Janis Plotkin

The California Film Institute (CAFILM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and promoting film, as art and education, with a diverse series of annual programs, including the presentation of the internationally acclaimed Mill Valley Film Festival, celebrating its 43rd year in 2020 and the documentary film festival DocLands; building the next generation of young filmmakers and audiences through CAFILM Education, featuring a broad range of activities, screenings, Q&A sessions, and seminars with top international and local filmmakers and industry professionals, as well as a rich program of classes and hands-on-workshops for all Bay Area students and lifetime learners. Year-round, CAFILM acts as a film-centric town hall with a varied calendar of programming at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, one of the leading non-profit independent theaters in the U.S. Celebrating and promoting the art of storytelling through film enables CAFILM to engage an average of 275,000 guests throughout the year with films and events that entertain as well as address a breadth of social, environmental, and cultural issues. CAFILM is also the majority owner of the Sequoia Theater in Mill Valley, California. Additionally, through CAFILM Releasing, a national non-profit film distribution initiative, CAFILM enables filmmakers and sales agents to collaborate with U.S. independent exhibitors, giving nationwide audiences access to quality independent film and promoting this work as a valuable artistic and educational medium conveying different visions, viewpoints, and cultural perspectives. CAFILM relies on the generosity of its community to sustain these core programs. The invaluable support of our members, sponsors, foundations, corporate partners, and individual donors ensures our continued success.