BFF ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF 2017 GRANT CYCLE

The BFF is delighted to announce the award of 22 grants totaling $193,000—the largest annual amount to date. A record  120 applications were received from   filmmakers who reside or work in the cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Albany, Berkeley, Emeryville and Oakland. Since its founding in 2009, BFF has awarded  $1,264,000  in grants to  120 film projects.   This year’s Saul Zaentz award for $25,000  was given to Sara Lafleur-Vetter and her filmmaking partners Jonathan Klett and Romin Lee Johnson for their film,  The Sacred and the Snake,  about the Dakota Access Pipeline. Sara was a student grant winner   in 2015 and BFF is proud to support her work as a professional filmmaker!   The Al Bendich grant for $20,000  was awarded to Lise Pearlman whose film,  American Justice on Trial,  takes us back to 1968 and the Black Panther movement. New this year, BFF received support from the  City of Emeryville  and two grants were given to Emeryville filmmakers: Pratibha Parmar for her film,  My Name is Andrea,  and to Peter Li-Pan Lee for his film,  Don't Be A Hero . Thank you to the City of Emeryville!   SEE A LIST OF ALL THE GRANT WINNERS 

Educational Workshops In May, BFF presented a panel on New Opportunities for Filmmakers. Our esteemed panelists were from SFFILM, IDA and FilmIndependent. More than 100 people from the greater Bay Area independent film community attended. Check Out the Video Download the Transcript

Mark Your Calendars! Wed nesday, Oct. 25 | 2:00–5:00 PM The David Brower Center 2150 Allston Way | Berkeley 94704 “ Before You Tie the Knot : ” Essential conversations for filmmakers and partners. Our panel will address the relationship between filmmaker and organizations, distributors and funders . Panelists are: Cristine Platt Dewey , ro*co films | Donald Young , Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) | Ellen Schneider , Active Voice Lab | Sahar Driver , independent film strategist Free RSVP

BFF Celebrates Mill Valley Film Festival’s 40 th Anniversary   BFF is a proud community sponsor of The Long Shadow . Of all the divisions in America, none is as insidious and tenacious as racism. In this powerful documentary, journalist and activist Frances Causey investigates the roots of our current racial conflicts. Haunted by slavery’s legacy, Causey seeks the untold stories that reveal how the sins of yesterday feed modern prejudice. Director Frances Causey and producer Sally Holst will be in attendance at all screenings.  Saturday, Oct. 7 | 6:00 PM | Lark Theatre Tuesday, Oct. 10 | 10:00 AM | Lark Theatre Wednesday, Oct. 11 | 11:15 AM | Smith Rafael Film Center Purchase Tickets

BFF Screening Series at The New Parkway 4 Wheel Bob Tuesday, Oct. 3 | 7:00 PM   Join us with grant winner Tal Skloot as he presents his film. View Trailer Purchase Tickets

The North Pole Sunday, Oct. 29 | 7:00 PM   Join us for a special screening of this hot new web series by a 2017 BFF grant recipient! Join us for a Q & A after the screening . View Trailer Purchase Tickets

A Special Thank You to Our Donors: The City of Berkeley | Wareham Development | The Saul Zaentz Company | Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation | The Fleish hacker Foundation | The LaFetra Foundation | Bayer Healthcare | Berkeley Civic Arts Commission | Jonathan Logan Family Foundation | Pacific Gas and Electric Company | The Robertson Family Fund | George Lucas Family Foundation | Quadric Group | Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation | The City of Emeryville | Shartsis Friese LLP | Walter Jerome Haas and Julie Salles Haas | Whole Foods | Sam W. Klein Charitable Trust | Van Acker Construction | County of Alameda Board of Supervisors | Arent Fox LLP | Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. HELP US bring more voices to the screen. DONATE NOW

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