73 Questions

Leah Nichols / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2017 / 10 mins

This beautifully hand-drawn animated short film inverts the popular culture trope of celebrity questionnaires and uses it instead to build a soulful profile of a man whom you would never otherwise stop to get to know.

Another Way of Living: The Story of Reston, VA

Rebekah Weingart-Jabi / SFUFF 2016, Documentary / USA / 2015 / 70 mins

Visionary American planner Robert Simon sets out to build a new kind of suburban community that would integrate citizens across racial, economic, and religious divides. His ambition is realized in Reston, Va.

Precedes: Panel Discussion: Before Burning Man – The Story of Reston, VA

Arc of Justice, The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of a Beloved Community

Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2015 / 22 mins

“Arc of Justice” traces the inspiring journey of New Communities and the struggle for racial and economic justice among African Americans in southwest Georgia. Formed in 1969 during the Civil Rights movement, New Communities persevered as the largest black-owned farm in the country despite relentless opposition.

Eulogy For The Dyke Bar

Macon Reed & Isabel Farrington / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2017 / 9 mins

A portrait of artist Macon Reed's installation "Eulogy for the Dyke Bar" on it's closing night.

Flag Wars

Laura Poitras & Linda Goode Bryant / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2003 / 95 mins

Personal look at a community in Columbus, Ohio, as gay white homebuyers move into a working-class black neighborhood. As the new residents restore the beautiful but run-down homes, black homeowners must fight to hold onto their community and heritage. The inevitable clashes expose prejudice and self-interest on both sides, as well as the common dream to have a home to call your own. Winner of the Jury Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival.

In the Wake of Ghost Ship

Jason Blalock / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2017 / 21 mins

Last December, Oakland’s Ghost Ship warehouse fire claimed 36 lives, the nation’s deadliest fire in over a decade. It also set off a wave of scrutiny of live/work spaces across the country. Seven miles from Ghost Ship, a legendary punk collective called Burnt Ramen is fighting back against sudden eviction. This short film won the Golden Gate Award for Best Short Film at the 2017 San Francisco International Film Festival.

Lost Rivers

Caroline Bâcle / SFUFF 2015, Documentary / 2012 / 72 mins

Recounts a time where in almost every city rivers flowed freely. In meeting with visionary urban thinkers, activists, and artists from around the world, this documentary explores why and how they disappeared, and if we could and will ever see them again.

Precedes: Panel Discussion: Water Infrastructure in SF

The Mural

Francisco Guijarro / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2014 / 19 mins

This film follows the stories of several artists with developmental disabilities working with the non-profit The Arc San Francisco and civic artists from Free Space to paint a wall-sized mural that aims to erase barriers. The film explores the unlimited nature of art and its capacity to express freedom, even for those individuals whose lives seem to be confined to the boundaries of their disabilities.

Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco: The Fillmore

Peter L. Stein / SFUFF 2014, Documentary / USA / 1999 / 84 mins

Part of a PBS series on neighborhoods, this segment tells the story of San Francisco’s premier Japanese-American and African-American community and the profound impact urban renewal had on the fabric of American cities, including that of the Fillmore in San Francisco.

No Vacancy

Abhi Singh / Films, SFUFF 2017, Documentary, Shorts / USA / 2016 / 17 mins

“No Vacancy” chronicles the experiences of local artists who strive to live in San Francisco while facing economic challenges and threat of eviction. Profiled artists include two who were part of a group of artists recently evicted from the art studio in the “Beast on Bryant” building, now being developed for new housing.