San Francisco movie lovers have a joyful date to circle: SFFILM’s Doc Stories returns for its 12th edition from Thursday, November 5, through Sunday, November 8, 2026, at the Vogue Theatre, celebrating documentary film as an essential art form.
The four-day festival opens on Thursday, November 5, with 14th, directed by Ava DuVernay (USA, 107 minutes). DuVernay joins the audience in person to discuss her new documentary, with opening-night screenings at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Vogue Theatre, 3290 Sacramento Street.
The weekend keeps the discoveries coming. On Friday, November 6, the beloved New York Times Op-Docs shorts block screens at 5:30 p.m., followed at 8:30 p.m. by Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been, Barry Avrich’s portrait of the extraordinary singer, told with the joy and humor Love herself brings to her story.
Saturday, November 7, is packed with ways to take part: the Sensory Experience shorts at 11:00 a.m., a Teen Workshop on creating untold stories with two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ben Proudfoot at 1:00 p.m. at SFFILM FilmHouse, Soul Patrol at 2:00 p.m., and a Doc Talks conversation on observational storytelling with Jeanie Finlay, Luke Lorentzen and Erik Shirai at 3:30 p.m. Students get their own welcome, too, through Schools at Doc Stories, running November 2–10 for ages 6 to 18.
For Happy City News readers, it is the happiest kind of festival: real stories, remarkable makers and a whole neighborhood theatre buzzing with conversation. Check SFFILM for the full schedule and tickets, and plan to arrive early — doors generally open 30 to 60 minutes before showtime.
Photo: SFFILM
