SF IndieFest is a non-profit organization in operation since 1999. We present two annual festivals: SF IndieFest and SF DocFest.

We are one of the few nationally renowned festivals still making a major percentage of our selections from unsolicited submissions, unlike Sundance and similar so-called ‘indie’ festivals that have now become highly coordinated launch pads for mainstream films. We provide independent and new filmmakers with the rare opportunity to screen their films in a theater environment, interact with their audiences, and receive significant press coverage.

At a time when ‘fake news’ has chipped away at media that was once a bastion of unbiased information, the value of non-fiction film is more important than ever. Documentary filmmaking is the new journalism where filmmakers can delve deeply into the stories behind the stories—where sound bites are trumped by great storytelling that paints a richer picture of our cultures and current events.