San Francisco Film Society

The San Francisco Film Society is a non-profit arts organization that presents and exhibits films.

Mission

The San Francisco Film Society has a robust membership program, which provides affordable access to countless movies throughout San Francisco. The San Francisco Film Society embraces the art, technology and innovation of the world’s most imaginative storytellers who use the moving image to celebrate humanity while educating, entertaining and enriching the audiences of the world.

History

The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as "SFiFF") was founded in 1957 by San Francisco theatre owner Irving "Bud" Levin, who had attended film festivals in Cannes and Venice, and decided it was time for the United States to have its own. At the time of the SFiFF's founding there were no ther film festivals in either North or South America.

In the late 1980s the Film Festival's board of directors, in response to a growing slate of off festival season events, designated the name "San Francisco Film Society" as the name of the organization which produces the festival and other events.

The 50th Annual San Francisco Film Festival will be held April 26th- May 10, 2008, making the SFiFF the first film festival in the Americas to reach its Golden Anniversary.

Events

The San Francisco International Film Festival, held annually. Awards presented at the Festival are known as the "Golden Gate Awards".

The San Francisco International Animation Showcase, which collects the very best animation from all over the world, celebrating the versatility, creativity and vitality of the form. It began in October 2006

New Italian Cinema, which brings to San Francisco the latest and best films from Italy's emerging class of directors. The tenth New Italian Cinema took place in November 2006.

Film in the Fog which each year bids summer farewell with a free, all-ages outdoor screening in San Francisco's Presidio. The film is often a classic sci-fi flick.

F360 Initiative

SF360 is a banner heading launched in early 2006 that explores new media and includes the news magazine SF360.org, the social screening series SF360 FILM+CLUB, the lecture/discussion series SF360 LIVE and the one-movie, one-city initiative SF360 San Francisco Movie Night.

External links

* [http://www.sffs.org/ San Francisco Film Society]
* [http://www.sf360.org/ SF360]
* [http://history.sffs.org/ San Francisco Internal Film Festival History Site]