Embedded Files
Do You Remember? It's September
Image by Freepik
Welcome back, it’s September already! We are back from summer break in August and it’s almost time to get those fall sweaters out and walk through those leaves. Almost. We in the Bay Area know that September actually has some of the best weather so enjoy it out there this month and get creative!
Speaking of September, check out the Earth, Wind and Fire documentary called To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World, directed by Questlove on HBO!
For our upcoming WIFSFBA events, we have a Script Incubator table read on Monday September 21st, another virtual networking night for members on Thursday, September 10th evening, and a joint networking event with the Vine on October 1st in Oakland! Hope to see you all there!
-Nil Unerdem, WIFSFBA Secretary
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 15th also marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time for us to celebrate and honor the Hispanic & Latino/a/x community and their invaluable contributions to the entertainment industry.
Here are a few highlights of what’s going on around town in honor:
When We Win: Political Education Film Series
Date: September 15th, 7:30-9:30pm
Suggested donation: $5-25
Location: La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue Berkeley, CA 94705
“When We Win spotlights people’s struggles for liberation, decolonization, and the world to come.
Each screening will include political education with facilitation, interactive discussions, and conversations featuring remarks from filmmakers and/or organizers active in peoples’ movements for liberation and justice.
Presented by La Peña Cultural Center, Center for Political Education, and Freedom Archives.”
MORE INFO: When We Win & Tickets
Poetic Utterances: Work by Viviana Paredes
When: September 4 - November 15th, 2026
Where: MACLA Castellano Playhouse, 510 S 1st St San Jose, CA 95113
“Supported by MACLA and the Creative Work Fund, this solo exhibition features a new site-specific, immersive installation by San Francisco–based mixed-media artist Viviana Paredes. The multi-sensory exhibition expands her mixed-media sculptural practice by incorporating suspended glass artwork with sound and video projections. Through these interdisciplinary elements, Paredes explores themes of indigenous practices, language, and climate change.”
MORE INFO and tickets: Poetic Utterances & MACLA website
Film Events in the Bay Area
S.F. Film Preserve Executive Director Kathy Rose O’Regan Ushers in Inaugural Re:Vision – Festival of Restoration and Rediscovery
By Noma Faingold
After graduating from art school at the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology in Ireland (now called
Atlantic Technological University Galway), Kathy Rose O’Regan wasn’t sure what she would do with her degree in fine art printmaking. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life,” she said.
O’Regan, who moved to San Francisco 20 years ago, spent most of her 20s bouncing around in
forgettable jobs, especially bartending. “I knew had to figure it out because I didn’t want to stay in the service industry,” she said.
Her lifelong passion for cinema eventually led her to a couple of film-related internships, including at Oddball Films, an archival and historical resource known around the world. Located in the Mission District, Oddball Films was founded by the late Stephen Parr, an avant-garde film and video producer.
O’Regan, who has been working in the field since 2011, never saw herself as a filmmaker. Instead, she found her very specific niche in the industry: preservation and restoration. “I realized that it was a track that could make me really happy and be a really stimulating way of working,” she said.
She enrolled in an intensive, year-long program at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York, to earn a certification in film restoration and preservation.
Upon her return to San Francisco, she lived in the Mission before moving to the Outer Sunset District with her husband, George Fox, 16 years ago.
After a number of years working at such local non-profit organizations as the Bay Area Video Coalition and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival (an annual event which debuted in 1996), O’Regan, 42, is now Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Preserve, founded by Robert Byrne, currently the hands-on board president. A spinoff of the S.F. Silent Film Festival, SFFP was formed only two years ago and is presenting its first film festival, called Re:Vision – Festival of Restoration and Rediscovery, being held at the Roxie Theater, September 24-27.
SFFP takes its four-pronged mission of restoration, preservation, access and advocacy seriously. Each objective is being realized with the launch of Re:Vision. “There’s no point to restoring film if you don’t show it to anybody,” O’Regan said.
The festival, celebrating the work of archives and archivists around the world, will offer 14 programs, each containing both a restored feature film and a short. Re:Vision will showcase films from 18 countries, representing a wide variety of eras, styles and genres (including queer cinema).
O’Regan’s favorite selection in Re:Vision is “My Name Ain’t Suzie,” from 1985, screening on opening night. Directed by Angie Chen, the narrative film, set in the late 1950s and the 1960s, is centered around sex workers in Hong Kong.
“Aesthetically, it’s divine – the color profile, the cinematography,” O’Regan said. “It’s fast pace in someways, but it’s also a meditative look at female autonomy. The themes are very important, but it’s also an incredibly entertaining movie. The music is great. The performances are wonderful. The sets are just a riot of color.”
SFFP worked with small U.S. distributor Kani Releasing (specializing in underseen Asian cinema) and Celestial Pictures to bring the film to a San Francisco audience. Chen will introduce “My Name Ain’t Suzie” via video message.
One of the restoration projects spearheaded by SFFP is the 1928 silent rom com, “The Garden of Eden,” being screened the afternoon of September 27, with live accompaniment by the Club Foot Orchestra. The stylish, provocative Jazz Age comedy, directed by Lewis Milestone, was a big production filmed toward the end of the silent era. “It’s a delightful film,” O’Regan said. “It’s very forward-looking.”
The restoration process is almost always a long, arduous operation. It is costly, as well (as much as
$50,000). It starts with research and requesting whatever materials might be available through
archivists, including the U.S. Library of Congress and the George Eastman Museum. Essentially, SFFP goes through material frame by frame and works with lab technicians to create a full restoration. “Our aim is always to bring a film back as close as possible to how it would have appeared to audiences upon its original release,” O’Regan said.
SFFP has been working on restoring several short films, from the silent era and beyond. O’Regan may have experienced the pinnacle of her career on June 20 of this year, when the SFFP restoration project, “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans,” the 1927 Academy Award winning (at the first ceremony) romantic drama, directed by F.W. Murnau of Germany and starring Janet Gaynor, premiered on opening night of the 40th IL Cinema Ritrovato Festival at the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna, Italy.
More than 7,000 spectators watched the 4K digital and 35mm restoration, compiled from surviving international archival elements, on a giant outdoor screen, while listening to Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna play a new score composed and conducted by Timothy Brock.
Nitrate Inspection in Bologna
Grading in Bologna
Grading in Bologna
Grading in Bologna
*Images courtesy of SF Film Preserve
O’Regan, who worked on “Sunrise” for two years, was emotional when she introduced the film that
evening. “It was astonishing seeing a sea of people watching this 100-year-old film. I started crying as soon as I got off stage,” she said. “People were thanking us for the restoration afterwards. For some, it was the first time they’d ever seen a silent film. There’s nothing quite like seeing a silent movie with an orchestra. It’s very powerful.”
O’Regan said there is great demand around the world to show “Sunrise.” There are already 14 bookings at festivals and independent screenings. She promises the masterpiece will come to San Francisco in the near future.
Re:Vision – Festival of Restoration and Rediscovery, is being presented by the San Francisco Film Preserve at the Roxie Theater, September 24-27.
Info: SF Film Preserve and Roxie Theater
Capsule Reviews of Three Films at Re:Vision
The inaugural Re:Vision – Festival of Restoration and Rediscovery, presented by the San Francisco Film Preserve, dares film enthusiasts to embark on a cinematic adventure by discovering an out-of-circulation film or two, brought back to life by dedicated people and organizations with the singular goal of sharing valued works. The eclectic slate of 14 programs will be screened at the Roxie Theater, September 24-27.
Here are three very different feature film selections worth checking out:
My Name Ain’t Suzie (1985) Opening night, September 24, 7 p.m.
The fast-paced, lushly-shot period drama, directed by Angie Chen, is so compelling that it’s surprising it hasn’t been remade (as opposed to being restored) into a big-budget Hollywood film.
Set in the red-light district Wan Chai of Hong Kong from the late 1950s through the 1960s, My Name Ain’t Suzie is centered around sex workers, primarily serving servicemen of the U.S. Navy.
What makes the unflinching story unusual is that it’s not only female-focused, it follows the fascinating metamorphosis of Shui-Mei (played by Patricia Ha), from a poor, young woman, living on the outskirts of town and fishing to survive to become a successful madam of a brothel (along with other thriving business ventures). She protects the women who work for her and leads by example.
Shui-Mei’s transformation into a glamorous and self-assured woman is remarkable, given that several traumatic things happen to her as the plot thickens, such as violence, confronting mob corruption and relationship betrayal. She never acts like a victim. The sophisticated fashion and sparkly set design is complimentary to Shui-Mei’s tenacious persona.
The Outcasts (1982) September 25, 8:30 p.m.
The Outcasts, directed by Robert Wynne-Simmons, provides an origin of the sub-genre known as folk-horror. With the opening of hearing Irish violin music, the viewer is transported to another time and place, in this instance, a rural, poor and harsh setting in 1810. The story is based on Irish mythology. It is akin to a Grimm’s fairytale or magical realism.
It’s about death, fear, bullying, grief, loneliness, jealousy, superstition, poverty, hard living and resilience. It’s actually not that scary. Even when the two main characters, outcasts Scarf Michael, an elusive fiddler (Mick Lally) and village reject Maura (Mary Ryan), wake up in a dilapidated cemetery, which frightens a disoriented Maura, Michael reassures her by saying, “The dead are our friends.”
The rugged Ireland landscape of rocky, muddy walking paths and unforgiving winters, adds to the mystery as the story unfolds. There’s not a lot of joy among the villagers. Even a wedding celebration quickly turns confrontational and messy.
A handful of existential dilemmas and bewitching ambiguity (including the ending) keep things interesting.
The Waiting Room (1973) September 27, 1:20 p.m. Expected guest: writer/director and Fresno resident Karen Sperling.
I’m not going to mislead anybody. The Waiting Room, a dreary and psychologically murky black-and-white film, is kind of weird. However, director Karen Sperling was perhaps ahead of her time in grappling with the stifling, conventional trappings of being a woman in the early 1970s.
In The Waiting Room, it’s not just young women and their mothers who are expected to adhere to traditional roles. No one is given room to carve out their own path or go against societal norms. Characters expressing feminist views are dismissed.
The story proceeds in a disjointed way, depicting female characters who are either ridged, confused, frustrated, delusional, or all of the above. They are living under the patriarchy. The male characters (husbands and doctors) are the protectors or are they the oppressors?
Much of the low-budget The Waiting Room is shot at Manhattan State Hospital, a fluorescent-lit, sterile setting so institutional, it is claustrophobic.
The trancelike tone of the dialogue and the opaque background in several scenes reinforces a no-way-out feeling among most of the characters. Key themes of The Waiting Room (the title has more than one meaning in the film) is about choices and whether marriage is the end-all and be-all. More than 50 years later, has that much changed? The tradwife and manosphere movements, rolling back of women’s rights and proliferation of reality shows like, “The Bachelor” and “Real Housewives of …” are displays of regression.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive - Alice Diop in Person
When: September 3-18th, 2026
Where: BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street Berkeley, CA
“Alice Diop is one of the most significant filmmakers working in France today. Diop’s cinema is rooted in Seine-Saint-Denis, the suburban department on the outskirts of Paris where she grew up—a world largely absent from French screens. Her films counter the collective imaginary that has long defined territories like Seine-Saint-Denis, offering instead an intimate, granular account of the lives lived within them. Across eight documentaries and her debut fiction film, Saint Omer (2022), she has crafted a cinema of formal rigor and ethical commitment, attending to the overlapping pressures of racial, economic, geographic, and gendered exclusion.
In conjunction with her residency at UC Berkeley as 2026–27 Avenali Chair in the Humanities at the Townsend Center for the Humanities and Pajus Distinguished Visitor in French Studies, BAMPFA presents a retrospective of Diop’s films. In a 2022 interview with Bedatri D. Choudhury, Diop spoke of discovering cinema’s potential “as a tool for historical, sociological, political, anthropological reflection” through filmmakers like Frederick Wiseman. However, she explained, it took her “a long time to admit to myself that I was a filmmaker because—coming from where I come from, as a woman, as a Black woman, as a person who’s not an industry insider . . . there was nothing in place to make me feel legitimate. I entered cinema as a kind of a pirate, as a way to deal with my rage, my melancholy, my pain, my sadness, my despair at inhabiting a society that refused to look at me and at my family. And at people like us.” Diop’s extraordinary work is changing that one frame at a time.
—Maya Sidhu and Kate MacKay, Film Curator”
MORE INFO: BAMPFA - Alice Diop
24th Oakland International Film Festival
When: September 9-19th, 2026
Where: Grand Lake Theatre, Oakland, CA
Cost: $17.85/ticket
“Presented by The Oakland Film Society, The 24th Oakland International Film Festival (OIFF24) will showcase independent films from September 9-19th, 2026 at various venues in the City of Oakland.
In addition to hosting indoor and outdoor screenings, OIFF24 hosts networking events, parties, panel discussions and special events to promote independent filmmakers and the stories they tell in the city of Oakland, California.
Oakland, California, is known as a city that speaks truth to power. Therefore, we seek films that bring voice to the voiceless.
We seek to connect these stories to what is happening in Oakland, CA and around the world to inspire community empowerment, equality and justice for all.
If your film is for the people, it's for The Oakland International Film Festival.”
MORE INFO: Oakland International Film Festival
Ocean Film Festival
When: September 4th, 2026, 7-9:30PM
Where: Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA
Cost: $22/ticket
“Supporting Save our Shores - Dive into the Depths of the 13th Annual Ocean Film Festival World Tour
The Ocean Film Festival World Tour, now in its 13th year, is set to make a splash across the globe in 2026, returning with a powerful and visually stunning line-up of films that celebrate the ocean from every angle — above the surface, beneath the waves, and deep into the stories that connect us all to the sea.
This year’s tour promises an unforgettable night out for ocean lovers, featuring six remarkable films from around the globe. From high-stakes adventure and record-breaking journeys to intimate portraits of marine life and environmental restoration, the 2026 program is packed with breathtaking cinematography, inspiring characters, and a deep respect for the ocean and the communities shaped by it.
One of the standout films in the 2026 program is The Raftsmen, an epic story of courage and endurance. Twelve unlikely adventurers from seven different countries come together to attempt a feat few would dare imagine — crossing the world’s largest ocean on three handmade wooden rafts, guided only by the sun and stars. Battling storms, starvation, and the psychological toll of life at sea, their six-month journey remains the longest raft expedition ever completed. Now, fifty years later, the original 16mm footage has been beautifully restored into 4K, allowing modern audiences to witness the sheer scale of this once-in-a-lifetime ocean odyssey.
Jemima Robinson, Founder and CEO of the Ocean Film Festival World Tour, says the 2026 season continues the festival’s mission to share ocean stories that move, inspire and connect audiences.”
MORE INFO: Ocean Film Festival
Letter from the President
Dear Members and Friends,
As summer fades and we welcome the fall season, I’m reminded of how much change can energize and inspire us. September has always felt like a transition for me, a moment to take stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, and what we still hope to create before the year comes to a close.
This year, as National Hispanic Heritage Month approaches, I’ve found myself thinking more deeply about my own family history. I recently learned that my great-grandmother was half Mexican and half German, and that her husband, my great-grandfather, was Mexican and from Chihuahua, Mexico. They came from Mexico and raised twelve children. Years later, my father was born not in a hospital, but on the farm in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles where his parents worked as day laborers. He and his three brothers grew up working alongside their family, and his father later went on to manage the farm. Eventually, the family had a produce stand of their own.
The more I learn about where my family came from, the more grateful I am for those who came before me. Their hard work, perseverance, and sacrifices gave the generations that followed, including my own, the opportunity to have a better life. As a Latina filmmaker who grew up in Los Angeles, I carry that gratitude with me. The Latino community has always been woven into the foundation of Los Angeles and into the film industry itself, behind the camera, in front of it, and in the countless jobs that make storytelling possible.
When I produced East Side Sushi, it was truly a labor of love. That experience reminded me of the power of telling stories that come directly from our own communities, stories filled with heart, family, perseverance, and hope. More recently, films like Blue Beetle and A Million Miles Away have continued to show just how expansive and deeply human Latino stories can be. Have you watched any of these films? If not, I encourage you to give them a watch, along with East Side Sushi. They are heartfelt films that stay with you long after the credits roll.
At a time when many in our Latino community are once again facing uncertainty and difficult challenges, I feel especially proud to be Latina. I am proud of our resilience, proud of what we contribute, and proud of the generations who came before us and helped create opportunities for those who followed. Our stories are not a trend, and our voices are not temporary. We have always been here, and we will continue to create, contribute, and tell our stories.
That idea of authentic storytelling has also been on my mind lately. For decades, one of the goals of organizations like Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area has been to make sure women have the opportunity to tell their own stories. Today, we are entering a fascinating new era. AI avatars can look human and AI voices can sound authentic. Sometimes we don’t even know whether the person we are watching is real, let alone whether the perspective we are absorbing belongs to a woman, a man, or a machine. It is exciting, and unsettling, and a powerful reminder of just how important, valuable genuine human storytelling has become and how it is now our responsibility to keep that alive.
At the same time, we are consuming more content than ever. We listen to podcasts while driving, squeeze in another episode before bed, scroll Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and move through an endless stream of stories, opinions, reels, and news. We pride ourselves on being productive, but I sometimes wonder if we have forgotten how to simply be.
As filmmakers and creatives, that can be especially difficult. Making a film, writing a script, or creating anything in multimedia can feel like weathering a storm. Many of you are balancing your creative work with full-time jobs, raising families, caring for loved ones, or simply trying to make ends meet. There are moments in every creative life when it feels as though we are treading water somewhere in the middle of the sea, with the shore equally distant in every direction. But we are rarely as alone as we think. A friend reaches out, a mentor offers encouragement, the right collaborator appears, or an unexpected opportunity gives us just enough momentum to keep going.
Sometimes, though, what we really need is permission to stop moving for a moment. My birthday was in August, and every year my family returns to Hawaii. We stay in the same house, visit the same friends, family, eat at the same restaurants, and spend hours floating in the ocean. It has become more than a vacation. It is a ritual and a reset.
This year was especially meaningful. My son celebrated his 30th birthday in July, and for his birthday I made a one-hour film about his life that we surprised him with and watched at a movie theater at Cinelounge in Tiburon ( thank you Christine and Camilla Jackson Meloi). It began with his baby videos and photographs, moved through middle school and the many videos and photos from his young adult life, and ended with messages from forty friends and family members sharing their memories, love, and wishes for him. It was incredibly moving to sit back and watch this young life unfold on screen, a life I have had the honor and privilege to be part of. At the end of August, he also directed his very first horror short film. Watching him step into this new chapter reminded me how quickly time moves and how important it is to celebrate the people we love while we are fortunate enough to have them beside us, and to take the time to slow down, check back in with ourselves, and find a little balance in the middle of everything life asks of us.
When I’m floating in the Pacific, something remarkable happens. For a few moments, I stop judging myself. I stop measuring my productivity. I stop worrying about what comes next. I simply allow myself to be present, and ironically, that is often when the best ideas arrive. It is when I refill my cup and remember why I became a storyteller in the first place. Creativity does not only happen when we are working. Sometimes it happens while we are floating, taking a walk, watching a sunset, or spending an afternoon with people who remind us who we are outside of our careers. If the tides can pause before changing direction, perhaps we can too.
As we enter this new season together, I hope you make space not only to create, but also to rest, reflect, and reconnect with the people and experiences that inspire you. Read something that challenges you. Watch a film that moves you. Support another filmmaker. Tell your own story with courage and authenticity. The work will still be there when you return.
That feels especially fitting as we celebrate Labor Day. Our industry is built by people whose work is often invisible. Every film, television series, documentary, commercial, and independent project exists because of countless hours of preparation, collaboration, sacrifice, and craftsmanship. When I think about my own family history and the labor of the generations who came before me, I’m reminded that so much of what we are able to build today rests on the work and sacrifices of others.
That same spirit of dedication and service is something I see within our own organization every day. I want to personally thank our incredible Board, Diane Walsh, Carol Hall, Nil Unerdem, Darlene DeRose, Nichole Carlson and Kelli A. White, for everything they give to Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area. Their time, commitment, ideas, and passion for our community mean more than I can say, and I am truly honored to serve our members side by side with each of them.
This Labor Day, I hope we all take a moment to appreciate not only the work we do, but the people doing that work beside us, and perhaps, for just a little while, give ourselves permission to put the work down.
As we move into the final stretch of the year, I hope September brings you renewed energy, meaningful connections, creative inspiration, and the courage to tell the stories only you can tell.
With gratitude,
Julie Rubio
President
Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area
WIFSFBA EVENTS
WIFSFBA Virtual Networking Night
WIFSFBA Virtual Networking Night
When: Thursday, September 10th, 6:00-7:00pm PDT
Where: Zoom
Cost: Free
Join WIFSFBA for an exciting Virtual Networking Night, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet fellow members, share your projects, exchange ideas, and build new collaborations—all from the comfort of your home!
Whether you're looking for a creative partner, industry advice, or just want to expand your network, this is the perfect chance to engage with a vibrant community of women in film and media.
Expect breakout room discussions, and engaging conversations with like-minded creatives. Don’t miss this chance to grow your network and get inspired!
MORE INFO: RSVP here
Script Incubator Monthly Table Reads
Script Incubator Monthly Table Reads
When: September 21st 2026, 7-9PM Pacific
Where: Zoom
The Script Incubator meets on Zoom every third Monday (sometimes second due to holidays) from 7:00-9:00 p.m. to discuss the group’s work, which includes TV pilots, features, shorts, and web series. Continuing in 2026, we are reviewing each other's work "table read" style, in which we will read aloud up to 3 script portions of 1-10 pages each. No homework!
We are also seeking actors to bring the parts alive so screenwriters can hear their words aloud. Each Zoom session will be recorded so the screenwriter can go back and see what worked and what didn't. And all participants will be encouraged to give feedback and support each other during the meetings.
If you have any questions about the table-read or would like to reserve a spot for your script at the next meeting, feel free to contact Carol Hall at bod-admin@wifsfba.org with “Script Incubator” in the subject line.
WIFSFBA and The Vine present: Building a Creative Career That Lasts: Finding Opportunity in a Changing Industry
WIFSFBA and The Vine present: Building a Creative Career That Lasts: Finding Opportunity in a Changing Industry
When: Thursday, October 1st, 6:00-8:00pm Pacific
Where: Informal Spaces (formerly Port Labs), 2044 Franklin St., Oakland, CA
Cost: $5
What does it take to build a creative career that lasts when the industry itself keeps changing?
Join WIFSFBA and The VINE on October 1 at Informal Spaces in Oakland for an in-person conversation about navigating today’s evolving creative economy. Bringing together perspectives from creative hiring, staffing, career development, and working professionals, our panel will explore how changing hiring practices, shifting career paths, new technologies, and an evolving industry are reshaping the way creatives find work and build meaningful careers.
We’ll dig into the skills that matter now, new strategies for finding opportunities, and the enduring importance of relationships, personal visibility, and community. Come for candid insights and practical advice, then stay for audience Q&A and networking with fellow Bay Area creatives.
Join us Wednesday, October 1:
6:00-6:15pm Arrival/Pizza
6:15-7:15pm Panel
7:15-7:45pm Q&A
7:45-8:30pm Networking
Register through the Vine website!
September Community Networking
The Vine: The Video Industry Networking Event
The Vine: The Video Industry Networking Event
When: Thursday, September 3rd, 6:00-8:30 PM PDT
Where: Informal Spaces (formerly Port Labs), 2044 Franklin St., Oakland, CA
Cost: $5
“The September mixer promises to be another fantastic opportunity to catch up with colleagues and forge new connections.
And the theme is 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩?
We'll have prompts on this theme for you to use as you have conversations with fellow creatives.
And you'll have the opportunity to promote yourself and what you are working on, during the last portion of the evening in a segment we call 𝘝𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘦.
So whether you're a filmmaker, DP, motion designer, producer, editor, or play ANY role in the video industry, The VINE is the place to be for networking, promotion and inspiration.”
Register here: Vine Mixer Event
SF Wednesday Winedown
SF Wednesday Winedown
Join member Kristin Tieche for the Wednesday Winedown in San Francisco every month!
Keep a lookout for the announcement on our social media channels, WIFchat and the WIFSFBA website local meetups page!
For this month, from Kristin:
Hey WIFSFBA members,
Please join me for a glass of vino on Wednesday 9/2 at Beretta Divisadero for the next Wednesday Winedown. In addition to getting together and sharing ideas, we'll also be celebrating my birthday! 🎉
When: Wednesday 9/2 at 5:30 pm
Where: Beretta Divisadero, 661 Divisadero Street
Happy Hour ends at 6 pm!
East Bay Meetup
East Bay Meetup
WIFSFBA members (Beth Barany and Amy Boyd) have organized an East Bay meet-n-greet in Oakland, a WIFSFBA hub.
Ideally, we'll meet monthly on the third Wednesday of the month. Keep an eye out on WIFchat or social media! Come join us to connect, share, schmooze, and make new filmmaking friends!
Open to all -- Bring your filmmaking buddies and colleagues. Keep an eye out on WIFchat and the WIFSFBA website local meetups page!
Thank you Beth and Amy!
South Bay meetup
South Bay meetup
To serve members and friends in the South Bay, Diane Walsh (our Vice President) has organized a monthly meetup for South Bay Area filmmakers to chat, share career experiences, find project partners…and even go to the movies together now and again!
September’s MEETUP will be: September 17, 2026 @ 10:30am, Panera Bread - 5110 Cherry Ave, San Jose CA 9518.
Please RSVP at d.maree.walsh@gmail.com using the subject line: South Bay Meetup.
WIFSFBA UPDATES
Self-Distributing Independent Films Event - Wrap-Up
Self-Distributing Independent Films Event - Wrap-Up
Thanks for joining us on Friday, July 17th for this amazing panel with filmmakers, producers, and distribution experts who have successfully navigated multiple paths to market. Our panelists shared real-world insights from international sales and acquisitions, wide independent theatrical release, festival-driven distribution, streamer licensing, grassroots audience-building, and event-based release strategies.
Thank you to our panelists below.
Sean Harris Oliver, Canadian writer and producer
Katherine Dudas, award-winning director and screenwriter
Mark Padilla, President of Worldwide Sales and Acquisitions at Jackrabbit Media
Blake Wellen, film producer, East Meets West Productions
Julie Rubio, award-winning film director, producer, writer, and actor, Founder East Meets West Productions, WIFSFBA President
Become a Dual Member of WIFSFBA & New York Women in Film and Television
Become a Dual Member of WIFSFBA & New York Women in Film and Television
New York Women In Film and Television (NYWIFT) is offering dual membership to WIFSFBA members. If you are a WIFSFBA member in good standing, you may purchase a NYWIFT Industry Level membership for $100 (plus a $50 initiation fee), a saving of 50% off the normal $200 membership. Membership in NYWIFT includes:
Online and in-person networking and learning events
Marketing Creative Talent in weekly e-blast, Twitter, and Members in the News Webpage
Advanced Screenings
Online Member Center
Benefits Program
Fiscal Sponsorship
Affinity Groups and Committees
Electronic Copies of NYWIFT Publications
One Member-Price Ticket to the NYWIFT Muse Awards
For more information, please see the description here, and download and fill out form. Applications may be emailed or snail mailed to the addresses inside the application. If you have any questions, please email membership@nywift.org or call 212 679-0870 x 31.
WIFSFBA Public Member Crew List
WIFSFBA Public Member Crew List
One perk of individual WIFSFBA membership is the Public Member Crew List that you can opt into, accessed through the WIFSFBA website under "Join Us" then "Hire Us." Take a look here to find your next crew, or list yourself and your skills!
Check it out here: Women In Film San Francisco Bay Area - Public Member Crew List
WIFSFBA Private Member Crew List
WIFSFBA Private Member Crew List
A similar perk of individual WIFSFBA membership is the private version of the public list (those who prefer to only be viewed by other WIFSFBA members). This Private Member Crew List can be seen by logging into our website. This is another great resource to find collaborators, crew, and connections!
Check it out here: Women In Film San Francisco Bay Area - Member Directory
WIFSFBA Merch Store!
WIFSFBA Merch Store!
Check out our exclusive new WIFSFBA Film Role Apparel (Producer, Director, Screenwriter, etc.)! Wear your film role with pride AND support Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area at the same time! Whether you're treating yourself or finding the ideal gift for a friend, we've got something special for everyone. Check out the online store here: WIFSFBA merch!
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
Carol Lee Hall's The Jeweled Bird Seed & Spark Campaign!
Carol Lee Hall's The Jeweled Bird Seed & Spark Campaign!
Carol Lee Hall, our amazing WIFSFBA Treasurer, is currently fundraising for her exciting new film project called The Jeweled Bird, which has already earned recognition with its award-winning sizzle reel at the Chinatown Film Festival in LA where it won for Best Trailer and Audience Choice Award. We hope you’ll take a moment to watch the sizzle and if you’re inspired by her vision, consider supporting her campaign.
For more information on her Seed & Spark campaign for The Jeweled Bird, please visit here: The Jeweled Bird Seed & Spark
Congratulations, Carol! Thank you for your leadership, dedication to Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area, and for continuing to create meaningful independent cinema.
The Dreamers and I by Nancy Kelly
The Dreamers and I by Nancy Kelly
From WIFSFBA member Nancy Kelly:
“THE DREAMERS AND I, which I co-produced and co-wrote and Kenji Yamamoto directed, premieres on PBS and streams on PBS.org starting on August 1.
THE DREAMERS AND I follows 3 immigrant entrepreneurs navigating the cutthroat world of today’s American startup. Over a 10-year period, their journeys unfold inside a Silicon Valley ‘hacker house,’ revealing the promise, pressure, and pitfalls of startups. The film offers a deeply human examination of the American Dream and an unflinching look at the struggle to build the technology of tomorrow.
“Ebullient and inquisitive!” – Pam Grady, SF Chronicle
Find out where to watch DREAMERS by clicking this link.
In September, The WORLD Channel will air DREAMERS on PBS stations covering 70% of the country:
• Saturday, 9/12 at 11 PM ET, 10 PM CT, 9 PM MT, 8 PM PT
• Monday, 9/14 at 5 AM ET, 4 AM CT, 3 AM MT, 2 AM PT
Check worldchannel.org to see if your local station is a subscriber.
We especially like the PBS.org streaming option because you can watch DREAMERS any place, any time!”
Congratulations Nancy and best of luck with your film!
Kathryn Machi's script Firebird is a Semi-Finalist at the Writer's Lab
Kathryn Machi's script Firebird is a Semi-Finalist at the Writer's Lab
Kathryn Machi’s feature script Firebird is a semi-finalist for the prestigious Writer’s Lab in NYC that elevates women screenwriters over 40.
Here is more information on Firebird from Kathryn:
“Firebird is an international, multicultural, multilingual, dance, music, rodeo, adventure, and family drama feature set in the Cherokee Nation and the Camargue, the cowboy and Roma heart of France. The film helps obliterate outdated tropes of cowboys and Indians, instead celebrating indigeneity with its entertaining, uplifting, burning heart of HOPE, grounded in a fractured but loving family, passion, and communication across cultures and time.
Kathryn’s bio:
Kathryn Machi, MFA, writes intercultural, historical, female-centric, and multi-generational screenplays and stories, often through the lens of art, myth, and spirit. Firebird, a dance and family drama set in the Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, and the Camargue, South of France, and Clan (aka June Rose), a historical TV drama set in 1960s San Francisco and early 20th-century Indian Country, are each on the Indigenous List, representing "the best and most promising Native creatives in the film and television industry."
Other film projects include a dance thriller informed by the Persephone myth, set in San Francisco's North Beach and Sunset District, a romantic drama set in 1980s Paris, and an adaptation of Sophy Burnham's A Book of Angels, the true story that ignited international angel consciousness in the 1990s: "an elegant report from the place where earth and heaven meet."
A holistic practitioner, instructor, and erstwhile modern dancer, Kathryn is a Bay Area native, dual U.S.-French citizen, and proud, enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Mother to two bicoastal, multicultural adult children, she lives with her husband on the foggy edge of Yelamu, also known as San Francisco. She is repped by Brian Judy, Bohemia Group.”
Sundance Film Festival - Illuminative
Congratulations Kathryn!
Do you have career or event news you’d like to share with fellow members?
We’d really like to hear about any recent career accomplishments, awards, new ventures, or a positive experience having to do with our industry. This is one of the advantages to being part of an organization like WIFSFBA -- by letting others know what you’re doing, you can expand your creative family and even find new collaborators for future projects.
So…take a moment to sit down and write something you’d like to share with your WIFSFBA sisters. Then email that blurb and any related images to bod-admin@wifsfba.org with ‘Members in the News’ in the subject line. Do it now rather than next week -- you deserve to shine! Submit one week before the end of the month to be included in the next newsletter.
Community Partners:
Events & Invitations
A BIG Thank You to our “Self-Distributing Independent Films” Community Partners
A BIG Thank You to our “Self-Distributing Independent Films” Community Partners
FUNDRAISING FOR DIRECTORS - a Virtual Workshop
Our Community Partner, Alliance of Women Directors (AWD), presents Fundraising for Directors, an interactive 90-minute virtual workshop designed to demystify fundraising for independent filmmakers.
While filmmakers often hear about traditional financing, many projects are also made possible through contributed revenue: including grants, fiscal sponsorship, sponsorships, and individual donors. This workshop will help directors identify the right funding sources, craft a compelling case for support, avoid common fundraising pitfalls, and build a practical fundraising strategy for a short film, feature, or series.
Attendees will also learn about AWD’s Fiscal Sponsorship Program, which enables eligible projects to raise tax-deductible contributions from individuals, foundations, and donor-advised funds.
September 23 | 5:00–6:30pm PT | Virtual
Our community receives 50% off the $90 registration fee -- use code [CP CODE].
Register: Fundraising for Directors
Call for Submissions
Maker Faire Bay Area Two Minute Film Festival
Maker Faire Bay Area Two Minute Film Festival
Festival: September 25-27th, 2026
Where: Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 560 Nimitz Ave. Vallejo, CA 94592
Submission Deadlines: September 8th, 2026
Fees: Free
“The Maker Faire Two-Minute Film Festival is back for 2026 — and it’s your turn to roll camera. This is a celebration of backyard productions, hand-built practical effects, cardboard sets, homemade costumes, and sensational props cobbled together with pure maker ingenuity. Two minutes. That’s all it takes to prove anyone can make a movie — even you.
This year’s theme is “Where Curiosity Leads” — and how you interpret it is entirely up to you. Sci-Fi, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Horror, Musical, Children’s — all genres welcome. We welcome submissions from filmmakers of all ages, including school groups and clubs.
Films are free to submit and judged with an eye toward clever, creative craftsmanship. Animatronics, costume design, prop building, miniatures, mechanical rigging — if you’ve got a maker passion, this is your chance to put it on screen.
Selected favorites will be continuously screened at Maker Faire Bay Area on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, September 25–27, 2026. (You don’t need to attend to be selected — but we hope to see you there!)”
More Info: Maker Faire Film Festival
Ps - WIFSFBA Secretary Nil will be a judge this year!
70th San Francisco International Film Festival Submissions
70th San Francisco International Film Festival Submissions
Festival: April 22-May 2, 2027
Submission Deadlines & Fees:
Early Deadline September 30th, 2026: $70 — Feature Film, $60 Bay Area Resident
Regular Deadline November 11th, 2026: $85 — Feature Film, $75 Bay Area Resident
Final Deadline December 2nd, 2026: $100 — Feature Film, $90 Bay Area Resident
Note: there are many other categories with different pricing including documentary, animated, shorts, youth works, and mid-length. Please see the Film Freeway site for more information.
“Join us for a milestone year as SFFILM celebrates the 70th edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival—the longest-running film festival in the Americas. For seven decades, our festival has brought filmmakers and audiences together to celebrate the magic of cinema in one of the world's most beautiful cities.
Works in all genres, forms, and lengths are considered. Thank you for sharing your work with us! We look forward to watching your films.”
More Info: SFFILM on FilmFreeway
Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Film Festival
Festival: March 23-28, 2027
Festival: March 23-28, 2027
Submission Deadlines & Fees:
Submission Deadlines & Fees:
Early Deadline July 1–31, 2026
$45 — Short Film (59 minutes or less)
$65 — Feature Film (60 minutes or longer)
Regular Deadline August 1–31, 2026
$60 — Short Film
$80 — Feature Film
Late Deadline September 1–30, 2026
$80 — Short Film
$100 — Feature Film
“As one of the longest-running and most influential festivals dedicated to experimental film, AAFF welcomes visionary work from filmmakers who push the boundaries of cinematic expression.
Artists from around the world are encouraged to submit films of any length and genre that challenge traditional storytelling and expand the possibilities of the moving image. Whether your work is experimental animation, documentary, narrative, music video, or something entirely unique, AAFF seeks films that explore new creative territory.”
More Info: Ann Arbor FF
Film Pipeline Short Script Contest
Film Pipeline Short Script Contest
Regular Deadline: September 10, 2026 -- $50 Fee
“The 9th Annual Film Pipeline Short Script Contest is geared toward writers and directors looking to get a project financed and produced, or seeking development on a proof of concept for a feature.
Our execs collaborate 1-on-1 with the finalists and winner, supporting efforts on their selected script as well as future features or pilots. Think of this less as a contest and more as an opportunity for long-term mentorship and development no matter what path you're on in film and TV.
Accepting all genres—from traditional stories, to "experimental," to animation. Go big (just short).”
Submit here: Film Pipeline Short Script Contest
ShortsTV
ShortsTV
Submissions: Rolling
“We have the world’s largest catalogue of high-quality shot movies and series available on TV, on mobile, online, and in theaters, and also produce original short film content for broadcasters and brands. Are you the world’s next biggest filmmaker? We are always looking for short movies from exciting talents to broadcast on our TV networks and beyond. If you have a short movie that you would like us to con sidere, please complete the form below. Our acquisitions team will watch your film and contact you if they are interested in discussing a license agreement.”
MORE INFO: Shorts TV
LA Film Festivals
LA Film Festivals
Submission Dates: various
Submission Fees: various
“LA Film Festivals is a creative hub for Los Angeles’s top independent film festivals, and a home for independent filmmakers.” Each of the following LA festivals has its own requirements, submission deadlines, and fees:
LA Comedy Film Festival
LA Indie Film Festival
LA Queer Film Festival
LA Women in Film Festival
LA Black Film Festival
LA Asian Film Festival
LA Latinx Film Festival
LA Sci-Fi Film Festival
LA Action Film Festival
LA Horror Film Festival
LA Animated Film Festival
LA Student Film Festival”
For submission info on individual festivals: LA Film Festivals
Hispanic International Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Hispanic International Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Late Submission Deadline: September 30, 2026
“HIFF is dedicated to showcasing films, screenplays, and novels that celebrate Hispanic culture, themes, and creative talent. Screenplays must be in English and either written by a Hispanic author or predominantly feature Hispanic themes or characters.
Screenplays must be in English and either written by a Hispanic author or predominantly feature Hispanic themes or characters. HIFF accepts both produced and unproduced written works:
- Feature Screenplays:** 70–130 pages
- Short Scripts:** under 40 pages
- Teleplays:** 45–70 pages
- Webisode Pilots:** 10–20 pages
Every submission results in one of two outcomes:
- Official Selection — Your work meets competition standards and advances to judging
- Constructive Feedback — You receive a detailed letter explaining what needs strengthening, plus free resubmission after revisions”
MORE INFO: Hispanic Int'l FF
Cascadia International Women's Film Festival
Cascadia International Women's Film Festival
Submission Deadline: August 15th - November 30th, 2026
Festival dates: April 22-25th, 2027 in Bellingham, WA
“CASCADIA International Women's Film Festival celebrates its 11th season April 22-25, 2027 to showcase exceptional films by women directors from around the world. To date, CASCADIA has proudly presented the work of more than 330 women directors. Approximately 30-40 films will be screened over the course of the four-day in person festival. An online version of the festival takes place after the in person festival to provide accessibility for those unable to attend an in-person screening and promote our filmmakers with greater audience exposure.
The festival is located in Bellingham, WA, a city of 100,000 in the Pacific Northwest and situated halfway between Seattle, WA. and Vancouver, BC, Canada.
CASCADIA presents programs of short subject films, feature narrative and documentary films. Festival films are followed by Q&As with filmmakers. CASCADIA also hosts networking events, including the Saturday night Directors’ Party, industry panel discussions, a Script Studio and a special reception and program with its Honored Guest. Selected filmmakers are offered complimentary accommodations through our home host program and receive a screening fee and festival laurels.
As a film organizational partner of CASCADIA International Women's Film Festival, WIFSFBA members receive 50% off short film submission fees. Films must be directed by a woman, 20 minutes or less, completed or released no earlier than October 2025.
Please email bod-admin@wifsfba.org for the discount code if you’re going to submit!”
MORE INFO: Cascadia International Women's Film Festival
Grants, Fellowships, and Funding Corner
MACEF Master Class Workshop/Production Grant
Application Deadline: September 15, 2026
“Sponsored by the Mexican American Education Cultural Education Fund, this opportunity is a series of Interactive Workshops for a maximum of ten selected filmmakers who are developing a short drama or feature length narrative film project and who wish to receive mentorship and guidance by master filmmakers, to produce higher level projects and develop a sustainable career in the film industry.
Productions Grants will be paired with the “The Masters Workshops & Mentorship” workshops this year. Grantees must present their film or television program at the next Mexican-American Film/Television Festival scheduled for April of 2027.
Eligibility: The applicant can be of any ethnicity or background, but the production team must include at least one producer, writer, director and lead actor who identifies as Mexican-American or Chicana/o, of any generation or mixed ethnicity. To qualify, the applicant must submit the script of the short film, feature-length film, or TV pilot, and be in development. Qualifying films will be assessed by the quality of the story, culturally positive, non-stereotypical stories will have priority, as well as production organization and viability of the project.”
MORE INFO: MACEF workshop/grant
Frameline Completion Fund
Submissions: While their primary submission windows usually open in August, checking Frameline Artist Development can help you prepare for their upcoming late-summer intake.
“Grants up to $5,000 are available for the completion of films that represent and reflect LGBTQ+ life in all its complexity and richness.
The program seeks to support works by and for under-served communities. With this in mind, we encourage submissions from women, people of color, transgender people, intersex people, asexual people, nonbinary people, disabled people, and other underrepresented people and communities.
The Completion Fund accepts projects in all categories, from documentary and narrative works to experimental, animated, or episodic projects, so long as the films are about LGBTQ+ people and their communities.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility Requirements
Only applications that provide a full working cut of the film will be considered. Temporary sound, color, or visual effects are allowed — just let us know what’s missing or still being worked on in your application.
Grants are given for completion only, so 90% of production must be finished. If you aren’t in the post-production phase, you must be ready to begin post-production as soon as this funding is in place.
Grants are only given to individuals with creative and financial control of the project. In the case of collaboration, a sole project director must be designated as the applicant.
Grants will be given to projects in any film/video format, of any length, genre, or nationality.”
MORE INFO: Frameline Completion Fund
Roy W. Dean Short Film Grant - Spring 2026
Fall Grant Application (Deadline: October 31st, 2026)
Carole Dorothy Joyce Grant (Deadline: November 30th, 2026)
“Now in its 35th year, this respected grant supports independent filmmakers creating meaningful, socially impactful work.
Eligible Projects: Documentary, narrative feature, short film, and web series
Budgets under $500,000 (students encouraged to apply)
Spring 2026 Award Includes: 💵 $3,500 Cash, 🎥 Thousands in donated film products & services, including:
IndiPro Kratos Battery Kit ($600 value)
40% off ProMedia NYC post-production services
$500 Filmtools equipment credit
$1,600 Silver Sound mix session
✨ New This Year: Stories That Matter Awards
Three additional $500 awards honoring films reflecting real lives and pressing social issues.
🏆 Britt Penrod Award
$500 cash award recognizing a film making an exceptional contribution to society.
📞 Every applicant receives a complimentary 15-minute consultation."
Apply here: Roy W. Dean Grant Application - From the Heart Productions
Questions: info@fromtheheartproductions.com | 805-984-0098”
MORE INFO: Documentary & Film Fiscal Sponsorship Program For Filmmakers
Women Make Movies Production Grant
--Production Assistance Program
Rolling Applications
“This program focuses on supporting BIPOC/ALAANA, LGBTQIA women, older women, and women in film with disabilities. It provides fiscal sponsorship and offers personalized consultations, workshops and networking opportunities. Recipients get access to one-on-one consultations and pay reduced rates for industry workshops. Projects need to raise at least $50,000 in funding.”
You must be a woman filmmaker serving as project director or co-director, and should show a clear direction and realistic plan for distribution in your application.
MORE INFO: WMM Production Grant
FEAR FILMS: Film Incubation Fund - In Association with the Independent Horror Society
Rolling Deadline
“Turn your nightmare into a reality with FEAR and FILM3! Apply for funding for your short horror film.”
FOR MORE INFO AND APPLICATION: Horror Short Film Fund | Apply for Funding
Impact Partners Development Fund
Application Deadline: rolling deadline
“For early-stage documentary features, series, or projects that could be either. Impact Partners will invest in the development of 4-8 projects a year, with a range of $10K -$100K per project. We are now accepting applications. Filmmakers can apply to the fund for a variety of reasons as they get their projects off the ground, including development shoots, cutting a trailer or reel, conducting archival research, casting characters, etc.”
MORE INFO: Impact Partners
Rolling Applications
"Administered through Film Independent, the Sloan Distribution Grant awards $50,000 to a maximum of three narrative features that are entering their distribution phase. Eligible films must depict themes, stories, and characters grounded in real science, technology, or economics.
Films with innovative marketing and distribution plans are encouraged to apply."
MORE INFO: Sloan Distribution Grant
Thanks to newsletter contributors: Diane Walsh, Julie Rubio, Nil Unerdem
Newsletter designed by Lina Indeeva and edited by Nil Unerdem
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