Since the mid-1940s, the San Francisco Bay Area has been recognized internationally as one of the most vibrant centers of alternative/non-mainstream film culture in the world, with generations of filmmakers, curators and cultural institutions contributing to its ongoing reputation. Founded in 1961, the mission of San Francisco Cinematheque is to cultivate the international field of non-commercial, avant-garde/experimental filmmaking, to inspire aesthetic dialog among artists, to stimulate critical discourse, and to encourage appreciation of artist-made cinema across the broader cultural landscape. Cinematheque has been central to the region’s ongoing reputation at the international level and has also served as a focal point for local and regional artistic communities. The online collection documents programs and works presented by Cinematheque, in addition to over three decades of artistic and subcultural activity in the Northern California region.