Film festivals, where artists meet other artists, mingle with new fans and talk about their work in front of an enthusiastic audience, have been flipped on their heads since March. But the savvy crews behind the many festivals that typically happen in the Bay Area have adapted to the times.
The new virtual festivals come with positives and negatives. While more people can theoretically see the indie films flashing across hundreds or thousands of screens at a time, going online is not always ideal for screen-wary audiences and budding filmmakers looking to network. Nevertheless, as they say in the business: the show must go on.
Here are the festivals going live in and around Northern California in the coming months.
Postponing the celebration of Latino Heritage Month only briefly, Cine+Mas SF will now host its 12th annual San Francisco Latino Film Festival in November. A scaled back sampling of 15 to 30 projects will be shown from Nov. 27-Dec. 4.
Sonoma County Virtual Jewish Film Festival
The 25th anniversary of the fest celebrating Jewish films, filmmakers and stories will host six new and recently released full-length features and four shorts. Whether diving into an LGBTQ drama in Tel Aviv or a documentary of an African American rabbinical student in Chicago, the productions are available to watch anytime through Nov. 16.
Virtual showings of Luna Fest, a festival championing women’s narratives and female filmmakers, will continue nationally throughout November. These stories touch on struggles and strength of dealing with trauma through dance therapy, coping with the “shelf life” of entering middle-age and wrangling trans identity with family.
The nation’s oldest and largest Arab film festival keeps its 24-year streak alive. The complexity, richness and culture of Arab life will be brought to life online starting Dec. 3, after four national Arab film and cultural organizations came together to make this online gathering a reality.
San Francisco International Film Festival
Nonprofit SFFilm’s annual Film Festival was cancelled, but its annual Doc Stories film series is still a-go for Dec. 3-6, virtually featuring a dozen long- and short-form documentaries and live-streamed discussions with the creatives involved. The full lineup will be announced next week, but will highlight programing inspired by the spirit of the Bay Area.
Bonus roadtrip: Tahoe Film Fest
If you’re in the mood to drive out to catch a fest in person, pack your snacks and fill up your tank for Nevada. The Tahoe Film Fest is still optimistic about putting together its event Dec. 3-6, complete with social-distancing, masks and other safety protocols.
Silicon Valley Dining Guide: Week of Nov. 4 
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