young. A screening of Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency, a documentary by Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle about ecological grief, resilience, and transformation in the aftermath of California's wildfires. When lightning forces the longtime lovers to evacuate their Boulder Creek home, they channel loss into ecosexual art and environmental activism, weaving stories from formerly incarcerated firefighters, Indigenous scholars, fire artists, and community members. The film explores fire as destructive, regenerative, and erotic force while centering queer resilience amid climate crisis.

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Film: Young China and Panel

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Mon, Oct 26 ·2:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

A screening of Young China, a documentary retracing Sun Yat-sen's travels across six American cities through historic sites, archival materials, and interviews with descendants and community members. The film explores Sun Yat-sen's deep connections to the United States and the Chinese American communities who supported his revolutionary work over a century ago. Following the screening, a live panel with descendants, scholars, and community members invites reflection on immigration, identity, community involvement, and trans-Pacific history. Part of a special program marking the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's birth.

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Film: Santa Sangre, Screening and Discussion

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Tue, Oct 27 ·8:00 am ·San Francisco Public Library – North Beach ·San Francisco

A screening of Alejandro Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre (1989), followed by discussion with local photographer and film enthusiast Tommy Milutin. This haunting, dreamlike odyssey follows a traumatized circus performer navigating a surreal world shaped by his mother's influence, past violence, and distorted love—blending horror, spirituality, and psychological turmoil into a strikingly unconventional cinematic experience.

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PBS Film Preview: Lynn Novick’s 'Crime and Punishment in America'

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Tue, Oct 27 ·6:00 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A screening and conversation around Lynn Novick's forthcoming PBS documentary Crime and Punishment in America, executive produced by Ken Burns and Sam Pollard. Novick, an acclaimed filmmaker whose previous work includes documentaries on American history and institutions, will discuss how the United States became the world's leading incarcerator and explore the forces behind mass incarceration. Co-presented by Commonwealth Club World Affairs and KQED Live.

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Film: When ICE Melts

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Tue, Oct 27 ·6:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

A screening of When ICE Melts, a feature-length documentary about resistance to Operation Metro Surge and ICE enforcement in Minnesota's Twin Cities, with director Kip Hedges in person for a post-screening Q&A moderated by SFSU Faculty and CFA member Blanca Missé. The film follows organizers, community leaders, and working-class resistance across neighborhoods, workplaces, and unions, including footage of the January 23 mass strike. It examines strategic lessons in building democratic structures and solidarity to confront authoritarianism, designed as a resource for organizers and activists in other cities.

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Film: The Great Experiment

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Thu, Oct 29 ·6:00 pm ·New People Cinema ·San Francisco

Followed by a post-screening Q&A with co-director Eric Daniel Metzgar. A screening of The Great Experiment, an epic documentary in black and white filmed across the US from 2017 to 2021, examining American democracy and national identity through observational storytelling. Rather than debate left-right ideology, the film weaves together diverse American experiences to hold contradictions in frame and ask whether the democratic experiment can survive.

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Queer Home on Film: A Shorts Program

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Thu, Oct 29 ·6:00 pm ·GLBT Historical Society ·San Francisco

A screening of short films and archival footage exploring queer and trans domesticity and community space, presented in conjunction with the exhibition "Where We Made Room." The program opens with Jenni Olson's "575 Castro Street" (2008), a meditation on the Castro Camera Store and Harvey Milk's assassination-eve audio recordings, featuring his iconic message of hope and denunciation of anti-LGBTQ violence. Followed by a discussion between artist and curator Aleo Landeta and filmmaker Jenni Olson on queer spatial practice and their work.

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Premiere Screening: Bird of Four Hundred Voices with James Hall

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Thu, Oct 29 ·7:00 pm ·The Commons at KQED ·San Francisco ·$20

A screening of Bird of Four Hundred Voices, a documentary about Eugene Rodríguez and Los Cenzontles, the Bay Area organization that has preserved Mexican and Mexican American cultural traditions through music, dance, and storytelling for over 35 years. Directed by Bay Area filmmaker James Hall, the film features decades of archival footage, intimate interviews, and performances, with appearances by Linda Ronstadt, Los Lobos, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder, and others. The screening begins with a live performance by Los Cenzontles, followed by a conversation with Hall and special guests on cultural preservation, intergenerational storytelling, and the arts as community catalyst.

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Noche De Movies presents Wolven

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Thu, Oct 29 ·7:00 pm ·Medicine for Nightmares ·San Francisco

A screening of Wolven (1978), Michael Wadleigh's horror classic starring Albert Finney and Diane Venora, about a New York City detective investigating a series of gruesome deaths that may be connected to a mythical wolf-like creature. Introduced by Norman Zelaya. Popcorn provided.

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Film: Séance

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Oct 31 ·1:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

A screening of Séance with director Vivian Kerr, who will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Set in 1892 California, the film follows novelist Emma Strand as she takes refuge from a storm at the mansion of her first husband George and his unstable new wife Lillian, who claims to be haunted by their dead child. Over the evening, Emma confronts her marital unhappiness, the temptation of adultery, and the disturbing possibility that the house is genuinely haunted.

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Film: Maxita — Mariana Machado

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Sat, Oct 31 ·2:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

A screening of *Maxita* with director Mariana Machado, followed by panel discussion. The documentary follows Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa, a leading voice for Brazil's Indigenous peoples, as he travels from the Amazon to confront the mining industry destroying the forests. He reunites with activist Ailton Krenak to expose the devastation's global consequences. Part of Cine + Mas 18th Latino Film Festival and ¡VIVA! at the Library, a celebration of Latinx heritage and cultures.

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The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sun, Nov 1 ·1:00 pm ·New People Cinema ·San Francisco

Followed by a post-screening Q&A with director Habiba Nosheen, moderated by Jenni Olson. A screening of The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony, an intimate coming-of-age documentary by 3X Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Habiba Nosheen that follows three teenage girls in Pakistan as they pursue gymnastics in a society where girls and sport rarely coexist. The film explores themes of girlhood, joy, and quiet rebellion as these young athletes navigate deeply rooted cultural expectations about what is possible for them.

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Traces — Alisa Kovalenko with Natalia Libet

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Mon, Nov 2 ·6:30 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A screening of the documentary Traces, which centers Ukrainian women survivors of wartime sexual violence and torture resulting from Russia's invasion. Director Alisa Kovalenko and producer Natalia Libet (co-founder, 2Brave Productions) discuss the film's testimony and documentation work, with moderation by Steven Saum of Saint Mary's College.

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Millennial Punk: Episodes 1 & 2 + Conversation

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum Free

Wed, Nov 4 ·6:00 pm ·Goethe-Institut San Francisco ·San Francisco

A screening of the first two episodes of Millennial Punk – Eine Subkultur in Zeiten der Digitalisierung, a four-part documentary exploring the punk scene of the 1990s and early 2000s through the voices of musicians, journalists, and activists who lived it. The series examines punk's lasting ties to anti-discrimination, anti-fascism, and diversity, and asks what sustains punk's ethos in an increasingly digital world. Following the screening, writer Diana Ringelsiep and director Felix Bundschuh join for a conversation and Q&A.

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Jane Schoenbrun - Public Access Afterworld

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Wed, Nov 4 ·6:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

A screening of Jane Schoenbrun's film Public Access Afterworld followed by an author talk. Schoenbrun, filmmaker and author, explores the mysterious realm on the other side of our screens and the dark forces that inhabit it. The event takes place at the Roxie Theater in collaboration with Book Passage.

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Film: Runa Simi

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Wed, Nov 4 ·6:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

A screening of Runa Simi with director Augusto Zegarra. The film follows Fernando Valencia, a 29-year-old Quechua voice artist and Indigenous activist from Cusco, Peru, as he pursues an ambitious dream: dubbing Disney's The Lion King into Quechua (Runa Simi), the ancestral Incan language. Starting with his viral Quechua Clips project—which reimagined iconic animated scenes in Quechua for millions of hungry speakers—Fernando embarks on this quixotic quest with his eight-year-old son Dylan, a homemade studio, and relentless resolve. The film documents his navigation of rejection, setbacks, and self-doubt, ultimately becoming a powerful statement on language justice and cultural reclamation.

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Closure

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Thu, Nov 5 ·6:30 pm ·New People Cinema ·San Francisco

A screening of the documentary *Closure* with filmmaker Michał Marczak. After his teenage son Chris disappears in Warsaw, a father launches an obsessive search of the Vistula River using self-built boats, drones, and underwater cameras. As his family grapples with uncertainty, he begins helping other families locate missing loved ones, exploring themes of grief, closure, and the human need for answers.

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Movies at Mechanics' Presents Forbidden (1932)

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Fri, Nov 6 ·6:00 pm ·Mechanics' Institute ·San Francisco ·$7.18–$12.51

A screening of Forbidden (1932) with film curator Lara Gabrielle. Part of the Mechanics' Institute's Movies at Mechanics' series, featuring discussion and fresh popcorn.

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The Fall of the I-Hotel + Manilatown Manang Screenings

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Sat, Nov 7 ·1:00 pm ·SFMOMA ·San Francisco

A special double-feature film premiere presented by the Manilatown Heritage Foundation, SOMA Pilipinas, and SFMOMA. The Fall of the I-Hotel (restored 2K edition) is Curtis Choy's landmark 1983 documentary chronicling the decade-long fight to save San Francisco's International Hotel and prevent the eviction of its elderly Filipino and Chinese tenants—a defining moment in the struggle for affordable housing and community self-determination. The screening of Manilatown Manang follows. Both films are paired with community conversations featuring Curtis Choy, Jeanette Lazam, and producers, moderated by Caroline Ocampo. The I-Hotel restoration was completed by the Manilatown Heritage Foundation in collaboration with the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and FotoKem.

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Film: Wood Street + Post-Film Discussion

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Sat, Nov 7 ·2:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

A screening of the documentary *Wood Street*, which follows a year in Oakland's largest unhoused encampment as residents face eviction and organize to stay—centering on John and LaMonté as mounting pressure tests their friendship and personal struggles. Filmed using cinéma vérité, the 105-minute film (2026, NR) is followed by a moderated Q&A exploring the making of the film, the Wood Street community, and broader Bay Area issues of housing, displacement, and homelessness. Closed captions in English.

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The Dalai Lama: My Religion is Kindness

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Nov 7 ·3:15 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

A screening of The Dalai Lama: My Religion is Kindness with director Babeth Mondini-VanLoo and special guest, followed by a Q&A moderated by Gaetano Kazuo Maid, Executive Director of the Buddhist Film Foundation. The film offers an intimate portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama through his longterm engagement with the Dutch people, including members of the royal family, artists, and intellectuals. It explores his message of inner peace, planetary concern, and universal connectedness as responses to contemporary polarization and conflict.

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Presentation on Contemporary Indigenous Voices of California's South Coast Range

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Sun, Nov 8 ·1:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

A screening of a documentary exploring the lived experiences and cultural continuity of Indigenous peoples across California's South Coast Range, featuring intimate interviews with members of the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone, Confederated Villages of Lisjan, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, Tamien Nation, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Esselen Tribe, and Salinan Tribe communities. Following the screening, filmmaker and photographer Kirti Bassendine joins tribal representatives Gregg Castro (T'rowt'raahl Salinan / Rumsien-Ramaytush Ohlone) and Corrina Gould (Confederated Villages of Lisjan, tribal spokesperson) for a panel discussion on cultural resilience, the continuing Indigenous presence in California, and the importance of protecting and amplifying Indigenous voices and knowledge.

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Hold On to Your Music: A Mother's Legacy with Mona Golabek

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sun, Nov 8 ·5:00 pm ·Jewish Community Center of San Francisco ·San Francisco ·$33.42

A screening of the documentary *Hold On to Your Music: A Mother's Legacy*, directed by Academy Award nominee Josh Aronson and Emmy winner Adam R. Wood, telling the true story of 14-year-old piano prodigy Lisa Jura, who was sent alone on the Kindertransport from 1938 Vienna to wartime London carrying only her music and her mother's parting words: "Hold on to your music." The film features rare archival footage, newly restored recordings, and live performances by Jura's daughter, internationally acclaimed pianist Mona Golabek. Following the screening, Golabek joins co-director Aronson and producer Susan Solomon Libitzky in conversation with Dr. Anita Friedman. Based on Golabek's bestselling memoir and acclaimed stage production *The Pianist of Willesden Lane*.

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The 100th: Seeds of Aloha

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Tue, Nov 10 ·1:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

A screening of The 100th: Seeds of Aloha, a documentary honoring Hawaiʻi's legendary 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team—Nisei soldiers whose heroism during WWII reshaped Japanese American history. As a test screening, attendees will experience the film while it is still being refined and provide feedback to the production team. The program includes a special acoustic performance by Harold Payne, the film's music director, followed by a Q&A with Producer/Director Steve Sue. Part of the library's Weaving Stories celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage.

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Film: Rock Ross: Go Like This

Culture & Humanities Lecture / ForumFilm + Talk

Wed, Nov 11 ·6:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

A screening of experimental films by Rock Ross, a legendary Bay Area filmmaker, with the artist present for a post-screening Q&A. The program surveys 20 years of Ross's work, featuring seven shorts from 1982–1999 on 16mm film, including Sosueme, Till My Head Caves In, Baglight, Autumnal Diptych, Go Like This, Vespucciland the Great and Free, Charcoal Narcissus, and Just Another Girl. Ross, who studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and has worked as a film inspector, title designer, and founding projectionist of the No Nothing Cinema and New Nothing Cinema, brings decades of experimental filmmaking and community organizing to Bay Area cinema.

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Film: The 100th—Seeds of Aloha

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Thu, Nov 12 ·12:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Western Addition ·San Francisco

A test screening of The 100th: Seeds of Aloha, a feature-length documentary honoring Hawaiʻi's legendary 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team — the extraordinary Nisei heroes of WWII. The program includes a special acoustic performance by Harold Payne, Music Director, and an audience Q&A with Producer/Director Steve Sue. Attendees' feedback directly shapes the film as it moves toward final release and festival presentations. 110 minutes. (CC not provided.)

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Little Forest: Film Screening + Conversation

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Thu, Nov 12 ·6:30 pm ·SFMOMA ·San Francisco

A screening of Little Forest with director Yim Soon-Rye in conversation. The filmmaker discusses this delightful foodie film exploring food, community, and everyday life. Presented in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

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Sneak Preview Film Screening and Discussion: Judges Under Fire

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Thu, Nov 12 ·6:30 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A screening of the documentary short Judges Under Fire, examining the vital role of U.S. District Court judges in upholding constitutional limits, judicial independence, and the rule of law. Co-directors and producers Abby Ginzberg and Ken Schneider discuss the film with Judge Suzanne Ramos Bolanos, co-chair of the Retired Judges Initiative, moderated by Eva Paterson, co-founder of the Equal Justice Society. Hosted by Commonwealth Club, a trusted nonpartisan civic institution.

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Movies at Mechanics' Presents Baby Face (1933)

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Fri, Nov 13 ·6:00 pm ·Mechanics' Institute ·San Francisco ·$7.18–$12.51

A screening of Baby Face (1933) with film curator Lara Gabrielle, who leads discussion after the film. Part of Movies at Mechanics', a series pairing classic cinema with expert context and audience conversation.

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YUMI

Science & TechCivics & Power Film + Talk Free

Mon, Nov 16 ·6:00 pm ·Goethe-Institut San Francisco ·San Francisco

A screening of YUMI, a documentary following young Pacific Islander advocates who launched a campaign to bring climate change before the International Court of Justice. The film traces their movement from the University of the South Pacific to the international stage, documenting their efforts to establish clearer legal obligations for states to address climate change and protect vulnerable island nations. It captures their negotiations with ministers, ambassadors, and international representatives as they work toward a UN resolution that could lead the ICJ to clarify states' responsibilities under international law. Award-winner at the 2025 Max Ophüls Preis Film Festival.

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Movies at Mechanics' Presents Ladies They Talk About (1933)

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Fri, Nov 20 ·6:00 pm ·Mechanics' Institute ·San Francisco ·$7.18–$12.51

A screening of Ladies They Talk About (1933) with film curator Lara Gabrielle, hosted at the Mechanics' Institute. Fresh popcorn and lively discourse follow the film.

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Baon: Stories and Struggles of Filipino Migrants

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Sat, Nov 21 ·2:00 pm ·SFMOMA ·San Francisco

A screening of *Baon: Stories and Struggles of Filipino Migrants* with filmmaker Rachel Bundoc Lucero. The documentary follows Lucero into kitchens across the San Francisco Bay Area where migrant Filipinos share meals and stories of home. Through food—from dishes evoking childhood to memories of political resistance—the film captures experiences of struggle: her mother's work during the Marcos dictatorship and contemporary fights for undocumented migrants' rights and welfare. Lucero is a Filipina American filmmaker, home cook, and community organizer; her platform The Sago Show explores Filipino food, history, and activism. A conversation with Lucero follows the screening.

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Film: An Eye for an Eye

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sun, Nov 29 ·3:30 pm ·New People Cinema ·San Francisco

Director Eshaghian will participate in a post-screening Q&A. A screening of An Eye for an Eye, a documentary by Tanaz Eshaghian that follows Tahereh, who faces execution in Iran for killing her abusive husband in self-defense unless she can pay blood money demanded by her abuser's family. The film provides unprecedented access to private legal negotiations and intimate family moments as her son races to save her life.

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Rick Prelinger: Lost Landscapes 02026

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Tue, Dec 1 ·7:00 pm ·Herbst Theatre ·San Francisco

Rick Prelinger presents Lost Landscapes 02026, an annual found-footage film collage recreating everyday life, hidden infrastructures, and pivotal historical moments across San Francisco and beyond. Drawing from the Prelinger Archives' vast collection of home movies, government films, industrial footage, and feature outtakes, the program explores transportation systems, community resilience, unfamiliar views of familiar places, countercultures, and street moments. Prelinger is founder of the Prelinger Archives and co-founder of Prelinger Library, a public research collection serving artists, historians, and researchers. Proceeds support the library's annual budget.

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"The Second Life of Freddie Nole": Documentary Screening

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Thu, Dec 3 ·7:00 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A screening of The Second Life of Freddie Nole, a documentary following Freddie Nole, a formerly incarcerated man who now meets newly released people at prison gates to offer support and a shot at redemption. The film unfolds as a day-long road trip with his friend Steve Chile, the first person Freddie picked up, as they help Ed take his first steps into freedom. Featuring director Dana Nachman, Freddie Nole himself, and David Cowan, Founding Director of Bonafide.

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Movies at Mechanics' Presents December Finale: Remember the Night (1940)

Culture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Fri, Dec 4 ·6:00 pm ·Mechanics' Institute ·San Francisco ·$7.18–$12.51

A screening of Remember the Night (1940) with film curator Lara Gabrielle. Part of the Fall Movies at Mechanics' series, this December finale features the classic romantic comedy directed by Mitchell Leisen, with expert curatorial framing and discussion.

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'Steal This Story, Please!' Film Screening and Q&A with Amy Goodman and Tia Lessin

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Dec 5 ·4:00 pm ·Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California ·San Francisco

A screening of Steal This Story, Please! with director Tia Lessin and Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now! and a three-decade veteran of independent journalism. Goodman discusses her career reporting from war zones and holding the powerful to account across politics, corporate power, and state violence. Hosted by the Commonwealth Club.

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Mud Frontier: Film Screening & Talkback with Rael San Fratello

Science & TechCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumMuseum

Wed, Dec 9 ·6:30 pm ·Yerba Buena Center for the Arts ·San Francisco

A screening of Mud Frontier with Rael San Fratello, architect and designer exploring the fusion of 3D-printing technology and traditional adobe architecture. The artist will discuss innovative approaches to sustainable building and digital fabrication in conversation following the film.

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Gold, Greed and Genocide with the International Indian Treaty Council

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Thu, Dec 10 ·6:15 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Potrero ·San Francisco

A screening of the International Indian Treaty Council's documentary examining the impacts of the California Gold Rush on Native peoples, followed by discussion with members of the International Indian Treaty Council. Part of the San Francisco Public Library's celebration of Indigenous Peoples' voices, featuring programs, workshops, and performances honoring Native and Indigenous communities.

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Case 137

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / Forum

Sat, Dec 12 ·12:00 pm ·Roxie Theater ·San Francisco

The screening includes a panel discussion with special guests and serves as a fundraiser for the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE). A screening of the French film Case 137, directed by Dominik Moll, about an internal affairs officer investigating police brutality during the 2018 Yellow Vest protests in Paris. Starring César-winner Léa Drucker, the film examines institutional corruption and accountability in the criminal justice system.

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Living Harriet Tubman — Nancy Whittle, Brandon Tauszik & Theo Schear

Culture & HumanitiesCivics & Power Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Tue, Dec 15 ·6:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Main ·San Francisco

A screening of the documentary *Living Harriet Tubman* (27 min, 2026) followed by a post-film discussion. Directors Brandon Tauszik and Theo Schear's film follows Nancy Whittle, a Fresno-based social worker and educator who has spent over three decades portraying Harriet Tubman at Civil War reenactments throughout California. As she approaches retirement, Whittle stages a final performance that challenges whitewashed narratives in these spaces while reflecting on her personal connection to Tubman and the legacy of the Underground Railroad. After the screening, Whittle, Tauszik, and Schear will discuss the making of the film, Civil War reenactments, and how American history is remembered and taught, moderated by KQED columnist Pendarvis Harshaw.

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Film: Gold, Greed and Genocide with the International Indian Treaty Council

Civics & PowerCulture & Humanities Film + TalkLecture / ForumLibrary Free

Thu, Jan 21 ·6:00 pm ·San Francisco Public Library – Excelsior ·San Francisco

A screening of the International Indian Treaty Council's documentary on the California Gold Rush and its devastating impacts on Native peoples, followed by discussion with IITC members. Part of the Library's Indigenous Peoples Day programming featuring conversations, performances, and community resources honoring Indigenous voices.

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