Local film festivals have taken some of the biggest hits during the pandemic and it’s among the many reasons that returning to the historic Castro Theater and hearing “welcome back to the movies” was so emotional for many of us in the audience. The 65th SFFILM Festival, or San Francisco International Film Festival, has endured more than most since it began in 1957, making it now the longest continuous film festival in the Americas. Their return to an in-person format, with extensive COVID protections, set a hopeful tone for the future of independent film in the Bay Area and beyond.
