Inaugurated at the 37th San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (2017), the SFJFF audience award is chosen by ballot from all 40,000 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival attendees. All selected films are eligible for consideration. Audience Award categories include Best Narrative and Best Documentary.
To vote for a favorite film in the SFJFF Audience Award, tear along the dotted line on the back of your ticket. If you are a Passholder, tear along the dotted line on the paper ballot issued to you when you enter the theater. Drop your ballots in the Audience Award collection boxes on the way out.
The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award, inaugurated at SFJFF37, represents a new partnership between the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and the influential community of Bay Area film critics. The 2018 SFJFF Film Critics Circle Award will be presented in the category of Best Narrative Feature.
Another newly introduced award at the 2017 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, this juried award honors achievements in short documentary filmmaking. All selected short documentaries in the Festival are eligible. The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is an Academy Award® qualifying festival in the Short Documentary Subject category. Recipients of SFJFF's Best Short Documentary Award will be eligible for consideration in the Documentary Short Subject category of the Academy Awards®, without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.
The SFJFF Film Movement Award, co-presented with distributor Film Movement, honors achievement in short filmmaking that expresses the Jewish experience in a unique, original, and meaningful way, or provides a fresh perspective on diversity within the Israeli or Jewish community. SFJFF selected shorts of any genre or style - live action, animation, documentary, etc. - are eligible for the award. The award-winner is announced at the close of that season's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and receives the option of a non-exclusive, DVD and streaming distribution deal with Film Movement.