DocFest is here
What distinguishes SF DocFest from other film fests is its firm commitment to showcasing Northern California filmmakers while serving up outstanding nonfiction fare.
This year’s live and streaming hybrid lineup reflects that. Not only will the entire slate be made available to stream during its run through next week, but there are also in-person screenings and events at San Francisco’s venerable Roxie Theater. In total, the 20th annual event is set to show 40 features and 38 shorts.
DocFest includes Questlove’s remarkable “Summer of Soul,” a Sundance Film Festival winner that is both a tribute to influential Black musical performers as well as an incisive commentary on the underreporting of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Other highlights include:
“The Lucky Ones”: Schizophrenia remains one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses. Oakland director Debra A. Wilson creates a bridge to better understanding by following Oakland
couple Alexander Hampton and Timothy Reed Hampton, both of whom are schizophrenic, through daily routines. It’s receiving a world premiere.
“Keeper of the Fire”: This passionate documentary from Brisbane’s David L. Brown, Oakland’s Raymond Telles and San Francisco’s Louis Dematteis focuses on the influential life and work of San Francisco poet-activist Alejandro Murguia, the first Latino poet laureate of San Francisco. Another world premiere.
“False Alarm”: When an emergency alert mistakenly blasted out in January 2018 that nuclear missiles were heading toward Hawaii, 38 minutes of panic and fear put a stranglehold on the islands. In his interview-heavy film about the headscratching mishap, Oakland director Nick Lyell probes what happened while exploring deeper issues of fearmongering and politics and pointing out how utterly unprepared officials were to react had there been an actual attack.
Details: All festival films streaming through June 20; free; sfdocfest2021. eventive.org.