Multi-Screening: Minor Accident of War - Directed by Diane Weis & Piotr Kabat, Broken Service - Directed by Chris Guiral, ASHES - Directed by Jiuxun Jin, Mirage - Directed by Kay Barnes, Silkies - Directed by Jaremey McMullin, Coming Home - Directe

Wake Up - Directed by Nate Townsend

In June of 2014, Ryan Candice, a high-achieving student at the University of Missouri, took his life days before his twenty-first birthday. Shocked and saddened, his friends set out to learn and educate others about one of the fastest-growing causes of death in the United States. 'Wake Up' interweaves the stories of four different frontlines of suicide prevention across the country, highlighting some of the communities most affected by the epidemic.

Her Cold Hands - Songwriter & Singer Stephen Covell

"I Flirt with Death" From these first lines of the song, former combat medic Stephen Covell tells an immensely personal story about his relationship with suicidal thoughts. When we first heard the song in a quiet room with just Stephen and his guitar, we knew it needed to be recorded because it demanded to be heard by a larger audience. However, the song's impact wasn't fully realized until we partnered with an incredibly talented team that shared the vision and purpose of the song. Dancers Terez Dean Orr and John Speed Orr, Director Matthew McKee, Choreographer Ben Needham-Wood, and Designer Susan Roemer have created a performance that is both beautiful and haunting. Together with Stephen Covell's original, heartfelt and honest music, the video leaves the audience with a new understanding of how suicide is sometimes viewed by those who struggle with mental health.

ASHES - Directed by Jiuxun Jin

At the time I first visit Virginia, I got to know an EOD soldier who is about deployed again to Afghanistan, though he partly recovered from a heavy physical injury, under the lack of veterans health care policy, he also struggles with many mental issues. In his home, he showed me some pictures and footage he took from the battlefield, along with telling his stories, and this film is one of his portraits.

Call Sign CHAOS: Gen. Jim Mattis and the U.S. Marine Corps - Directed by Carl Colby

This film is about 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, the recipient of The OSS Society's 2019 William J. Donovan Award®.

Mystery of Rick James - Directed by Francisco Gacuya

Two Investigators having dinner and revealed the truth about their investigation

Minor Accident of War - Directed by Diane Weis & Piotr Kabat

"Minor Accident of War" is based on a true story written and narrated by the man who lived it -- Edward Field, 95 yr old WWll veteran.In 1945, at 20 years old, Field was the navigator in the 8th Air Force during the war. On his 3rd mission over Germany, his plane lost all four engines after being hit by flak and crash landed in the North Sea. Hanging on to one of the two rafts in the freezing cold water, a decision was made that to this day has affected Field.

Introduction to the Veterans Film Festival

WARNING! Some films may trigger you please STAY SAFE...

Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 press 1

All films will be shown the entire week, each day will have the same films, you can pick multiple screening days.

Don’t miss our Director’s Panel on November 12, from 6-7:30 pm. Register here to join the event live on Zoom: bit.ly/VetFilmFest20

The director’s panel will feature directors from films included in the festival and be moderated by OneVet OneVoice founder Eddie Ramirez. The panel is hosted by the San Francisco Public Library, which is a proud sponsor of the Veterans Film Festival. Learn more about SFPL’s Services for veterans at sfpl.org/veterans. 

This Will Destroy You - Directed by Michael Hyon Johnson

An Army soldier home on holiday hides her dark past from family and friends during a Memorial Day barbecue.

Fighter Ace Ralph - Directed by Alexander Zane Irwin

The life of Korean War, WWII, and Vietnam War Fighter Pilot.

Mirage - Directed by Kay Barnes

Ayana and John are the mother and father of three wonderful children, whom are growing up in a military community. John is an Army officer and Ayana is a family medicine doctor. Despite the everyday stressors of juggling everything it takes to be a military family of five, Ayana and John seem to be thriving in their very proud self sustaining community. However, one winter evening while creating Christmas crafts with the kids, one of the kids finds an item that doesn’t belong to either John nor Ayana. Tensions rise between Ayana and John as the facade they have maintained begins to quickly shatter.

Casualty of Time - Directed by Jeremiah Jahi

A Marine becomes a CASUALTY OF TIME in his own life as he refuses to leave his father alone until he is chased down by himself and explained the impact of his choice onto his father.

Coming Home - Directed by Kevin A Kimball

Technical Sergeant Jack Ward, and Senior Airman Danny Spiro wait out a delay at the airport on their last leg home from a long deployment overseas. While Sergeant Ward has been through all this before, Airman Spiro is dealing with the reality of returning home for the first time to a baby girl who doesn’t know him and a wife who may no longer need him.

Stand Down - Directed by Paul Steinbroner

This film is about how Veterans are hit hardest by addiction and here at the annual Stand Down event these people are offered a way to overcome their trauma and find peace in connection and community.

Peace Together - Directed by Terah K. Hensley & Michael A. Margio

Forty five years after having left the war behind, two Army veterans return to Vietnam to face the past and find healing.

Operation Overlord: OSS and the Battle for France

The film tells the story of Allied special forces, Free French Forces and the French Resistance whose daring exploits behind enemy lines before and after D-Day changed the course of World War II.

Broken Service - Directed by Chris Guiral

USMC Veteran Francis saves his fellow Marine and best friend John from suicide, only to fall into a downward spiral himself. As his friend recovers, Francis descends further into his repressed pain, despite his wife - and John’s sister- Emily’s best efforts tohelp him. As John reconciles his past with therapy, Emily triesdesperately to keep Francis from falling into his own abyss....

Ocean Station November - Directed by Damon Stuebner

While patrolling an area of the Pacific Ocean designated “Ocean Station November”, the daily routine for the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Pontchartrain included launching weather balloons and conducting lifeboat drills. But in the early morning hours of October 16, 1956, the Coast Guardsmen prepared for the possibility of a mid-sea rescue when they received a distress call from a trans-oceanic airliner with multiple engine failures.

22 - Directed by Daniel Roy

A veteran returns home after years of fighting, only to find himself fighting another war within himself.

Back From The Brink - Directed by Dustin Jones & Emma Pettinga

Marine Corps veteran and filmmaker Dustin Jones sets out to understand the suicide epidemic among veterans through the lens of his former comrade, Bill Kirner. Bill’s marriage and life are threatened by PTSD. After intensive treatment, he and his wife Ashley are starting over and sharing their story with Dustin.

Silkies - Directed by Jaremey McMullin

Silkies is about an unorthodox way to bring military veterans together to prevent suicide. It profiles the work of 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. They then hike 22 kilometers with 22 kilograms on their backs to remember and mourn the 22 veterans who kill themselves on average each day. More importantly, the film documents how the Hikers are aiming to do more than ‘raise awareness’ about suicide; it shows how the Hikes' atmosphere of camaraderie, humor, and vulnerability actively prevents veteran suicide.

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.