To nurture and sustain the thriving local film community while attracting the next generation of filmmakers.

Arts & Culture , Fund Raising & Fund Distribution

Dear berkeley film foundation (bff) friend and partner:we are delighted to recap another successful year so that you may fully understand the profound difference that your support continues to make in nurturing the existing local independent filmmaking community while attracting the next generation of filmmakers. We could not be more proud to announce that a second bff student filmmaker has returned to be awarded a subsequent bff grant as a professional filmmaker. We are also thrilled that three bff-awarded student filmmakers have now been nominated and one has won a student academy award from the academy of motion picture arts & sciences (ampas)! See below for more news about bff-awarded student films that are winning student oscar nominations plus recognition at national and international film festivals! See below. Berkeley film foundation 2017 year-in-review2017 bff grants to filmmakers former bff student grant winner is back to win a second grant as a professional filmmaker! Bff-funded documentaries will reach audiences worldwide and tackle difficult topics such as mental illness, civil and human rights, gender, the environment, economic policy, and other social justice issues. Other films present a first or fresh look at local artists and those who are coming-of-age. The musical legacy of sheila e. The sacred and the snakein the 2017 grant cycle, a record 125 applicants were submitted and $193,000 awarded to 15 professional filmmakers plus seven student filmmakers from uc berkeley, san francisco state university and berkeley city college. Since 2009, bff has awarded 120 grants totaling over $1. 3 million, including 36 student grants. The annual $25,000 saul zaentz award went to sara lafleur-vetter, jonathan klett and romin lee johnson for their film, the sacred and the snake, about the dakota access pipeline. Sara previously won a 2015 student grant and we are proud to support her work now as a professional filmmaker! The annual $20,000 al bendich award went to lise pearlman whose film, american justice on trial, takes us back to 1968 and the black panther movement. This year bff welcomed the city of emeryville as a new funder! Their $10,000 grant went to emeryville filmmakers pratibha parmar for my name is andrea and peter li- pan lees film dont be a hero. See the entire list of incredible 2017 bff filmmakers and films, including jennifer steinmans the musical legacy of sheila e here . Bff grant winners continue to garner recognition berkeley film foundation grants help filmmakers leverage more financial support and awards. Brad bailey with his student oscar jason hanasiktwo 2017 student bff grant winners from uc berkeley graduate school of journalism --jason hanasik and brad bailey--were nominated in the student academy awards category by ampas. Brad bailey won the student academy award for his film, hale, a remarkable doc short about berkeley-based disability rights pioneer hale zukas, 73, who has had cerebral palsy since birth. 2016 student bff grant winner melina tupa and her film the search have since also won: student academy award finalist, 2017 fargo film festival best student film, docutah 2016 international documentary film festival best student picture and recognition at nine other national and international film festivals. Amir soltanis 2016 bff-grant winning film, dogtown redemption, was nominated for an emmy this year! Congratulations to the producing team! 2017 bff-grant winners jim lebrecht, nicole newnham and sara bolder have also just received grants from both neh media development and from the sundance doc fund for their film, crip camp. 2013 saul zaentz award winners, catherine ryan and gary weimberg received a prestigious 2017 gold aaas kavli science journalism award. Their film, my love affair with the brain, on famed neuroscientist and former uc berkeley professor marian diamond won for television: in-depth/feature reporting. Educational workshops professional development workshops and n