Keeping Veteran Connections Strong During COVID
Media Contact: Kate Patterson
415-312-9685| Kate.Patterson@sfpl.org
2020 San Francisco Veterans Film Festival, November 8-14
San Francisco, CA – Covid-19’s disruption of normal life has had an outsize effect on veterans, a community that, during normal times, struggles with mental health and higher unemployment rates. Presented by OneVet OneVoice and San Francisco Public Library, the Veterans Film Festival, now in its 9th year, aims to help veterans find opportunities to connect even while apart. Running virtually the week of November 8, the free festival is a unique forum for veterans to find expression, healing, and community while increasing awareness of the multitude of challenges facing our nation’s military.
“The film festival is a platform to bridge that gap between the civilian population and the veteran community,” says OneVet OneVoice founder Eddie Ramirez. “During COVID, our community has felt particularly vulnerable to mental health struggles and economic hardships. This film festival offers an opportunity to come together for a shared experience and highlight some of the issues veterans and military families face, such as PTSD, suicide, and the struggle of transitioning to civilian life.”
The festival includes 20 films, both short and full-length, fictional and documentary, as well as a virtual directors’ panel hosted by San Francisco Public Library on November 12, at 6 pm. Films will stream on bingewave.com each day of the festival, November 8-14. All showings will include each selected film and begin at 9:10 am.
The independent films featured in this year’s festival explore complex and challenging topics, including the struggle to acclimate to home and veteran suicide. Many films focus on moments in armed services history, both powerful and personal. Highlights of the 2020 Veterans Film Festival include:
Call Sign CHAOS: Gen Jim Mattis and the US Marine Corps, directed by Carl Colby
Introducing the Marines who served heroically in the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.), the World War II predecessor to C.I.A and the U.S. Special Operations Command, and the career of General James Mattis.
Silkies, directed by Jaremey McMullin
Profiling the work of the Irreverent Warriors, who organize dozens of ‘Silkies Hikes’ each year across the United States, where men and women gather wearing only their insanely short military-issue ‘silkies’ boxer briefs. The hikes both raise awareness of veteran suicides and, through camaraderie and vulnerability, help prevent veteran suicide.
Ocean Station November, directed by Damon Stuebner
Tells the story of the Coast Guard rescue of all passengers on a transatlantic flight that was forced to crash into the ocean in October 1956.
Remains, directed by Joe Day & Jose H. Rodriguez
In the depths of a Vietnamese jungle, a team of archaeologists and U.S. service members search for the body of a U.S. soldier missing since the Vietnam War.
More information is available at sfveteransfilmfestival.org. Sign up for free festival ‘tickets’ at https://www.bingewave.com/f/san-francisco-veterans-film-festival. Register to attend the November 12 director’s panel at bit.ly/VetFilmFest20.
About the San Francisco Veterans Film Festival
San Francisco Veterans Film Festival is a robust forum for Veterans and civilian filmmakers to express their creativity and to share their stories, which in turn helps further healing and brings greater awareness to the public on the challenges our nation’s veteran’s face. The annual festival spotlights both veteran and civilian filmmakers addressing issues about Veterans and military-related topics. For more information, visit sfveteransfilmfestival.org.
OneVet OneVoice is a non-profit based in San Francisco founded on the belief that healthcare, education, housing and employees for veterans and military families should be inextricably linked together. The goal of the San Francisco Veterans Film Festival is to support one of the key missions of OneVet OneVoice: to educate the general public about the current issues facing our veterans, and provide a place for veterans to learn more about current support available.
About the San Francisco Public Library’s Veterans Resource Center
San Francisco Public Library’s Veterans Resource Center, located on the 5th floor of the Main Library, supports the veteran community with free computer access, a specialized veterans book collection, and information and assistance for veterans and their families. For more information, please visit sfpl.org/veterans.
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Kate Patterson
Director of Communications
San Francisco Public Library
Work Mobile: 415-312-9685
Kate.Patterson@sfpl.org