What is the Windrider Virtual Film Forum?

Independent Films. Compelling Conversations.
Unexpected Journeys.

The Windrider Forum was launched in 2005 as a small class at the Sundance Film Festival to bring together filmmakers and film lovers in an immersive educational experience designed to facilitate thoughtful conversation, awaken compassion, and inspire change. Since 2010, Windrider Bay Area has hosted an annual Film Forum to screen important independent films which explore challenging issues in our world, followed by in-depth, moderated discussions with the filmmaker.

Our 2021 virtual event screened films and filmmaker conversations on five nights in the first two weeks of July. We featured live Q&A segments, allowing our audience to submit questions and engage in compelling conversations with our filmmakers after the films. Our goal was to continue our annual tradition of bringing these films and filmmakers to our engaged audience to serve as a catalyst for compassionate understanding and challenge us all to make a difference in the world and in our local communities.

During the past few years we have gained a deeper appreciation for the life-giving services of “essential workers” in our communities. Artists provide a different kind of “essential” service. Each year, Windrider Bay Area brings you films and filmmakers who want to inspire us with their stories and show that there are ways to find solutions to even the most difficult problems. Artists reveal our shared humanity, heal our deepest wounds, and help our hearts to soar. The “Lens of Hope” offered by these artists might be needed now more than ever.

Windrider Bay Area celebrates the essential artists in our lives as they inspire us to find solutions to our problems through the “Lens of Hope”. Thank you for supporting our film forum.