About the 2021 Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival

Every one of the 647 films submitted to SDFF 2021 came from a filmmaker who gave us a story: images and circumstances caught by a lens.  The 66 films chosen for the program preserved something real, and skillfully presented it within a context that would have us notice and add to our own deliberation. In its 14 years, SDFF has become known for programming work to a discerning audience that enjoys being challenged as well as entertained. This year’s festival will also include a number of panel discussions for filmmakers and the general public about issues in documentary filmmaking, from technical topics like editing and musical composition to broader discussions of documentary’s place in investigative reporting.

We are witness.  Documentary filmmakers bring us the opportunity to look and learn beyond ourselves.  They are history’s seed savers for a future that nourishes critical thinking. They provide the touchstones of reality from the past and present that can guide us into an enlightened future.

In a typical year, the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival exhibits 70-75 films on six screens simultaneously at Sebastopol Center for the Arts and Rialto Cinemas Sebastopol® to a combined audience of 5,500 -6,000 documentary film lovers, industry guests, and fellow filmmakers from around the world, who travel to the fest with the support of the Franklin J. Schaffner Fund.  In 2020, this tradition was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, just days before the festival began. We were able to pull together a virtual version of SDFF 2020, and despite initial plans for an in-person fest in 2021, safety concerns have dictated we remain virtual until 2022.

SDFF was founded by passionate indie filmmakers as an arts program of Sebastopol Center for the Arts. The Festival is run by an all-volunteer Steering Committee.  Each year the team produces an event that has become an internationally respected destination for documentary enthusiasts and filmmakers alike.  Great stories; great movies.

Welcome to SDFF 2021.