Your Guide to Film Festivals in San Francisco
At any time of year, there’s a film festival running in San Francisco. Check out our guide to discover which festivals are happening each month.
San Francisco might be almost 400 miles from Hollywood, but this is a city that loves the movies. Just look at all of our annual film festivals!
Since this is San Francisco, things are bound to be a little off-kilter. Festival fare ranges from the San Francisco International Film Festival, the longest-running film festival in the Americas, to the quirky Another Hole in the Head Genre Film Festival, which advertises itself as “three weeks of celluloid mayhem not usually found in your local cineplex."
See what's playing when you're next in town!
February
San Francisco Independent Film Festival
February 4-14, 2027
Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street
This film festival screens the best of independent films from the Bay Area and beyond.
Explore the San Francisco Independent Film Festival
Mostly British Film Festival
February 2027
Vogue Theater, 3290 Sacramento Street
This week-long film fest spotlights works from the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and South Africa.
March
Sonoma International Film Festival
March 25-29, 2026
Multiple Venues, Sonoma
The Sonoma International Film Festival focuses on independent films, documentaries, world cinema, and short films. Centered around Sonoma's historic plaza, over 90 hand-selected films will be screened.
Explore the Sonoma International Film Festival
SF Irish Doc Film Fest
March 7, 2026
Delancey Street Theater, 600 Embarcadero
Showcasing the best in contemporary Irish cinema, the SF Irish Film Festival is especially heavy on documentaries this year. And who tells better tales than the Irish?
Explore the Irish Doc Film Fest
Berlin & Beyond
March 19-23, 2026
Multiple Venues, Oakland and San Francisco
America's leading festival of contemporary cinema from German-speaking countries, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
April
Ocean Film Festival
April 10-12, 2026
Cowell Theater, 2 Marina Boulevard
One of the largest and most diverse of its kind, this festival features documentaries, animations, narratives and other traditional screen fare on topics ranging from ocean adventures to island culture and more.
Explore the Ocean Film Festival
San Francisco International Film Festival
April 24 - May 4, 2026
Location to be announced
An extraordinary showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation. Since its inception in 1957, the SFIFF has hosted hundreds of prominent guests from Spike Lee to Bette Davis and presented almost 7,000 films from more than 120 countries to nearly two million filmgoers.
May
San Francisco Silent Film Festival
May 6-10, 2026
Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival presents silent films accompanied by live music. This festival promotes silent film as art and historical record
Explore the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
CAAMFest
May 7-10, 2026
AMC Kabuki Theater, 1881 Post Street
CAAMFest is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. Since 1982, the festival has been an important launching point for independent Asian American filmmakers and a vital source of new Asian cinema.
June
San Francisco Black Film Festival
June 18-20, 2026
African American Arts and Cultural Complex, 726 Fulton St.
This celebration of African American cinema and the African cultural diaspora showcases a diverse collection of films from emerging and established filmmakers; more than 10,000 films have been screened from around the world since the inaugural festival in 1998.
Explore the San Francisco Black Film Festival
Frameline, San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival
June 17-27, 2026
Multiple Locations
This legendary showcase of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender cinema screens groundbreaking documentaries, features, touching short films, and cinematic classics
Queer Women of Color Film Festival
June 12-14, 2026
Presidio Theatre, 99 Moraga Avenue
This festival showcases new films that reflect the lives of queer women of color and addresses the vital social justice issues that concern multiple communities.
July
San Francisco Frozen Film Festival
July 15-19, 2026
The Crossing Outdoor Cinema, 250 Main Street
Showcasing the year’s best new, independent, avant-garde films, the Frozen Film Festival takes its name from the distinct chill of the San Francisco summer.
Explore the San Francisco Frozen Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
July 16-August 2, 2026
Location to be Announced
Films from American and international filmmakers showcase the diversity and vitality of Jewish culture. The festival is the first, oldest and most prestigious celebration of its kind in the world.
August
Crossroads
Dates to be announced
Gray Area, 2665 Mission Street
Cinematheque celebrates works of aesthetically radical cinema in Crossroads, which showcases new film/video works by emerging and established filmmakers, including performance and works of “live cinema."
October
Mill Valley Film Festival
Dates to be announced
Mill Valley, California
Presented by the California Film Institute, the Mill Valley Film Festival celebrates the best in independent and world cinema. Founded in 1978, it has established an impressive track record for launching new films and filmmakers.
December
Another Hole in the Head Genre Film Festival
December 1-31, 2026
Balboa Theater, 3630 Balboa Street
An annual festival of horror, sci-fi, dark fantasy, and exploitation cinema brings the most outrageous films from both emerging and established filmmakers to audiences who like a little excitement with their popcorn.
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