Documentary Screenings San Francisco

Engage with documentary film fans in San Francisco

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Outsider Film Night

Fri, Sep 25, 2:00 AM

From Community Cinema in SF Chinatown

4.7

**OPEN CALL for short films 15 mins and under⚠️** **[Submit films HERE](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Ns9Xm8PoEtroysiheFtrk46rMbfJZp8MFj3iLlqiQV0/edit?usp=drivesdk)** **DEADLINE to submit is Sep 18 ⌚️⏱👀** **SCREENING takes place Sep 24❣️❤️‍🔥💞** **ADDRESS is [@clarion_sf](https://www.instagram.com/clarion_sf/) 2 waverly place 🙈** **5$ notaflof 7-9 PM🤷🏽‍♂️** **Come one come allllllllllll🙇🏽‍♂️**

1 attendee

Free Screening: Bernal Heights Cinema Film Crawl

Sat, Sep 12, 1:30 AM

From Radical Visions Cinema Club

4.7

Join us as we roam down Cortland Avenue from one indoor screening location to the next to enjoy free screenings of new short films, brought to you by San Francisco’s annual Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema festival. We begin our crawl at the Bernal Heights library where a selection of six short films is screening. We will then cross the street to watch ten films at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center. Afterwards, we will walk to the Bare Bottle brewery for refreshments and conversation. **Bernal Heights library 7 pm** *Tough Love.* Dir\. Thisbe Weld\*\.\* Comedy \| 3:43 *The Skyluck.* Dir \. Katelyn Wong\. Documentary \| 7:48 *Lost World*\. Dir\. Lillie Elliott\. Drama \| 5:27 *Edward and the Light Dragon.* Dirs\. Benjamin Couoh Menendez\, Cosmos Bernal Rosas\. Animation \| 8:50 *Reset.* Dirs\. Jaziah Jamora\, Antonio Moore\, Cade Rohan\. Documentary \| 9:48 *Yosemite Slough.* Dir\. Deidre Locklear\. Documentary \| 4:06 **Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center 8 pm** *Miau Mau.* Dir\. Luisa Bel Cardoso Head\. Animation \| 1:35 *Never Say Die.* Dir\. Tom Donald\. Music Video \| 3:32 *Sticky Fingers.* Dirs\. Melanie Mendoza\, Andrea Esmaeil\. Animation \| 6:56 *Guardian’s Lament.* Dir\. Phoebe Chou\. Animation \| 8:00 *Blind Box.* Dir\. Steven Gong\. Comedy\-Drama \| 11:11 *The Middle of Everywhere.* Dirs\. Zoe Hertz\, Ellie Hall\. Documentary \| 15:37 **Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center 9 pm** *Born to Live.* Dir\. Romain Thomassin\. Sci\-Fi\, Comedy \| 7:42 *Betty St. Clair.* Dirs\. Kyle Chu\, Syra McCarthy\. Drama \| 11:33 *Freckle.* Dir\. David Usner\. Drama \| 13:59 *Comfort Food.* Dir\. Reena Dutt\. Dramedy \| 14:37 More info about Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema’s “Film Crawl on Cortland”: [https://bhoutdoorcine.org/outdoor-cinema-season/film-crawl-on-cortland-2026/#Progressive](https://bhoutdoorcine.org/outdoor-cinema-season/film-crawl-on-cortland-2026/#Progressive) 6:30 Meet at the Bernal Heights branch library (500 Cortland Ave.) to take our seats. 7:00 Bernal Heights film program starts 7:55 We cross the street to watch two film programs at the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (515 Cortland Ave). 8:00 Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center film program I starts 9:00 Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center film program II starts 10:00 We will walk down the street to the Bare Bottle brewery (1525 Cortland Ave.) for refreshments and conversation.

6 attendees

The American Astronaut in 35 mm !!

Thu, Sep 17, 12:30 AM

From Bay Area Film Society

4.9

**The Roxie is showing one of my all time favorite weird movies - Cory McAbee's The American Astronaut (2001), in 35mm!** If you have a tiny soft spot for weird off-the-wall films do not miss this! It's an utterly unique experience. Showtime is 6 pm - we'll get in line at 5.30. **It is likely that this screening will sell out so get your tickets EARLY here:** https://roxie.com/film/the-american-astronaut/ Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uujG1ADn2zk **The American Astronaut** Samuel Curtis, an interplanetary trader, deals in rare goods -- living or dead. After getting a device which will clone the extremely rare "Real Live Girl," this sets off a series of strange trades throughout the universe which grabs the attention of his nemesis, Professor Hess (Rocco Sisto). Determined to find Samuel, Hess systematically kills every person who has come in contact with Samuel.

5 attendees

Special Event: "Yourself and Yours" (Hong Sang-Soo, 2016)

Sat, Sep 26, 8:45 PM

From Bay Area Film Society

4.9

The Yerba Buena Canter for the Arts invites us to another special event as part of their series "Through an Open Window", a series of film screenings inspired by GaHee Park's exhibition at the YBCA. "Yourself and Yours" is a film of doppelgangers, mistaken identity, and the shifting ambiguities of desire. When painter Youngsoo (Kim Joo-hyuk) learns that his girlfriend, Minjung (Lee Yoo-young), was recently seen having drinks with another man, he confronts her—and they part badly. The next day, he goes looking for her, but she is nowhere to be found. As Youngsoo wanders and frets, Minjung moves through a series of encounters with other men—but to them, it seems she’s not herself. We have discounted tickets, and the ticket admission includes access to GaHee's exhibition "Behind the Curtain". We can go and enjoy the exhibition together after the screening. Tickets: https://ybca.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/yourself-and-yours **Please use code MEETUP for a 50% discount!** Showtime is 2 pm, we'll meet no later than 1.45 pm at the screening room in the YBCA. You can find the full series of films here: https://ybca.org/event/through-an-open-window-film-series/ - we might schedule more from this series, let me know if you're particularly interested in any one of these. Hope to see you at the YBCA screening room!

2 attendees

The 2026 Brainwash Movie Festival Call and Shows

Sat, Sep 26, 3:00 AM

From Bay Area Film, TV and Commercial

4.9

**The Brainwash Movie Festival Super Extended Call For Entries Deadline!** ## A rarefied and unique event: Screening the weird, unusual and significantly great (but, probably, unheralded) movies of the world for the past 30 years. Every season, the Brainwash Movie Festival screens your movies, gives awards and now going online, too! Join us! Submit your movie and/or come on out for the shows, or stay home and see how it all looks on the home movie screen. Nothin’ like it! So enter and help yourself and the movie arts at ***[Brainwash!](https://www.strideevents.com/emails/tracking/click/1412?type=event)*** **Enter and try out the new movie submission site [Cinelot](https://www.strideevents.com/emails/tracking/click/1413?type=event) at a deep discount at $25 per short and $60 per feature until Sept. 12, 2026.** **Shows this season at the Boxshop, 951 Hudson Av., SF, CA, Fri. and Sat. 9/25-26/2026 (tickets now available on [Stride](https://www.strideevents.com/emails/tracking/click/1414?type=event) @$10ea.) and at** **PDE Studios, 2253 Poplar St., Oakland CA, Fri. and Sat. 11/13-14/2026.** **All shows start at 8:00p**

1 attendee

SF SciFi Short Film Showcase

Sun, Sep 13, 8:00 PM

From Incredible Food + Wine Experiences for Television

3.9

**The SF Science Fiction Short Film Showcase** is coming to the Marina Theatre in San Francisco on Sunday, September 13, from 1–5 PM! Join us for an afternoon of **over 14** award-winning independent **science fiction short films**, filmmakers, and imaginative storytelling on the big screen. This is a one-day-only showcase and a great opportunity to discover some terrific independent sci-fi filmmaking. Discount Advance tickets are available [www.SFSciFiShowcase.com](http://www.SFSciFiShowcase.com) (only 50 left) **ATTENDING FILM PANELISTS / AWARD WINNERS** * Marcus Hamm, TRIGGERED * Catherine Heath, SEASCAPE * Kathy Wen, THE SINGULARITY PROTOCOL * Cristiana Barbatelli, ABDUCTED * Kevin Geiger, WHISPERS IN THE VOID * John Longenbaugh, PARTHENOGENESIS Don't miss the incredible filmmakers, directors, producers, and screenwriters! Followed by a meet and greet at a local eatery on Chestnut Street.

1 attendee

Discover SF - Haight Ashbury Street Fair & Comedy Day

Sun, Sep 20, 6:30 PM

From Growth Social Volunteering Professionals

4.8

The Haight Ashbury Street Fair is at its 47th year, 6 blocks, 3 stages, on Sun Sep 20th. The Haight is a neighborhood of rich histories. It is where the Summer of Love happened in 1967. Also Grateful Dead, Hippies, counter culture etc.. The Victorians are still there, and so are the record stores, the vintage shops, the head shops and the murals. It's a genuinely great six blocks to walk, and most people who walk it have no idea what they're looking at. **Our day:** coffee at 11:30, an easy walk up into Buena Vista Park for the view, then down through the fair with a few stops where we tell you what actually happened on each corner. At 2:15 we walk out the far end into Golden Gate Park for **Comedy Day** — a completely separate free festival that happens to land on the same Sunday, five minutes away, in its 45th year, with 50-plus comedians. Blanket on the grass for the afternoon, then dinner in the Inner Sunset for whoever's hungry. Two unrelated free festivals, one Sunday, five minutes apart. That's the whole reason we picked this date. ## What we'll stop at **Buena Vista Park.** The city's oldest park, 1867, and a real forest in the middle of San Francisco. The crest is where they lit the fire, and it's one of the best views in town. One more thing nobody tells you: when the city moved its cemeteries out in the 1930s, WPA crews lined the park's drainage gutters with leftover marble headstones. They're still there — you can read names and dates off the stones under your feet. **710 Ashbury.** The Grateful Dead's house from 1966, raided October 2, 1967, everyone arrested, front page news. Private home now, so sidewalk only and keep it down. **635 Ashbury** half a block up is where Janis Joplin lived. **The Psychedelic Shop on Haight.** The Thelin brothers opened it in January 1966, before there was a scene to sell to. It's where the funeral was organized, and where Ron gave away every last thing on the shelves the day it happened. **Haight & Clayton — the Free Clinic.** Opened at 558 Clayton in June 1967 on a single argument: health care is a right, not a privilege. Thousands of kids had arrived with no money and no doctor, so somebody built them one. The free clinic model spread across the country from this corner. Of everything the sixties made here, this is the piece that lasted — not a sound, not a look. An institution. **The Panhandle**, one block north the whole way, where the funeral ended. Free concerts on a flatbed — the Dead, Big Brother, Jefferson Airplane, playing for nothing. The Diggers handed out free food here every afternoon, on the theory that if you can just give things away, you should. **Amoeba Music, 1855 Haight.** In a converted bowling alley since 1997, still one of the largest record stores anywhere. Not a plaque, not a museum — somebody's actual job. **And the fair itself,** which started in 1978 with Supervisor Harvey Milk's backing. That's a full decade after everything above, when the Haight had been through hard years and people were trying to bring it back. Worth knowing while you're standing in it. What's under your feet isn't the Summer of Love — it's the people who stayed after. *** ## The day **11:30 — Coffee To The People, 1206 Masonic Ave.** Right at the fair's east gate. Couches, bookshelves, been there forever. Say hi, get a coffee, meet a few people before we move. **12:00 — Up into Buena Vista Park.** A gentle climb through the trees to the crest. Introductions happen here. **12:45 — Down Haight Street** through the fair, stopping at the places above. Six blocks, no rush, nobody marching. **2:00 — Out at Stanyan.** **2:15 — Hippie Hill and Robin Williams Meadow.** Five minutes into Golden Gate Park. The slope above the meadow is Hippie Hill, where the drum circle has been going more or less continuously since 1967 and will be going on Sunday. We set up at the bottom of it for **Comedy Day** — a separate festival with its own organizers, in its 45th year, 50-plus comedians, noon to 5pm, also free. Blanket down, and that's where we are for three hours. **5:00 — Comedy ends.** **5:30 — Optional Dinner in the Inner Sunset.** Fifteen minutes through the park to 9th & Irving, which is nothing but places to eat. We'll pick on the day and split across a couple of tables. Come if you're hungry, peel off if you're done. No reservation, nobody counting. **Join [TownFlame](http://www.townflame.org/), Make Life Happen.** **Liability Waiver:** Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct. By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.

38 attendees

Don't Let Them Out - Screening & Filmmaker Q&A!

Fri, Sep 11, 2:30 AM

From Thrills and Chills - Bay Area Horror and Sci-Fi Movies

4.6

And now for some excellent, truly independent, psychological horror. Out in limited release now, and we have the opportunity to see it followed by a cast & crew Q&A. Tickets: https://www.fandango.com/marina-theatre-aauvr/theater-page?date=2026-09-10 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vorOWQeXbhg Showtime is 8 pm, we'll meet around 7.30 pm at the Marina Theater. **Don't Let Them Out** A struggling woman journeys to a property she's inherited in hopes of selling it to pay off her mounting debts. But once there, she uncovers sinister family secrets and is lured into a desperate and terrifying scavenger hunt where every find pulls her deeper into an inescapable nightmare.

3 attendees

Bollywood Festive Nights at Union Square

Sat, Sep 26, 12:00 AM

From " ¡ ᗯᗩᑎTEᗪ TO ᗪO TᕼᗩT . . . ᒍᑌᔕT ᑎOT ᗩᒪOᑎE ! ! ! ℠ " Nor Cal

4.4

Join us for an unforgettable **Bollywood Night** in the heart of San Francisco at Union Square – rhythm, fun, community. **5:00 – 6:00 PM** – *30 minute Bollywood* *Dance Lesson* + *Party* — we’ll teach you the steps, the flair, and the fun; then we dance it out together! **6:00 – 7:00 PM** – *30 minute Bollywood* *Dance Lesson* + *Party* — we’ll teach you the steps, the flair, and the fun; then we dance it out together! **7:00 – 8:00 PM** – *Dance Party* — We turn up the music and light up the floor with a 1-hour open dance party. 🌈 Open to all ages, all levels, all backgrounds. ✨ Come casual or dressed, no pressure! Bring your friends, learn some moves, find your groove, find your friends, be a part of a magical community once a month at Union Square. Previous class in 2025 summary joy v[ideo: ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHSENixJaVA&list=RDnHSENixJaVA&start_radio=1) Free class every month on 4th Friday of the Month except in August it will be on August 14th Classes go till end of September Park in garage, Uber over, or take Powell exit on Bart Do come say hello to us so we can welcome you in our La Dolce Vita :)

1 attendee

Bollywood Nights - Salesforce Park - Free

Sat, Sep 19, 12:30 AM

From " ¡ ᗯᗩᑎTEᗪ TO ᗪO TᕼᗩT . . . ᒍᑌᔕT ᑎOT ᗩᒪOᑎE ! ! ! ℠ " Nor Cal

4.4

**Bollywood Nights at Salesforce Park 🎉** Join Rang De Bollywood for some high-energy, outdoor, bollywood fun! This event is sure to leave you feeling loved, lighter, and delighted in excitement after every session. 🌈 Open to all ages, all levels, all backgrounds. ✨ Come casual or dressed, no pressure! 🎁 Free to attend – just bring your joy, your people, and your dancing feet! 🚶🏼‍♂️‍➡️Register for free so we can prepare at rang.eventbrite.com 🕔 5:30 – 7:00 PM – we’ll start with a beginner friendly dance lesson, followed by an open dance party! 💫 This is a repeating event, happening every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month, May through October and you can register for as many dates as you like. Register now: [rang.eventbrite.com](http://rang.eventbrite.com) **About Rang De Bollywood** Hailing from the dream dance city of Mumbai and Amritsar, which is also home to Bollywood and Holy Vibes, our energetic, charismatic, and fun dance instructors-performers-entertainers, Manpreet (Certified in Indian Folk by India's Best and also an author) and Amit (percussionist, actor, dancer), have spread Indian dance music and moves across the length and breadth of India, USA, and Europe. Their recent performances were at National Center of Performing Arts in Mumbai and Herbst Theater in San Francisco. **Important Notes:** * Enter through transit center building and take the elevator to rooftop. We will be close to the elevator. * No solicitors allowed. * Classes might be video taped for marketing purposes. * All choreographies are Copyrighted and Original Works of Manpreet Komal/Rang De Bollywood. *"I recently had the pleasure of attending Manpreet’s Bollywood dance class, and I must say, it was an absolute blast! Whether you're a complete beginner or an experienced dancer, this class caters to everyone's skill level. The highlight of the class was undoubtedly her teaching style. With a knack for breaking down complex steps into manageable chunks, even the most intricate routines felt attainable. The pacing was just right, ensuring that beginners didn't feel overwhelmed while keeping experts engaged. Highly recommend!" — Kavneet Bindra* **We can't wait to dance together, see you soon!**

2 attendees

Hope @ Alamo Drafthouse

Sat, Sep 12, 4:15 AM

From Thrills and Chills - Bay Area Horror and Sci-Fi Movies

4.6

A police chief, a policewoman and a group of hunters try to track down and kill a mysterious creature that's laying waste to a Korean village. Showtime is 9.30 pm, we'll meet no later than 9.15 in the lobby of the theater. Tickets: https://drafthouse.com/sf/show/hope-2026?cinemaId=0801&showSeats=true I have seat 20 in row 4 if you want to sit close. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYRc2Gl7geY

3 attendees

Profs & Pints Alameda: The Arctic in Transition

Thu, Sep 24, 1:00 AM

From Profs and Pints San Francisco Bay Area

4.6

[Profs and Pints Alameda](https://www.profsandpints.com/sfbayarea) presents: **“The Arctic in Transition,”** a look at the political, environmental, and technological forces reshaping Earth’s northernmost region, with Mia Bennett, associate professor of geography at the University of Washington-Seattle and co-author of *Unfrozen: The Fight for the Future of the Arctic.* [Tickets available only online, available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/alameda-arctic](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/alameda-arctic) .] In the Arctic, reliably frozen sea ice and thirty years of post-Cold War regional cooperation are ceding to the intertwined pressures of climate change and geopolitical competition. Melting ice, raging wildfires, and permafrost thaw are drastically reshaping the environment, while tensions between nations and peoples with a stake in the region’s future are heating up. Come gain a deep understanding of the change underway at the Arctic and of the various forces reshaping it with Mia Bennett, a scholar of the Arctic who has done years of fieldwork there. Situating the contemporary Arctic within a longer history of human habitation and migration and ecological change, she will show how the region is an arena of constant political, environmental, and technological transformation. What is happening there portends the future of global politics, resource competition, climate governance, and Earth as a whole. Dr. Bennett will set the stage by offering background on the Arctic’s 32,000 years of human habitation and its ecological transformations marked by the expansion and retreat of ice cover. She’ll trace how the region evolved from a sparsely connected frozen periphery into a central arena of global strategic interest. You’ll learn how the Arctic has been the site of twenty-first-century political experimentation producing governance mechanisms that incorporate Indigenous Peoples and giving rise to a farsighted superpower accord over fisheries. We’ll look at how today’s growing global attention to the Arctic reflects the region’s transition from a reliably frozen desert into an increasingly navigable ocean as it warms four times faster than the Earth as a whole. Such environmental change has intensified competition among manifold stakeholders seeking to intervene in the region’s governance and defense and having interests in shipping and resource extraction there. They include the eight nations with territory north of the Arctic Circle, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, and non-Arctic nations such as China, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. At the same time, efforts to maintain international cooperation over the region are being tested by growing tensions between Russia and the West, intensifying great power competition, and the Trump administration’s fixation with acquiring Greenland. Adding to the uncertainty there are technological transformations, including emerging geoengineering innovations, some of which seek to refreeze the Arctic ice cap. You’ll gain an appreciation of how what is happening in the Arctic affects all of us. (Advance tickets: $13.50 plus processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent approaches the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy during a 2009 Arctic survey (U.S. Coast Guard Photo / Public Domain).

6 attendees

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Frequently asked questions

Meetup provides a way for documentary enthusiasts to gather and watch films together in San Francisco. It helps connect people interested in viewing and discussing documentaries through group events.

Simply search for documentary events on Meetup by selecting San Francisco as your location. You'll find local screenings and the chance to join other enthusiasts nearby.

Yes, you can find upcoming documentary screenings taking place over the weekend. Browse Meetup for events and plan to attend the ones that interest you!

Absolutely! You can join multiple groups to attend various documentary screenings across San Francisco. There's no limit to participating in activities of interest.

RSVP by visiting the event page on Meetup and indicating your attendance. It's a straightforward process to ensure your participation in the screening.

It's free to join Meetup and explore documentary screenings in San Francisco. Some events might have a fee depending on the screening venue or specific group.

Yes, attending documentary screenings is a great way to meet new people who share your interest in films. Engage in discussions and make connections during and after the events.

Events are organized by local groups or hosts who coordinate screenings and gather people with similar interests in documentaries.

On Meetup, you can join as an organizer and host your own documentary screenings. It's an opportunity to bring like-minded people together in San Francisco.

Screenings can be in-person or online, depending on the organizer's preference. Check the event details for the format and plan accordingly.

While there's a wide variety of documentary genres available, coverage depends on the organizers and current offerings in San Francisco.

Meetup caters to a broad range of interests, including documentaries. It's ideal for anyone eager to indulge in film culture, but it spans many other activities too.

While Meetup facilitates finding screenings, it does not guarantee that specific films will be shown. Availability hinges on group offerings and schedules.

Yes, you are welcome to join multiple documentary groups on Meetup. This gives you broader exposure to screenings and events taking place.

Some groups include discussions following screenings, possibly led by a host or attendee. However, this varies by event and group preferences.