Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "san-francisco-history"
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1. The Bridge (I) (2006)
R | 94 min | Documentary, Drama
Filmmakers use hidden cameras to capture the various suicide attempts at the Golden Gate Bridge - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.
Director: Eric Steel | Stars: Eric Geleynse, Chris Brown, Susan Ginwalla, Caroline Pressley
Votes: 12,225 | Gross: $0.18M
2. The Institute (2012)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary, Crime, Mystery
A documentary on the Jejune Institute, a mind-bending San Francisco phenomenon where 10,000 people became "inducted" without ever quite realizing what they'd signed up for.
Director: Spencer McCall | Stars: Arye Bender, Boston Blake, Jeff Hull, Chelsea London Lloyd
Votes: 1,409
3. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A documentary of the successful career and assassination of San Francisco's first elected gay city supervisor.
Director: Rob Epstein | Stars: Harvey Fierstein, Harvey Milk, Anne Kronenberg, Tory Hartmann
Votes: 6,588 | Gross: $0.01M
4. We Were Here (I) (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A deep and reflective look at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco and how individuals rose to the occasion during the first years of this unimaginable crisis.
Directors: David Weissman, Bill Weber | Stars: Ed Wolf, Daniel Goldstein, Guy Clark, Eileen Glutzer
Votes: 2,280
5. 5B (2018)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary
Documentary about the staff and patients of San Francisco General Hospital's AIDS ward during the early years of the epidemic.
Directors: Paul Haggis, Dan Krauss | Stars: Alison Moed Paolercio, Cliff Morrison, David Denmark, Mary Magee
Votes: 315
6. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill (2003)
G | 83 min | Documentary
A homeless musician finds meaning to his life when he starts a friendship with dozens of parrots.
Director: Judy Irving | Stars: Mark Bittner, Maggie McCall, Ivan Stormgart, Gary Thompson
Votes: 3,105 | Gross: $3.06M
7. Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria (2005)
57 min | Documentary
Documentary about transgender women and drag queens who fought police harassment at Compton's Cafeteria in San Francisco's Tenderloin in 1966, three years before the famous riot at Stonewall Inn bar in NYC.
Directors: Victor Silverman, Susan Stryker | Stars: Ray Baxter, Elliot Blackstone, Aleshia Brevard, Felicia Elizondo
Votes: 199
8. Revolution (1968)
Not Rated | 87 min | Documentary, History, Music
A documentary that explores the counterculture of San Francisco in the mid-1960's. In HD.
Director: Jack O'Connell | Stars: Today Malone, Herb Caen, R.G. Davis, Louis Gottlieb
Votes: 222
9. Forbidden City, U.S.A. (1989)
56 min | Documentary, History
It was the swinging 30s. The big bands of the 40s. It was San Francisco night life Baghdad by the Bay. And the crowds were packing the nation's premiere all-Chinese nightclub, Forbidden ... See full summary »
Director: Arthur Dong | Stars: Larry Ching, Frances Chun, Charlie Low, Mary Mammon
Votes: 88
10. This Is the Zodiac Speaking (2008 Video)
102 min | Documentary, Crime
Retrospective documentary covering aspects of the Zodiac investigation, including interviews with the original investigators and surviving victims.
Director: David Prior | Stars: Pierre Bidou, Russell T. Butterbach, Les Lundblad, Richard Hoffman
Votes: 349
11. Fillmore (1972)
R | 105 min | Documentary, Music
A dozen rock groups are shown playing in the final five nights of shows leading up the closing of Fillmore West on July 4, 1971.
Director: Richard T. Heffron | Stars: Bill Graham, Marty Balin, Elvin Bishop, Ed Bogas
Votes: 149 | Gross: $0.16M
12. The Summer of Love (2017 TV Movie)
Documentary, History, Music
The story of the cultural, social, and political changes that were brought about following the 1967 Summer of Love in San Francisco.
Director: Lyndy Saville | Stars: Ryan Mandrake, Johnnie Walker, Simon Crocker, Anne Nightingale
Votes: 33
13. Up for Grabs (2004)
90 min | Comedy, Documentary
The absurd true story of the legal battle over the "Million-Dollar Baseball." Barry Bonds' record setting 73rd home run ball sparks a melee in the stands at Pac Bell Park in San Francisco. ... See full summary »
Director: Michael Wranovics | Stars: Marty Appel, Barry Bonds, Patrick Hayashi, Kevin M. McCarthy
Votes: 251 | Gross: $0.00M
14. The Cockettes (2002)
R | 102 min | Documentary
Documentary about the gender-bending San Francisco performance group who became a pop culture phenomenon in the early 1970s.
Directors: Bill Weber, David Weissman | Stars: Larry Brinkin, Peggy Cass, The Cockettes, Pristine Condition
Votes: 626 | Gross: $0.22M
15. When the World Came to San Francisco (2015)
79 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
A drama about a young woman's visit to the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. The film tells the story of the exposition, as imagined through the eyes of a visitor.
Director: R. Christian Anderson | Stars: Beverly Washburn, Gerry O'Brien, Grover James Taylor, Linda Joy
Votes: 11
16. Disaster by the Bay: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906 (2006 Video)
Not Rated | 60 min | Documentary
Disaster by the Bay: The Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, features never-before-seen footage, shot just minutes after the quake struck on April 18, 1906 at 5:13 a.m., ... See full summary »
Director: Ken Joy
Votes: 33
17. Something's Happening (1967)
75 min | Documentary
A documentary chronicling the "youth movement" of the late '60s on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip and San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district.
Director: Edgar Beatty | Stars: Muhammad Ali, Carl Franzoni, William Arthur Matons, Elliot Mintz
Votes: 95
18. City on the Hill (2020)
58 min | Documentary
Tech giant Google has pledged $1 billion to build more housing in the Bay Area. The plan includes 15,000 units on its own land, 5,000 additional affordable units over the next decade, and ... See full summary »
Director: Xavier Underwood | Stars: Nera Brent, Amos Brown, Miguel Bustos, Ben Carson
Votes: 29
20. Pursuit of Equality (2005)
80 min | Documentary
By issuing marriage licenses to same gender couples, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom uproots the status quo and attempts to change the way the nation looks at life, love, and marriage.
Directors: Geoff Callan, Mike Shaw | Stars: Gavin Newsom, George W. Bush, Rosie O'Donnell, Kelli O'Donnell
Votes: 77
21. Folsom Forever (2014)
TV-MA | 72 min | Documentary, History
Folsom Forever tells the story of how the Folsom Street Fair, held in San Francisco, grew into the biggest outdoor kink and fetish event in the world, and managed to do a lot of good along the way.
Director: Mike Skiff | Stars: Cléo Dubois, Jack Fritscher, Lance Holman, Liliane Hunt
Votes: 55
22. The Hippie Temptation (1967 TV Movie)
50 min | Documentary
Explores the way-out world of the Hippies and the Haight-Ashbury psychedelic 1960s LSD scene. Footage of LSDs users experiencing bummer trips. The Diggers, the Oracle and cool street and ... See full summary »
Stars: Peter Coyote, Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dead, Harry Reasoner
Votes: 42
23. Impossible Light (2014)
Not Rated | 71 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
'Impossible Light' follows Internationally renowned artist, Leo Villareal and his dedicated team as they set out to install 25,000 LED lights on the side of San Francisco's Bay Bridge for ... See full summary »
Director: Jeremy Ambers | Stars: Timothy Childs, Amy Critchett, Ben Davis, Dorka Keehn
Votes: 28
24. Last Call at Maud's (1993)
77 min | Documentary, History
From 1966 until 1989, Maud's was a San Francisco bar for women. Almost half the film sets the context leading to Maud's opening: lesbians discovering their sexual orientation and having few... See full summary »
Director: Paris Poirier | Stars: Tudy Aubry, Pat Bond, Jeanne Burns, Louette Colombano
Votes: 60
25. The Joy of Life (2005)
Not Rated | 65 min | Documentary, History
Beautifully composed landscape shots of San Francisco juxtaposed with voiceover detailing the emotional intricacies of the love affairs of a butch lesbian and the history of Golden Gate Bridge as the world's prime suicide location.
Director: Jenni Olson | Stars: Harry Dodge, Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Votes: 121
26. Neighborhoods: The Hidden Cities of San Francisco - The Castro (1997 TV Movie)
86 min | Documentary, History
Now known internationally as the world's first "gay hometown," San Francisco's Castro District was a quiet, working-class neighborhood of European immigrants only a few decades ago. In this... See full summary »
Director: Peter L. Stein | Stars: Terri Orth-Pallavicini, Ken Ruta, Brian Freeman, Marga Gómez
Votes: 40
27. A Day on Treasure Island (1939)
Approved | 10 min | Documentary, Short
A Traveltalks visit to the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, the "World's Fair of the West," on man-made Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay.
Star: James A. FitzPatrick
Votes: 104
28. Chatterbox Biography of a Bar San Francisco 1986-1990 (2009)
107 min | Documentary, Music
The Chatterbox was a neighborhood bar and hard rock/punk venue located in San Francisco's Mission District. 1986-1990. The documentary contains 34 interviews done in 2006-2007 and live ... See full summary »
Stars: Michael Butler, Ginger Coyote, Blag Dahlia, Greg Dale
29. Boom: The Sound of Eviction (2001)
96 min | Documentary
Directors: Francine Cavanaugh, A. Mark Liiv, Adams Wood
Votes: 11
30. Alcatraz Reunion (2008)
74 min | Documentary, Crime, History
Calling All Cons! With the 70th Anniversary of Alcatraz Penitentiary fast approaching, National Park Service Ranger John Cantwell is inviting every known ex-Alcatraz inmate - and their ... See full summary »
Director: John Paget | Stars: John Dekker, Armando Mendoza
Votes: 19
31. Paperback Dreams (2008)
Not Rated | 57 min | Documentary
In a time of increasing competition from mega-chains and online retailers, many local businesses are fighting for survival. Through the tumultuous story of two beloved Bay Area booksellers,... See full summary »
Director: Alex Beckstead | Stars: Joan Baez II, Clark Kepler, Gabriel Marin, Ralph Nader
Votes: 15
32. Tenderloin: Forgotten History (2011)
Documentary, Short
Director: Gene Wang | Star: Felicia Elizondo
33. Artists in Exile: A Story of Modern Dance in San Francisco (2000)
85 min | Documentary, History, Music
A story of Modern Dance in San Francisco chronicles over forty years of dance-making in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Directors: Austin Forbord, Shelley Trott | Stars: Remy Charlip, Della Davidson, Kim Epifano, Joe Goode
Votes: 10
34. Unstoppable Feat: The Dances of Ed Mock (2018)
62 min | Documentary
An investigation of the life of experimental, gay, Black SF based choreographer Ed Mock-and his death of AIDS in 1986. A look into a hidden history of avant-garde POC life in the Bay Area.
Director: Brontez Purnell | Stars: Marlon M. Bailey, Kelly Dezart Smith, Kenyon Farrow, Joe Goode
35. San Francisco Cable Cars (2017)
Not Rated | 93 min | Documentary
Before our modern transportation systems, cities in the United States were about as large across as the distance a person could walk. As technology advanced after the Civil War, the ... See full summary »
Director: Strephon Taylor | Stars: Nikki Blakk, Steve Cashen, Emiliano Echeverria, Taryn Edwards
36. Still Around (2011)
Not Rated | 82 min | Documentary, Biography
A feature length short film compilation that portrays 15 people living with HIV/AIDS from the San Francisco Bay Area. 16 well known local filmmakers collaborated with 15 protagonists to ... See full summary »
Directors: Emmanuelle Antolin, Daniel F. Cardone, S. Leo Chiang, William Clift, Deborah Craig, Robert Dekkers, Veronica Duport Deliz, Jörg Fockele, Stuart Gaffney, Sade Huron, Amir Jaffer, Tim Kulikowski, Rick Osmon, Anne Siegel, Marc Smolowitz, Paulina Velazquez, Debra A. Wilson, Ian Wolfley
Votes: 22
37.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
Golden Gate Bridge
(2004)
TV-PG | Documentary, Biography, History
Director: Ben Loeterman | Stars: David Ogden Stiers, Michael John Foley, Mike Kerrigan, Robert D. Murphy
Votes: 31
38.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
The Great San Francisco Earthquake
(1988)
TV-PG | 56 min | Documentary, Biography, History
An account of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the subsequent effort to rebuild.
Star: F. Murray Abraham
Votes: 87
39.
American Experience (1987– )
Episode:
Plague at the Golden Gate
(2022)
TV-PG | 115 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The bubonic plague outbreak in San Francisco's Chinatown in 1900 and the hunt to identify its source leads to a spate of violent anti-Asian sentiment.
Director: Li-Shin Yu | Stars: Lea Salonga, Marilyn Chase, David Morens, Mae M. Ngai
Votes: 118