Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival

The Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival is the San Francisco Bay Area's premier documentary film festival, offering four days of curated films, award presentations, cinephile panels and forums, upscale gatherings, VIP receptions, and casual meet-and-greets-all in the heart of Sonoma County.

Founded in 2007, the first ever Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival (SDFF) boldly curated 44 films that brought into focus a wealth of talented filmmakers from Sonoma County and the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

Sixteen years later, nearly 700 titles from 62 countries were openly submitted for SDFF 2023. Sixty-three films were programmed, the event was attended by 93 filmmakers and an impressive audience, through in-person and streaming delivery.

From its roots as a local fest showing about 40 films in 2007, SDFF now receives more than 700 submissions from 62+ countries per year. In 2025, 57 films were programmed and shown and the event was attended by filmmakers, as well as a robust audience of film lovers. In addition to its commitment to honoring diversity in all its forms by providing open calls for entry, SDFF is an Oscar®-qualifying film festival for short and mini form documentaries.

SDFF is proudly progressive in its curation of topics and forms. Now more than ever, festival organizers seek to amplify urgent messages, uplift stories from marginalized communities, and support earnest efforts to provoke political change, effect social justice, and encourage personal growth

SDFF honors diversity in all forms. We continue to provide equal opportunity for filmmakers through open calls for entry; explore what it's like for any life to wake to its existence.

SDFF is an Oscar® qualifying Film Festival for documentaries in the short form. Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival is proudly progressive, often featuring spotlights on social justice, journalism, current issues. When the right films come through we've programmed different POV's of the same story. Given the proliferation of AI, documentaries might become our only touchstone for what was 'real' at a moment in time. What better platform than a non-fiction film festival to encourage fresh and critical thinking?