San Francisco ShortsFest 2024

Stories that Resonate + Q&A

Expired October 28, 2024 6:59 AM
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6 films in package
Lefty O'Doul: America's Forgotten Hero
“Lefty” O’Doul was a man of peace and a humanitarian who went through life disguised as a baseball superstar. While O’Doul is best known for his lifetime batting average of .349, the fourth best in baseball history, few remember his mission to unite two bitter enemies four years after the end of WWII. The US occupied Japan for the first time in its long history, a shattered husk reeling from the destruction of war, atomic bombs, corruption, disease, and food shortages, along with a fractured economy, society, and a deep resentment of American occupation. Something had to be done.A member of Allied Commander General Douglas MacArthur’s staff knew of the Japanese’s passion for baseball and that “Lefty” was beloved for conducting baseball clinics in Japan since 1931. MacArthur’s response: “What are you waiting for?”O’Doul and his San Francisco Seals, a Pacific Coast League team he managed, were given a hero’s welcome. He greeted the sold-out stadium at the first game with “Tadaima”, meaning, “I am home.” The month-long tour and baseball clinics played out before half a million people and featured the flags of both countries being raised together while their anthems played for the first time since before the war. O’Doul also arranged for war orphans, shunned by society, to not only receive free tickets to a game but given the best seats in the house, stunning the Japanese press.A member of the Tokyo Board of Education wrote to O’Doul about the impact of the tour, claiming the event implanted sportsmanship and international brotherhood to children who would become the future leaders of Japan, and the perception of America as an ally and a friend. An astonished General MacArthur said it was one of the greatest acts of diplomacy in American history.While O’Doul died in 1969, the legacy of the 1949 Goodwill Tour of Japan resonates today. This incredible story has flown under the radar for 75 years. Until now.
Power Through
In February 2020, 85 year-old powerlifter Jim Gallagher is training for a world-record attempt at the USPA Summer Nationals in Vista, CA. Then the Covid pandemic shuts down the world and jeopardizes all he's worked for — and his life.
Not All Those Who Wander
In "Not All Those Who Wander," Michael Pierson, an Oceanic Society naturalist based in San Francisco, embarks on a singular mission: to find Morris, the only northern gannet in the Pacific. Totally isolated from his nearest relatives, Morris has vanished in the aftermath of severe winter storms.Michael, a gay man disowned by his family due to his sexual orientation, shares a deep, unspoken connection with Morris - both are far from their original homes, and Michael sees his own resilience reflected in Morris's struggle to adapt to an unfamiliar and isolating environment.Through this captivating narrative, "Not All Who Wander" explores the unique bond between a man and a bird, offering a moving testament to the powerful connection between nature and the human spirit.With cinematography that captures the breathtaking Northern Californian coast, and an emotionally charged storyline, the film showcases the unwavering determination of a man who sees himself in an unlikely feathered friend and who ultimately finds solace in the notion that, indeed, not all those who wander…are lost.
Rockland Palace
Rockland Palace hosted the largest of the drag balls in not only Harlem but New York City during the Roaring Twenties. This stylized reimagining of the ball contextualizes snippets of conversation actually heard at the drag and published in the scandalous gay novel, The Young and Evil, in 1933.
1001cuts
1001cuts explores the careers of the daughters of Title IX through the experiences of surgeons. Social and cultural change in the 1970's allowed for the opportunity to train and be included into this high stakes professional environment. This film documents the pervasive stereotypes and gender-based discrimination that persist within workplaces designed for, and still controlled by men. Within medicine and surgery, the failure to apply culture change has had wide ranging impacts on the careers of women, the healthcare system, and the patient care experience.
Stories that Resonate Q&A
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“Lefty” O’Doul was a man of peace and a humanitarian who went through life disguised as a baseball superstar. While O’Doul is best known for his lifetime batting average of .349, the fourth best in baseball history, few remember his mission to unite two bitter enemies four years after the end of WWII. The US occupied Japan for the first time in its long history, a shattered husk reeling from the destruction of war, atomic bombs, corruption, disease, and food shortages, along with a fractured economy, society, and a deep resentment of American occupation. Something had to be done.


A member of Allied Commander General Douglas MacArthur’s staff knew of the Japanese’s passion for baseball and that “Lefty” was beloved for conducting baseball clinics in Japan since 1931. MacArthur’s response: “What are you waiting for?”O’Doul and his San Francisco Seals, a Pacific Coast League team he managed, were given a hero’s welcome. He greeted the sold-out stadium at the first game with “Tadaima”, meaning, “I am home.” The month-long tour and baseball clinics played out before half a million people and featured the flags of both countries being raised together while their anthems played for the first time since before the war. O’Doul also arranged for war orphans, shunned by society, to not only receive free tickets to a game but given the best seats in the house, stunning the Japanese press.


A member of the Tokyo Board of Education wrote to O’Doul about the impact of the tour, claiming the event implanted sportsmanship and international brotherhood to children who would become the future leaders of Japan, and the perception of America as an ally and a friend. An astonished General MacArthur said it was one of the greatest acts of diplomacy in American history.


While O’Doul died in 1969, the legacy of the 1949 Goodwill Tour of Japan resonates today. This incredible story has flown under the radar for 75 years. Until now.

  • Runtime
    11 minutes
  • Country
    United States
  • Director
    Jon Brendan Leonoudakis
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