Best of Bernal
Friday, September 16, 2021
Bernal Heights Park
3450 Folsom Street
7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Gates open at 6:00 pm
Come prepared for cool temps. Bring low-backed chairs, blankets and picnics. Limited parking. Walk or take public transit.
This is an outdoor event.
The Best of Bernal Season Finale features the four award-winning films and filmmakers of the 2022 season. The evening begins with a video of the awards ceremony, where the season’s major sponsors present the awards to the winning filmmakers and the filmmakers say a few words about their film and the inspiration for it. Then the audience is treated to a viewing of the films, which have won the awards in the following categories:
- Best of Bernal award — is awarded to a local Bernal filmmaker for the best of this year’s submissions by the Submissions & Selection Committee
- Spirit of Bernal award — is awarded to a non-Bernal filmmaker for the film that best resonates with the sentiment/sensibility (political, social, physical locale) of Bernal Heights by the Submission & Selection Committee.
- Bernal Bright Star award — is awarded by the Submission & Selection Committee to a member of the future generation of story-tellers with the expectation that the winner will make a significant contribution to the art of film and video in the course of her/his/their filmmaking career.
- Good Life Audience Favorite award — is awarded by vote of the at-large Outdoor Cinema audience following the conclusion of the season.
Site Sponsor:
Film Lineup
BEYOND BERNAL
Lost Souls of Limbo 03:50
Animation
Madisyn Montoya
The story of Limbo, the place between heaven and hell, read from a magical storybook. Though a dark entity is unhappy about its secrets being spilled and is trying to corrupt the message.
Love Returning 07:21
Music Video/Documentary
Turki Al-Rwaita
A documentary of the collaboration between Ali Alharki, a Syrian refugee living in Germany, who composed this music and musicians in the Bay Area.
Parental guidance: Some material may be disturbing to young children; scenes of warfare.
AWARDS PRESENTATION
Best of Bernal
When Mama & Me Lived Outside: One Family’s Journey Through Homelessness 08:11
Documentary/Animation
Peter Menchini
Tiny and her mama Dee co-founded a poor and indigenous people led movement called POOR magazine/PrensaPobre while they were still struggling with homelessness and poverty. This is their story.
Spirit of Bernal
Game Hawker 25:25
Documentary
Brett Marty and Josh Izenberg
A game hawker finds his place in nature through his work with the raptors who he trains, and who, turn, teach him what the wild has to offer.
Bernal Bright Star
Adelita 08:29
Drama
Fernanda Gutierrez
Sisters, Camila and Valentina, are recruited by their aunt to join the Mexican Revolution as soldaderas (a.k.a. female soldiers. When sent in search of an escaped chicken, they discover important truths about their relationship.
Good Life Audience Award
Paul Panish: Poem on My Eighty-Seventh Birthday 08:22
Documentary
Dan Goldes
Oakland poet Paul Panish ruminates on the nature of creativity, on his life, and on the somewhat surprising act of turning 87, which he has, naturally, turned into a poem.