The Japan Times - Inside SFFILM’s Operations: Jordan Menashe on Managing Doc Stories Logistics

Jordan Menashe, Director of Operations at the San Francisco Film Society (SFFILM), manages the logistical infrastructure that supports the organization’s major events. Her role involves coordinating a vast array of variables to ensure that festivals and screenings proceed without disruption, often requiring rapid problem-solving in real time.

During the annual Doc Stories festival, scheduled for November 5-8 at the Vogue Theater, Menashe and her staff prepare for a demanding schedule. The operations crew works from 8 a.m. to midnight once the event begins each day. They are typically the first to arrive and the last to leave, handling roles that range from venue management and projection to logistics, equipment hauling, and technical support.

The team also manages hospitality and administrative needs, such as decorating spaces, stocking food and beverages for VIP lounges, and coordinating with other departments including marketing, media relations, and programming. Menashe noted that her team consists of two permanent staff members, Joey Smith and Zoë Hughes, along with several seasonal hires.

“There’s always going to be a number of things that we know. A lot of stuff that is repeatable,” Menashe said. “And there’s a shocking number of things we have to solve that are going to come up, some in the moment. That keeps it fun. You need to be willing to get a little grungy to do this work.”

Menashe emphasized that the goal of operations is invisibility. “The end goal of my work and the operations team is that no one knows what we’re doing. If we’re doing things very well, no one thinks about us at all,” she said. She described the role as a “low-ego job” requiring physical labor and creative problem-solving rather than glamour.

Emergency situations are part of the routine. Menashe recalled an incident during Doc Stories a couple of years ago when a director’s chair intended for a filmmaker’s on-stage Q&A was found to be badly stained backstage. Because the film could not be delayed, she assigned a team member to drive 40 minutes to the SFFILM office to retrieve a spare chair. The team then sneaked the replacement onstage in the dark while the credits rolled.

“We had to sneak it onstage in the dark while the credits rolled. Things like that happen constantly,” Menashe said. “We’re taking care of all the systems. I’ve done a version of everyone’s job on my team. I feel blessed to do all this work. I’ve done it so long that I understand what needs to happen.”

Menashe grew up in Los Angeles and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz. She has lived in San Francisco’s Outer Richmond district since 2017. Her career began with seasonal contract work at the SFFILM International Film Festival, as well as other festivals such as Sundance and the Mill Valley Film Festival.

For six years, she worked a circuit of temporary gigs, moving between cities and subletting apartments for two to four months at a time. “I used to come and go doing film festivals, which were temporary gigs,” Menashe said. “San Francisco was part of the circuit. I spent a lot of time in the Bay Area. It was really the place where I was happiest.”

She joined SFFILM as a permanent staff member in 2018 and has worked her way up through the ranks. To maintain order during events, Menashe and her team rely on databases and timelines to create a shared vocabulary for the entire staff.

“We have a lot of systems that we use that create a shared vocabulary for the entire staff. We’re executing a vision,” she said.

The upcoming Doc Stories festival will open on November 5 with a screening of “14th,” directed by Ava DuVernay. The film examines the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and is scheduled to stream on Netflix in December. Other highlights include “Darlene Love: I Know Where I’ve Been” on November 6 and the closing night selection, “Tutu,” on November 8. The festival also features shorts programs and panel discussions.

Following Doc Stories, SFFILM will host its annual fundraiser, Awards Night, on December 7 at Fort Mason’s Gateway Pavilion. The event attracts approximately 400 donors, members, media representatives, and VIPs. Past recipients of awards have included actors Demi Moore, Nicholas Cage, and Stephanie Hsu, as well as directors Sarah Polley, Ryan Coogler, Greta Gerwig, and Denis Villeneuve.

Looking ahead, Menashe will prepare for the 70th anniversary of the San Francisco International Film Festival in early 2027. The festival is scheduled for April 22 to May 2, 2027, at several Bay Area venues. She will lead a combined operations team of at least 15 seasonal crew members and staff.

“It’s the same systems on a different scale,” Menashe said.

Doc Stories takes place November 5-8 at the Vogue Theater, located at 3290 Sacramento St., San Francisco. More information is available at sffilm.org.

Y.Mori--JT