Get To Know The San Francisco Film Society
The Heart Of The Bay Area’s Filmmaking Community
Though it’s certainly not as well known as the Los Angeles and New York equivalents, the Bay Area has a historic and tight-knit film community, one that has produced world-renowned work and collaborates
with the brightest minds in the industry. Driving this is the San Francisco Film Society, an organization that has existed for more than 50 years to promote quality cinema, inspire and empower local artists, and provide educational opportunities and mentoring for the Bay Area.
The Society also provides many opportunities for the public to enjoy some of the most unique aspects of filmmaking through screenings of both classic and new films, film festivals, lectures, retrospectives, and more. In short, the Society is a combination of engagement, promotion, entertainment, and education, all for the betterment of the art of filmmaking.
Filmmaker 360
The heart of the San Francisco Film Society is Filmmaker360, a services program that provides support and opportunities to the Bay Area film community. This includes grants, mentoring, and residencies for filmmakers. Under the guidance of Filmmaker 360, all aspects of the process benefit, all at different stages of filmmaker careers:
- SFFS Project Development: Services providing project consultation and fiscal sponsorship
- Grants: SFFS provides a number of grants across a variety of categories, including narrative filmmaking, documentary filmmaking, and screenwriting
- Residencies: SFFS offers residency awards for both screenwriting and filmmakers, available at any stage of career or production.
San Francisco International Film Festival
The San Francisco Film Society hosts a number of events across the calendar year. However, its flagship event is the San Francisco International Film Festival, an annual event since 1957. The SFIFF is one of the most recognized and long-running festivals in North America. Held in the spring and lasting two weeks, the SFIFF often has around 200 films submitted from all over the world, showcasing many films seeking U.S. distribution. The Festival also recognizes achievements with its prestigious awards for directing and screenwriting, with such notable previous winners including Kenneth Branagh, Spike Lee, Robert Altman, Akira Kurosawa, and Guillermo Del Toro.
Engage With SFFS
For film lovers, the keeping up with the San Francisco Film Society means staying abreast of all sorts of unique screenings and discussions — a true insider’s look for those that appreciate the artform. For filmmakers, the Society is an opportunity to network, get support, and get exposure from the very first draft of the screenplay to screening the finished product. We encourage everyone to check out the official San Francisco Film Society website. And of course, if you’re a filmmaker needing a soundstage to shoot, drive down Highway 101 and schedule a free tour of Meets the Eye Studios, to check out our immaculate facility and large pre-lit green screen.