10 Movies to See at the San Francisco International Film Festival

The Bay Area is a cinephile’s paradise. This region has always been full of creative people who tell fascinating stories on screen, and audiences who appreciate them — general state of the movie theater business be damned. That’s perhaps more evident than ever each year around the end of April, as the San Francisco International Film Festival fills our theaters with fascinating independent features, documentaries, and short films from around the world.

This year’s festival kicks off today, April 24, and runs through May 4, with centerpiece screenings of Boots Riley’s highly anticipated I Love Boosters at the Grand Lake on April 28. Tickets are, unsurprisingly, at rush for that one. Here are some other COYOTE picks for flicks that are not (as of this writing) sold out.

a black and white still image of two white men in a truck, one driving, both look worried — Charles Vanel and Yves Montand in ‘The Wages of Fear.’ (Courtesy SFFILM)

‘The Wages of Fear’

If Sirāt left you kind of cold and annoyed about what the point of all that was, go see the OG of high-tension trucking films and leave with a renewed sense of indignation toward the many ways in which capitalism is incompatible with the dignity of man! — Soleil

April 25 at 12pm, the Marina Theatre, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. Tickets here.

an old white woman sits on a colorful couch wearing a shawl, next to large black and white photos of family members — Emma Morano in ‘The Oldest Person in the World.’ (Courtesy SFFILM)

‘The Oldest Person in the World’ + ‘Paper Trail’

In Sam Green’s 2022 documentary, 32 Sounds, he spent a lot of time listening: to birdsong, to silent rooms, to the facsimile of a tree falling in a forest. For his next act, Green got to listen to the world’s oldest people — a rotating honor, for sure — and we get to ponder the mysteries of life and longevity along with him. — Soleil

April 26 at 4pm, Premier Theater at One Letterman, 1 Letterman Drive, SF. Tickets here.

‘First They Came for My College’

As a Floridian who has spent years screaming about the destruction of higher ed by fascists in my home state, I can’t wait to see this. — Rahawa

April 27 at 8:30pm, the Marina Theatre, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. Tickets here.

a polar bear sticks his head out of the water — ‘Nuisance Bear’: Existential climate catastrophe dread, but make it cute too. (Courtesy SFFILM)

‘Nuisance Bear’

Man v. yearling polar bear. Existential dread about climate catastrophe imminent. — Rahawa

April 26 at 6pm, the Marina Theatre, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. Tickets here.

‘Figaro Up, Figaro Down’

Bay Area filmmaker Javid Soriano has been following opera singer Tim Blevins for more than a decade, tracking the Juilliard-trained performer’s journey from the heights of fame, to his time spent unhoused in the Tenderloin, to a poignant comeback, all set in a San Francisco not often seen on the big screen. — Emma

April 27 at 6pm, Marina Theater, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. April 28 at 4:30pm, BAMPFA, 2155 Center St., Berkeley. Tickets here.

a group of 7 Black men outside an old wooden structure, they look like they're having a good time — A still from ‘Enough Is Enough,’ by Congolese filmmaker Elisé Sawasawa. (Courtesy SFFILM)

‘Enough Is Enough’

From Congolese filmmaker Elisé Sawasawa, an unflinching documentary about survival and resilience across decades-long conflict in the eastern region of the DRC. Not to be missed. — Rahawa

April 29 at 5pm, BAMPFA, 2155 Center St, Berkeley. Tickets here.

‘Who Moves America’

Do you shop online? Ever? I do (confession: more so when I’m stressed). But who are the people delivering these packages to my doorstep? How long are their shifts? Why do they do this work? This film answers some of those questions, and shares with the viewers the unseen pressures delivery drivers face in their struggles for living wages and good work conditions. Everyone who shops online (which is all of us, let’s be honest) should check this film out. — Nuala

April 29 at 6:15pm and 8:45pm; and May 1 at 3:45pm, Marina Theatre, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. Tickets here.

an older Latina woman in a sparkly gold shirt and orange gloves with brightly colored dusters fanned out behind her — Beatriz Valencia in ‘How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps.’ (Courtesy SFFILM)

‘How to Clean a House in 10 Easy Steps’

The imaginative debut feature from Carolina González Valencia blends documentary, fiction, music, and animation as it explores the relationship between Beatriz, a domestic worker, and her daughter Carolina (the filmmaker). Executive producers include Alfonso Cuarón (Roma, Gravity, Children of Men, do you need me to continue) and Ai-jen Poo, president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. — Emma

May 1 at 6pm, Premier Theater at One Letterman, 1 Letterman Drive, SF. Tickets here.

two young African people sit on the ground amid a retrofuturistic city — ‘Memory of Princess Mumbi’ is set in a retro-futuristic version of the African nation of Umata. (Courtesy SFFILM)

‘Memory of Princess Mumbi’

Honestly? This film had me at African sci-fi mockumentary. — Rahawa

May 1 at 6:30pm, the Marina Theatre, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. Tickets here.

‘Shorts Block 3: Shapes of Love’

A drag queen performs at a senior center. Two strangers spend the day in the English countryside. A transnational Korean adoptee rehearses greeting his birth mother. Seven short films explore love in its many different forms, from romantic relationships to those complicated ones with our parents. Will no doubt have some tear-jerker moments, bring the tissues. — Nuala

May 3 at 3:15pm, Marina Theatre, 2149 Chestnut St., SF. Tickets here.

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