Call For Entries: SDFF 2023
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival is a bridge for independent non-fiction filmmakers to reach their audience. From its beginning in 2007, each film programmed for SDFF is a signature of excellence in craft, character and storytelling. We are driven by an immense curiosity to learn and understand the complexity of human experience and the planet upon which we depend for our existence.
SDFF 2023 will be in person and online. The entire program will have theatrical screenings March 16-19. Additionally, a curated selection of those films stream March 20-26.
Over 90% of films programmed for Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival enter through this open Call for Entries. The other 10% may include Distributor suggestions and those films curated for specific spotlight or Conversation sessions.
Within its overall programming SDFF encourages Environmentalism, Journalism, Arts, LGBTQI+ and Social Justice topics. We also encourage documentaries that use animation, hybrid, non-traditional and innovative styles for visual storytelling.
Throughout our history we have programmed films that go on to be Oscar® contenders, BAFTA, Peabody and Pulitzer Prize recipients along with premieres and other notable favorites from the festival circuit.
SDFF is an Academy Award® qualifying festival for the Documentary Short Subject category. Recipients of the SDFF Jury Awards for Short Subject and Mini-Doc are eligible for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Academy Awards® the following year.
Sebastopol is in Sonoma County, California. On a good traffic day, we’re only an hour north of San Francisco. We are a mix of small-town folk, organic farmers, prize-winning vintners, musicians, environmentalists, old hippies and more artists per acre than we can count. We’re curious, engaged, opinionated and welcoming to all. Come join us in continuing the ageless tradition of storytelling circles.
Awards & Prizes
Jury Award Feature: $1,000 - 40 minutes & over
Jury Award Short: $750 - 10-39 minutes
Jury Award Mini-Doc: $750 - Under 10 minutes
Audience Award: TBD - Feature
Audience Award: TBD - Short
All films selected for SDFF 2023 are considered eligible for competition except those titles curated and invited for special programs.