The San Francisco Green Film Festival was an environmental film festival which was held annually from 2011 to 2019.
History The festival was founded by Rachel Caplan, who had previously worked for the Edinburgh Film Festival, the San Francisco Film Society and the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival. She created the festival to connect international environmental films and filmmakers with San Francisco Bay Area audiences and increase awareness of the climate crisis.
Over 9 years, the Festival grew from a 3-day program in one small venue to a weeklong event in multiple venues across the city, and the largest environmental film festival in the USA outside the long-established Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital in Washington D.C. The festival was known for its 'Take Action' programs, encouraging audiences to get involved with local climate campaigns and causes in partnership with organisations such as Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and 350.org.
SFGFF was recognised Internationally through an official partnership with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); and membership of the Green Film Network, a global association of 30 film festivals which focus on environmental issues. Its Science on Screen and Impact Film Forum initiatives were funded by National Endowment for the Arts.
In nine years, the festival presented over 600 feature length and short films with over 800 guests ranging from filmmakers to scientists, academics, activists, indigenous leaders and youth. Notable guests included Margaret Atwood, Annie Leonard, Fredrik Gertten, Louie Psihoyos, The Yes Men, Jonathan Franzen, Céline Cousteau, Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Josh Fox, Virginia McKenna, Ralph Eggleston, and Madonna Thunderhawk.
In 2018, the Festival was the official film presenting partner of the Global Climate Action Summit, hosted by the U.N.'s Christiana Figueres, Michael Bloomberg, and California Governor Jerry Brown.
In 2019, the Green Film Festival took place for the last time. The Opening Night event at the Castro Theater included a screening of Fredrik Gertten’s feature documentary film Push, and a conversation with U.N. Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha.
The tenth edition was planned to be held over 10 days in September 2020, but in May it was announced that the festival would cease operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around that time, it had a staff of three employees, not counting its board of directors.
The San Francisco Independent Film Festival known as San Francisco IndieFest launched the Livable Planet Festival in 2021name="San Francisco Chronicle">Pam Grady (May 10, 2021) [April 21, 2021]. "Datebook: 6 films to catch at the Livable Planet Film Festival". https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/sf-indiefest-founder-launches-livable-planet-film-festival-in-time-for-earth-day as a replacement for the San Francisco Green Film Festival, which folded after the COVID-19 pandemic forced cancellation of the 2020 festival and was rebranded in 2022 as the Green Film Festival of San Francisco.name="San Francisco Chronicle">G. Allen Johnson (March 16, 2022). "Datebook: Like spring itself, Bay Area film festivals about to experience a warming trend". https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/like-spring-itself-bay-area-film-festivals-about-to-experience-a-warming-trend
Venues Castro Theatre Roxie Theater San Francisco Public Library 518 Valencia Ninth Street Independent Film Center
Awards
Best Feature Award 2019 - Push directed by Fredrik Gertten 2018 - Anote's Ark directed by Matthew Rytz 2017 – RISE: Standing Rock directed by Michelle Latimer 2016 – Catching the Sun directed by Shalini Kantayya 2015 – Bikes vs Cars directed by Fredrik Gertten 2014 – DamNation directed by Matt Stoeker, Travis Rummel and Ben Knight 2013 – More Than Honey directed by Markus Imhoof 2012 – You've Been Trumped directed by Anthony Baxter
Best Short Award 2019 - After the Fire directed by Derek Knowles & Spencer Seibert 2018 - Invisible Blanket directed by Pasha Reshikov 2017 – Pangolin directed by Katie Schuler & Nick Rogacki 2016 – Nature Rx directed by Justin Bogardus 2015 – Beyond Recognition directed by Michelle Grace Steinberg 2014 – Sticky directed by Jilli Rose 2013 – The Story of An Egg directed by Douglas Gayeton 2012 – Coalition of the Willing directed by Knife Party
Green Fire Award Juried award introduced in 2017 for Best Bay Area Environmental Feature with $5,000 prize. 2019 - Artifishal directed by Josh "Bones" Murphy 2018 - Wilder Than Wild: Forests, Fires and the Future directed by Stephen Most & Kevin White 2017 – Tidewater directed by Roger Sorkin
Green Tenacity Award 2019 - Cooked: Survival by Zip Code directed by Judith Helfand 2018 - Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War directed by Susan Scott (and Bonné de Bod) 2017 – Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas directed by Joakim Demmer 2016 – Not Without Us directed by Mark Decena 2015 – The Chinese Mayor directed by Zhou Hao 2014 – Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek directed by Leah Mahan 2013 – Thomas Riedelsheimer (for body of work) 2012 – Blood in the Mobile directed by Frank Piasecki Poulsen 2011 – Bananas!* directed by Fredrik Gertten
Inspiring Lives Award 2019 - The Age of Stupid directed by Franny Armstrong 2018 - Food Coop directed by Tom Boothe 2017 – Flo Stone, founder of Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital 2016 – Virginia McKenna, actress/activist of Born Free'''' 2015 – Landfill Harmonic directed by Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley 2014 – Project Wild Thing directed by David Bond 2013 – Bidder 70 directed by Beth and George Gage 2012 – Urban Roots directed by Tree Media
Audience Award 2019 - Motherload directed by Liz Canning 2018 - Patrimonio directed by Lisa F. Jackson & Sarah Teale 2017 – Yasuni Man directed by Ryan Killackey 2016 – The Babushkas of Chernobyl directed by Holly Morris and Ann Bogart 2015 – Landfill Harmonic directed by Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley 2014 – Seeds of Time directed by Sandy McLeod 2013 – La Source directed by Patrick Shen 2012 – Sushi: The Global Catch directed by Mark Hall
Young Filmmaker Award 2019 - Save our Planet directed by Alexis Buggs Hodgson 2018 - Youth Unstoppable directed by Slater Jewell-Kemker 2017 – The Plastic Bottle Controversy - Explained directed by Jeffery Chen 2016 – Escape Velocity directed by James Tralie 2015 – Pseudo Evolution'' directed by Luisa Gobel and Bruna Almeida
Green Film Network The Festival was a member of the Green Film Network, an association of worldwide environmental film festivals.
References
External links San Francisco Green Film Festival website [archive]