The 69th San Francisco International Film Festival runs from April 24 through May 4, 2026, across San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley. Olivia Wilde’s “The Invite” and Kent Jones’ “Late Fame” starring Greta Lee will open the longest-running film festival in the Americas.
The Invite starring Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogan, Penelope Cruz, and Ed Norton. Film still courtesy of A24.
The program includes 79 films from 40 countries. Opening Night returns to the newly restored Castro Theatre with an unprecedented double feature. “Late Fame” from Magnolia Pictures follows a retired poet whose forgotten writings capture the attention of a vibrant New York group. “The Invite,” fresh from its Sundance premiere and acquired by A24, stars Wilde alongside Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton in a San Francisco-set story. Wilde will appear in person to present the film on 35mm.
Late Fame starring Greta Lee and Willem Dafoe. Film still courtesy of Magnolia.
The Centerpiece presentation is Boots Riley’s “I Love Boosters,” making its West Coast and hometown premiere with two sold-out screenings at Oakland’s Grand Lake Theatre. Riley and cast members Poppy Liu, Eiza González and LaKeith Stanfield are expected to attend. Closing Night is a May the 4th “Star Wars Day” screening of “Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back” with an onstage conversation between Anthony Daniels, who played C-3PO, and Lucasfilm veteran Howard Roffman.
The festival includes several special events. The Persistence of Vision Award honors experimental filmmaker and poet Lynne Sachs. The Mel Novikoff Award goes to Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Sundance Institute’s Artist Programs, with a screening of “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” The Music + Film program features Beth Aala’s “Mysterious Bird,” a portrait of guitarist Gabriela Quintero, paired with a live performance.
Five films from the festival’s past have been selected for the new “Films from the Vault” series: Alain Dahan’s “Bad Blood” (1985), Claire Denis’s “Beau Travail” (2000), Guillermo del Toro’s “Cronos” (1994), Agnès Varda’s “Vagabond” (1986), and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “The Wages of Fear” (1978). A special restoration screening of T’ang Shushuen’s “The Arch,” which played at the 1968 festival, is presented in support by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office of San Francisco.
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The program also features two locally supported titles from SFFILM’s Artist Development grants: Javid Soriano’s “Figaro Up, Figaro Down,” about an opera singer’s comeback from addiction and housing insecurity in San Francisco, and Anna Fitch and Banker White’s “Yo (Love Is a Rebellious Bird),” which won a Silver Bear at Berlinale.
Short films are curated into six thematically connected programs, and mid-length films are presented in two blocks. The Golden Gate Awards competition includes prizes for New Directors, Global Visions, Mid-Length, and Documentary Feature, along with Academy Award-qualifying awards for Best Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short.
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