SDFF 2020

A curation of small and large-scale trauma, with a side of existential dread. This is the 2020 Self-Directed Film Festival.

If you have never participated before, be sure to consult the rules before watching.

EVELYN
(2018, DOCUMENTARY)

Ten years later after their brother dies, three siblings go on a hiking trip and seek out the places he liked to walk in the English countryside, allowing them to contemplate their brother's life. Watch on Netflix.

The Trials of Ted Haggard
(2008, DOCUMENTARY)

Ted Haggard had it all: prosperity, a doting wife, five kids and a ministry that reached more than 30 million followers who hung on his every word. But in 2006, it all fell apart. Watch on HBO Go.

It’s Such a Beautiful Day
(2012, ANIMATION)

Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche in this experimental black comedy-drama animated film directed, written, animated, and produced by Don Hertzfeldt. Rent on Vimeo.

Honey Boy
(2019, Drama)

When 12-year-old Otis begins to find success as a television star, his abusive, alcoholic father returns and takes over as his guardian, and their contentious relationship is followed over a decade. In theaters.

ONE CHILD NATION
(2019, DOCUMENTARY)

After becoming a mother, a filmmaker uncovers the untold history of China's one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment. Watch on Amazon Prime.

We The Animals
(2018, DRAMA)

A trio of brothers cope with their parents’ volatile relationship by running wild and unchecked, and one of them experiences a visceral awakening. Watch on Netflix.

Only the Dead See the End of War
(2015, Documentary)

In 2003, war correspondent Michael Ware travels to Baghdad during the invasion. As he tries to find out about a brutal Al Qaeda leader, he receives a tape from Abu Musab al Zarqawi. Watch on Netflix.

Which Way Home
(2009, Documentary)

In 2006, Rebecca Cammisa received a Fulbright Scholar Grant to travel to Mexico to document the plight of the children left behind when their families travel to the United States to find work. Watch on HBO Go.

IDA
(2018, DRAMA)

In 1962, Anna is about to take vows as a nun when she learns from her only relative that she is Jewish. Both women embark on a journey to discover their family story and where they belong. Rent on iTunes.

VIRUNGA
(2014, DOCUMENTARY)

Conservation is war. A team of brave individuals risk their lives to protect the last mountain gorillas. Watch on Netflix.

World Without End (No Reported Incidents)
(2017, EXPERIMENTAL)

Perfectly encapsulating the sweet-hearted chatter unique to small-town England, Jem Cohen offers views of three different (yet almost identical) cities along the Thames Estuary: Southend-on-Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, and Canvey Island. Watch on Amazon Prime.