SF CritterFest presents:
BETTER CALL BABS
BETTER CALL BABS takes you on a ride-along with Babs Fry, exploring both her renowned work as a vigilante pet detective and the personal struggles that have made her the inspiration she is today. From high-stakes rescue missions to intimate moments of reflection, this documentary captures the chaos she embraces daily as a recovering addict turned hero.
If you’ve ever posted about a lost dog in San Diego, chances are you’ve heard the words echoed back to you time and time again: “Call Babs.”
That phrase exists for a reason.
Babs Fry — a Red Cross Award recipient, local legend, and undeniable badass — has become the face of pet recovery in San Diego because she shows up when others don’t know what to do next.
The BETTER CALL BABS Film takes you into the passenger seat of her iconic van and along for the ride — not just through the field work, but through the personal challenges, grit, and determination that shaped the woman behind the mission.
Q&A with filmmakers to follow the feature screening.
LIGHTS OUT
Each year, one billion birds perish crashing into North American buildings. In Chicago, the towering glass skyline intersects a major migration route. The Chicago Bird Collision Monitors work tirelessly before sunrise to rescue injured birds. Their mission is to protect these remarkable creatures caught between urban development and their ancient flyway.
'Lights Out' follows these dedicated volunteers as they patrol downtown streets, saving stunned survivors and collecting fallen birds for research. Through their work, rehabilitated birds continue their amazing spring and fall migrations while those lost to window strikes help scientists find solutions to preserve future generations of migrating birds.
AUSTIN BAT REFUGE
Austin Texas is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world with one and a half million Mexican free-tailed bats living under the South Congress Avenue bridge. It’s also home to the Austin Bat Refuge where orphaned and injured bats are rehabilitated in a safe environment until they’re ready to be released back into the wild.
FOR THE LOVE OF CATS
In the small mountain town of Barga, Italy, a group of four filmmakers speak with local cat lovers and immerse themselves in the unique world of street-trotting felines and Gattaras. Experience firsthand the connection between the people of Italy and the furry friends that walk alongside them.
SF IndieFest's latest festival is CritterFest, September 17 - 20, 2026, a series of films about animals, pets, wildlife. CritterFest is interested in exploring the profound resonance and interaction between humans and the animal kingdom with an eye towards the animal-human relationship.