Change is the central issue we are currently grappling with in cities. Climate change, income inequality, affordable housing, and lack of transit options, to name a few, impact the quality of life of urban dwellers. But simultaneously, the people who live in cities are also agents of change – resisting, strategizing, building and rebuilding. Our program examines this dynamic to offer insight and new ideas.

The films featured in this year’s festival such as “Arc of Justice” about the origins of the community land trust movement, “The North Pole” about Oaklanders adapting to climate change and fierce real estate market forces, and “Mama Agatha” about immigrant women learning how to bike for the first time in Amsterdam, show the grit and ingenuity of folks banding together to shape their local communities.

As many institutions and movements are quickly realizing, urban planning may be the linchpin to creating a sustainable future on our planet. The SFUFF differentiates itself from other film festivals in that we pair each film screening with a panel discussion to dissect the issues and pose possible solutions with experts in the field as panelists. At SFUFF, films are not merely consumed by the audience; actual solutions are presented and debated so that audience members feel empowered to make cities better for everyone. We look forward to you joining the conversation.