Skip to Content

RITUALS OF THE CITY PROGRAMS

Join us from March 6–11, 2023 as we come together for the 9th annual ritual of the SF Urban Film Fest. Each day, a film screening is paired with multidisciplinary discussion, exploring rituals and meaning in our cities. Admission is pay-what-you-can. Thank you for taking what you need and giving what you can. By doing so, you are helping us spread our programming to as wide an audience as possible.

2023 Official Selections

How can we bring the same reverence that comes from ceremony into our every day actions? These films explore the different routines and rituals that give our lives meaning and connect us to each other and our cities.

All That Breathes

Film All That Breathes Directed by Shaunak Sen As legions of birds fall from New Delhi’s darkening skies, and the city smolders with social unrest, two…

Broke Down Drone

Film Broke Down Drone Directed by Marquis Simmons Life in the mud

East Side

Film East Side Directed by Carlo Nasisse, Patricia Noguera East Side explores the changing neighborhood of East Austin.

ÉLEFAN

Film ÉLEFAN Directed by Daniel Díaz ÉLEFAN explores the relationship between space and identity among London's Latin American community in the years leading up…

Ghost Bikes

Film Ghost Bikes Directed by Ethan Brooks There are over 150 white-painted bicycles chained up throughout New York City. Each bike represents a cyclist killed…

He Had Wings

Film He Had Wings Directed by Jeanne Marie Hallacy He Had Wings is a documentary film about the artist Ronnie Goodman, homelessness, and the streets of San…
It Takes The Hood to Save The Hood

It Takes The Hood to Save The Hood

Film It Takes The Hood to Save The Hood Directed by Harvey Magsaysay Lozada IT TAKES THE HOOD TO SAVE THE HOOD
Gayle Wong

My Little Hilton

Film My Little Hilton Directed by Todd Sills & Kevin D. Wong Now in her 60s, Gayle moves to San Francisco to finally pursue the dream she never had the…

Passersby

Film Passersby Directed by Sarah Garrahan and Sue Ding Six seemingly unconnected lives come together in this film about strangers and the places they intersect.
Sa Amin: Our Place Poster

Sa Amin: Our Place

Film Sa Amin: Our Place Directed by Dyan Ruiz and Nix Guirre Filipino community activists and multigenerational families in San Francisco’s South of Market claim a right to the city…

Saving The Far East Cafe

Film Saving The Far East Cafe Directed by Directed by Emma Marie Chiang and Martin Peter Bustamante Challenged by a surplus of changes through the years: encroaching gentrification, labor issues, generational shifts in taste &…

Skywatchers: The Slow Art of Belonging

Film Skywatchers: The Slow Art of Belonging Directed by ABD/Skywatchers Looking back over 10 years of Skywatchers’ relational, durational art making, this documentary film illuminates the work of…

SOMA Sapiens

Film SOMA Sapiens Directed by Grant Thompson SOMA Sapiens is a series of ongoing short films by Grant Thompson in partnership with SOMA West Community…

The Dishwasher

Film The Dishwasher Directed by Nick Hartanto and Sam Roden A chef at a fine dining restaurant in New York City asks a Mexican dishwasher to find good…

The Face of a City

Film The Face of a City Directed by Farhad Pakdel The stories of four Iranian families who emigrate to Canada and the city they leave behind.

Trails

Film Trails Directed by Chris Nguyen TRAILS is a personal and non-linear portrait of Orange County’s Little Saigon.