Welcome to the 2021 run of the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. We find ourselves in interesting waters once again. Still, we are looking forward to welcoming you back to our town to have eyeball-to-eyeball conversations about the films we love, the subjects that inspire us, and the filmmakers that bring it all to life.

The spirit and inspiration behind SDFF remain strong, no matter if we’re sitting all together in a theater or in our living room curled up in a blanket.

More than ever, we are committed to turning a spotlight onto the excellence of craft, character, and storytelling. Our goal is to bring you stories that offer a glimpse into unfamiliar lives, untold stories, and circumstances that need truth.

Our perspective is that learning how each human gets through the day given is the only route to understanding, compassion, and ultimately peace.

The films in this year’s program come from around the world, from China to Kenya, El Salvador to Iran. Our filmmakers address subjects as varied as climate change, social justice, and the power of art and performance, with the occasional stopover to consider how documentary functions in the current, rapidly-changing media milieu.

We are excited for you to engage with these films and these filmmakers. We hope you’ll feel the inspiration that we felt when first watching these films. We know that these glimpses will put us all on a pathway to understanding.

Sure we’re forced to present SDFF in a virtual setting again this year. But, on the bright side, we believe this setting invites more intimate conversations and experiences. Undivided attention offers opportunities for wholesome engagement. Let’s embrace this situation and be inspired.