San Francisco International Film Festival

When you've tired of studio blockbusters and the dearth of engaging storytelling, this long-lived film festival restores your faith in film. Each year, the nonprofit organization regales audiences with some 200 films from 50 countries, showcasing international – and sometimes unexpected – perspectives on love, loss, war, and all sorts of universal topics. Movies are screened throughout the city, and tens of thousands of people take in the bounty annually. An astounding array of formats and styles is evident.