December Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our December filmmaker happy hour at the Night Heron in Oakland. The venue is ADA-accessible and the event is a cash bar.
November Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our November filmmaker happy hour at the Night Heron in Oakland. The venue is ADA-accessible and the event is a cash bar.
The Strike
The Strike is a feature documentary that tells the story of a generation of California men who endured decades of solitary confinement and, against all odds, launched the largest hunger strike in U.S. history.
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Amidst the redwood trees on the California-Oregon border sits one of the most infamous prisons in US history. Pelican Bay is a labyrinthine construction of solid cement blocks – a supermax prison – opened in 1989 and designed specifically for mass-scale solitary confinement. For decades, it held men alone in tiny cells indefinitely. Then one day in 2013, 30,000 prisoners went on hunger strike.
THE STRIKE weaves together, thread-by-thread, a half century of personal and criminal justice history into a single, compelling narrative around the drama of the 2013 hunger strike to end indefinite isolation. Grounded in testimonies from the hunger strikers themselves, the film details how the protest was conceived from a whisper inside the halls of Pelican Bay to a colossal feat across California prisons. With unprecedented access to state prison officials and never-before-seen footage from inside Pelican Bay, THE STRIKE reveals the panic that gripped the highest echelons of state government.
Told through the stories of the men who bore the brunt of this practice, THE STRIKE goes beyond making a case against solitary confinement; it illuminates the power of organizing and prisoner-led resistance, and in doing so, flips thetrue-crime genre on its head.
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Cinemama is a co-sponsor of this event.
October Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our October filmmaker happy hour at the Night Heron in Oakland, hosted by The Video Consortium. The venue is ADA-accessible and the event is a cash bar.
The Video Consortium is a global nonprofit media organization that connects and supports today's nonfiction filmmakers and visual journalists to tell bold stories that change the world. By and for filmmakers, our programs help democratize the media landscape by fostering compassionate storytelling, supporting professional and artistic growth, and inspiring audiences everywhere. videoconsortium.org
Bay Area Community Mixer at Mill Valley Film Festival
BAY AREA COMMUNITY MIXER: THE FUTURE OF FILMMAKING IN THE BAY AREA
Join us for an evening of connection and conversation with filmmakers and film lovers from across the Bay Area! Whether you’re here to reconnect or make new contacts, this is the place to be. The mixer will kick off with a dynamic panel discussion about the future of filmmaking in the Bay Area, the recently passed Oakland Film Rebate, and how the community can support the current Bay Area film movement. Afterwards, attendees are invited to enjoy a happy hour, network with fellow creatives, and catch exciting updates from local film organizations. If you’re a filmmaker, part of a film company, or simply passionate about film, don’t miss this chance to be part of the Bay Area’s vibrant film scene!
The venue is ADA-accessible.
Co-Presented by Mill Valley Film Festival, BAVC Media, Cinemama and #MakeItBay
September Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our September filmmaker happy hour at the Night Heron in Oakland. The venue is ADA-accessible and the event is a cash bar.
Reel Queer Flix 2024
Reel Queer Flix returned for a second year to elebrate Oakland Pride week at the historic Grand Lake Theatre.
The lineup included beautiful experimental work to powerful documentaries from our Queer elders. The screening included a q&a with the filmmakers, moderated by Niema Jordan.
FILMS:
The program begins with 2 shorts highlighting the wonderful work of our program partners, including a profile of the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, and a spotlight on the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District from Northern California Public Media’s “Connect the Bay.”
#SLAY by Ray de Mesa: In this hilarious satire, the mysterious death of a social media influencer kicks off a whirlwind of frenzy - and whiskers.
ACROSS by Matthew Riutta: A grieving father's journey over the Bay Bridge goes awry when he gives a ride to a homeless veteran.
AFFIRMATIONS by Marlon T. Riggs: Marlon Riggs expresses the hopes, dreams, and desires of gay Black men in this ode to queer African American empowerment. Built around outtakes of interview and protest footage from Tongues Untied,Affirmations begins as a candid, sex-positive confessional about first-time penetration and evolves into a rousing chorus of calls for freedom, recognition, and inclusion.
AFTER BED by TT Takemoto: Scavenged from color tests, the sole Asian American woman in James Broughton’s erotic film The Bed pulses with queerness through the celluloid cracks of 16mm, tape, and nail polish.
EN MEMORIA by Roberto Fatal (writer/director/producer) and Ali Meyers-Ohki (writer/producer): In a dystopian future, a mother struggles to finish making her daughter’s Quinceañera dress.
JOYCHILD by Aurora Brachman: An eight-year-old has an emotional conversation with their mother about gender identity.
I JUST WANNA DANCE by Amanda Beane, courtesy of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival: When two dancers are asked to partner at an audition, each struggle with the flip sides of homophobia before finding common footing. The dancers take a journey through genres of partner dancing, addressing homophobia and effeminophobia. Rooted in hustle, the dancers move through its various influences such as mambo and lindy-hop while integrating elements of contemporary hip-hop. During this duet, they develop a relationship, breakthrough societal norms, and come to terms with platonic intimacy.
LIKE WATER by Christopher Lopez: This animated tells the story of André, a 19 year old photographer from San Francisco who learns to let go and embrace himself.
SATURN RISIN9 by Tiare Ribeaux & Jody Stillwater - Queer performance artist and musician Saturn Risin9 returns home to the Bay Area to share their journey of perseverance centering self discovery, healing and creative expansion poetically told through documentary, dance, visual narrative, and performance.
EVENT INFORMATION
The screening runs 90 minutes, followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Accessibility info: The venue is ADA-accessible. Open captions and ASL interpretation will be provided at the screening. If you will be using ASL interpretation, need seat accommodations, or have other accessibility needs, please email us at info@cinemamafilm.com so that we can reserve the appropriate spaces & seating.
The after party venue is ADA-accessible.
Questions? Contact us at info@cinemamafilm.com
August Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our August filmmaker happy hour at the Night Heron in Oakland. We’ll be joined by the Berkeley Film Foundation and learn about their exciting new opportunity for funding local filmmakers.
The venue is ADA-accessible and the event is a cash bar.
The Berkeley FILM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) grant and educational program for independent filmmakers founded by the City of Berkeley, Wareham Development, and the Saul Zaentz Company with a mission to nurture, sustain and preserve the thriving local film community while attracting the next generation of filmmakers.
The BFF focuses on supporting social, historical and innovative documentary and dramatic works. Many of our grant winners have gone on to screen at U.S. and international film festivals, been recognized with prestigious awards, received television broadcasts and are making a difference around the world.
Scifi Sunday: I'M A VIRGO at HiiiWAV
Come vibe with Boots Riley and the HiiiWAV crew for their second annual Sci-Fi Sunday screening with the acclaimed series "I'm a Virgo," including a special conversation with Boots after the screening.
Qamp III Documentary Screening
Qamp III is an album created in 3 days by 25 hand selected Bay Area creatives. The Qamp III Documentary details their album-making process and highlights the artists & musicians involved during their hectic 3-day journey.
Oakland based artist, producer, and Qamp II alum AroMa will be showcasing their recently released music video for their song Daisy Dukes. After the screenings there will be a Q&A with Qamp co-creators Casey Cope & Marquito, as well as some of the creatives involved on the album and documentary.
June Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our next filmmaker happy hour, hosted by Tajianna Okechukwu with Black Film Connect.
The venue is ADA-accessible and the event is a cash bar.
Tajianna Okechukwu is an Actor & Filmmaker in the Bay Area. She obtained a double degree in Acting and Film & TV Studies from Azusa Pacific University. Her artistic repertoire spans commercials, theatrical performances, and captivating short films, where she not only takes center stage but also assumes the roles of producer and director on local short films and music videos. Tajianna has worked largely as a Production Assistant for different well-renowned studios such as Amazon, Marvel, and A24.
Her 1st award-winning Co-Director & Producer short film credit for Cracks in the Foundation has won Best Direction in the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film Festival, an official selection in the Newark Short Film Awards, and more.
She recently garnered an award-winning credit as the Co-Director & Producer for her short film Cracks in the Foundation which has won an official selection in the UCLAxFilm Festival, an Award Winner in the San Francisco Indie Short Film Fest, Best Direction in the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film Festival, and more.
In her screenwriting and directorial work, she likes to explore narratives of the Black experience with an Afro-surrealist approach. Tajianna is passionate about Bay Area storytelling and seeks to tell stories with avant-garde ideas that will shift paradigms and shake culture in our society.
Black Film Connect: The Bay Area's very own Black film collective and production house that serves to amplify the presence of Black crew above & below the line on industry and independent film sets, connect Black stories to Black crews, and bridge the gap between artful Black content creators and the general public.
SF Filmmaker Happy Hour
We’re co-hosting a San Francisco happy hour with Frameline! Join us a Mother from 3-5pm to mix and mingle with the local filmmakers participating in Frameline.
The event is a cash bar.
And check out all of the Frameline mixers below!
Fishnets and Film PRIDE event
Fishnets and Film presents a family-friendly screening with Queer films, drag and a dj - all in celebration of San Francisco Pride.
As Cinemama folks, you can select the “Special Admission rate” for a discounted ticket.
May - Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our next filmmaker happy hour, hosted by Theo Hollingsworth.
Theo Hollingsworth is a comedic writer, producer, actor, and director based in Oakland, California. He studied film production at Howard University and has worked on hundreds of TV and Film projects over his 15 year career. Currently he works full time as part of the Production Management Team at Pixar Animation Studios supporting the creation of feature length animated films. As an independent content creator, he’s produced a variety of short films, documentaries, and web series and has his work screened globally through film festivals and on streaming platforms. You can see more of his work at TheoHollingsworth.com
ELEMENTS: A SHORT ANTHOLOGY
On Sunday May 5th at 12:30pm we're screening ELEMENTS: A SHORT ANTHOLOGY interweaves the lives of four Bay Area residents on the same day, told in four separate films.
For those of you who attended Reel Queer Flix last fall, you’ll remember MEDIAN, which was filmed right outside of Grand Lake Theatre.
Before the screening, get down to the funkalicious tunes of Will Hammond Jr. & Golden Tiger. We’ll also have a special q&a with Director Matthew Riutta joing by his designers, actors and crew, in a conversation about making films in the Bay Area.
And in usual Cinemama fashion, you can join us after the screening for a reception nearby! Details will be announced at the event.
Accessibility: The New Parkway Theater is ADA accessible. There will be 1 ASL interpreter and all the films are captioned.
FOR OUR CHILDREN
View a sneak peek of FOR OUR CHILDREN, this Wednesday evening, 7:15pm at Grand Lake Theatre.
The evening will include a Q&A with members of the filmmaking team, including the film director, Débora Souza Silva and protagonist Rev. Wanda Johnson (mother of Oscar Grant), and moderated by Niema Jordan.
Wanda Johnson and Angela Williams, mothers of young Black men victimized by police brutality, come together and build a network of community-led support, mutual aid, and healing in this trenchant documentary spanning Oakland’s Fruitvale to the American South.
Long before George Floyd’s murder and the BLM protests in 2020, Oscar Grant’s 2009 fateful encounter with law enforcement on a BART platform seeded public awareness and cultural consciousness of systemic racism and its discontents. Paying forward lessons learned and advocating against anti-Black violence in memory of her son, Oscar, Wanda Johnson holds space for Angela Williams, whose teen son, Ulysses, survives a police encounter in Troy, Alabama, living to tell his story.
Radical empathy fuels this timely exposé.
The Grand Lake Theatre is ADA accessible.
THE 50 - special screening
While serving life sentences in a dangerously overcrowded and drug-saturated prison system, 50 men embark on a radical journey to become some of the first incarcerated Substance Abuse Counselors in the country.
This Friday, during Second Chances Month, Director Brenton Gieser is offering a special screening of THE 50 at The New Parkway in Oakland.
After the screening, we’ll be hosting the filmmaker q&a moderated by Cinemama Co-Director Niema Jordan.
Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for our next filmmaker happy hour, hosted by Myah Overstreet!
Myah Overstreet is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker and journalist, originally from Oakland, California. After completing her masters degree at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley, her debut film To Be Invisible was acquired by The New Yorker and premiered at the 40th annual Sundance Film Festival.
Myah’s area of focus is on culture and social inequalities among marginalized communities. She is dedicated to amplifying untold stories about the history and narrative of the Black woman in America.
She has taken on freelance roles as a producer, researcher, editor, and coordinator for independent filmmakers. Her previous documentary film roles include work as an associate producer on BLACK MOTHERS LOVE & RESIST (2022), which premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival, and most notably, her work as a production assistant on the film HOMEROOM (2021), which is currently streaming on Hulu.
Myah’s written work has appeared in The Washington Post, YES! Magazine, The California Health Report, Oaklandside, and The Richmond Pulse.
Sasquatch Sunset Screening + Reception
We invite you to join us for the SF premiere of SASQUATCH SUNSET next week Sunday, April 14th at the Metreon in San Francisco. After a wild (literally) festival run including Sundance and Berlinale, this Northern California film will be screening in San Francisco starting this week.
We’re hosting the 6:45pm screening, which will be followed by a celebratory reception and open bar at the nearby Novela, where we’ll be joined by SASQUATCH Producer George Rush.
Filmmaker Happy Hour
A mixer for Bay Area filmmakers.
The venue is ADA Accessible. Cash bar with a special menu by Q Mixers.
Black Queer History Spotlight: Short Films
Admittance is on a first come basis.
Panel discussion after the screening moderated by filmmaker Debra Wilson
Post-event mixer at a nearby location, to be announced
ACCESSIBILITY:
We will have one (1) ASL interpreter during the event, and all the films will be open captioned. The venue is ADA accessible. If you are attending and would like us to know of any accssibility needs, please email our partners at Cinemama: info@cinemamafilm.com
FILMS:
ANTHEM by Marlon Riggs
Created in 1991, Marlon Riggs’ experimental music video politicizes the homoeroticism of African-American men. With sensual, sexual, and defiant images and words intended to provoke, Anthem reasserts the “self-evident right” to life and liberty in an era of pervasive anti-gay and anti-Black backlash and hysterical cultural repression.
FEMME RAGE by Sarah Taborga and Aïma Paule
A rally cry to all QTBIPOC Femmes, across the gender spectrum, to unleash their rage about living, surviving, and thriving within a cishetero-capitalist-white supremacist-patriarchy.
CODE SWITCH by Davis Alexander James and Micha Lyric Borneo
During a trip to the barbershop, a Black trans person navigates the complexity and dynamism of gender expression.
A DIFFERENT DIRECTION by Sampson McCormick
A black gay man struggling to navigate life challenges in dating and career, while leaning on the help of his best friend to make a big decision to severe ties with a toxic parent.
HOW NOT TO DATE WHILE TRANS by Nyla Moon
In this dark comedy, Andie searches for romance in a world full of problematic men.
BABY by Jessie Levandov
Ali, a Dominican-American teenager from the Bronx, spends a Saturday afternoon navigating a budding romance.
BLACKNESS IS EVERYTHING by Alba Roland Mejia
Filled with poetry and captivating slice-of-life images, this experimental film celebrates the diversity of the Black diaspora in The Bay Area.
THE BEAUTY PRESIDENT by Whitney Skauge
Meet America’s First Drag Queen for President
“If a bad actor can be president, why not a good drag queen?” In 1992, Joan Jett Blakk made a historic bid for the White House as one of the first openly queer write-in candidates. Today, Terence Smith, the man behind the persona, reflects back on his place in gay rights history.
TONGUES UNTIED by Marlon Riggs
Filmed in Oakland, San Francisco, and New York City, Tongues Untied shares fierce examples of homophobia and racism: the man refused entry to a gay bar because of his color; the college student left bleeding on the sidewalk after a gay-bashing; the loneliness and isolation of the drag queen or trans woman. Yet, they also affirm the Black, gay male experience: protest marches, smoky bars, "snap diva," humorous "musicology" and vogue dancers, in Marlon Riggs' seminal film.
Marlon Riggs graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and received his masters degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley, where he became the youngest tenured professor at the Graduate School of Journalism.
In 1989, Marlon completed his landmark experimental documentary film Tongues Untied. Ultimately, it was aired on national PBS as part of the television series P.O.V. The three principal voices of Tongues Untied are those of Riggs, and poets Essex Hemphill, and Joseph Beam. Tongues Untied had political backlash; Republican Senator Jesse Helms famously argued to defund the arts after its release. He produced, wrote, and directed several documentary films, including Ethnic Notions, Tongues Untied, Color Adjustment, and Black Is...Black Ain't. His films examine past and present representations of race and sexuality in the United States.
Marlon Riggs was an Oakland resident and lived in the Adams Point neighborhood where he died of AIDS related complications in 1994 at the age of 37.
"A Black male warrior fighting for the right to love other Black men,
Marlon Riggs affirms what was nearly lost, newly found: the certainty
that Black male lives are utterly precious."
—Alice Walker, Author, The Color Purple
14th Annual Filmmaker Holiday Party
The event has ended! Check out some photos from the festivites:
Mix and mingle with a holiday jingle: this night is tailor-made for local fimmakers, cinema entusiasts, media arts organizations, and all who appreciate the magic of the silver screen
Karaoke on the big screen at the historic Roxie Theater with KJ Dana. Sing your heart out and you may take home a trophy or two!
Be dazzled by a night of stunning performances including magic and contortionists
You’re welcome to bring your favorite winter beverage and holiday snacks
The Roxie Theater is ADA accessible. For accessibility questions, please email us at info@cinemamafilm.com
Filmmaker Karaoke with Jody Stillwater
Get your cherry bark on the back of your throat, begin your vocal cord routine and start picking out your songs…
If you’ve been feeling High and Low, slip into some Blue Velvet, get into the Zone and meet us at the Black Lodge (Thee Stork Club) for an evening of big fun Bay Area filmmaker karaoke!
Hosted by Cinemama & Jody Stillwater of Lenape Creative Group
Jody Stillwater 周青海 is a writer, director, producer and creative technologist whose project themes are based in dream logic and tactile realities, with a modern, transformative approach to visual semiotics & archetype.. He is a co-founder of Lenape Creative Group and his work has been featured at the MoMA in NYC, Hammer Museum, de Young museum, YBCA, Mutek, Gray Area, Hawaiian State Art Museum, Transfer Gallery and ISEA, he has been a finalist for the SFFILM Kenneth Rainin Screenwriting grant, and been commissioned by Google, Meta/Facebook, Knotel and Bentley Mills. He has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Mixing and has appeared as a featured guest on Asian Pacific America with Robert Handa on NBC. His cultural background is Chinese/Norwegian/Cherokee-American and he identifies as mixed.
Filmmaker Happy Hour
Join us for a filmmaker happy hour with Niema Jordan!
Niema Jordan is a journalist and filmmaker from Oakland, Calif. Her passion for storytelling led her to Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism where she studied magazine writing and editing. Jordan’s early career was spent in New York as a health and relationships editor at ESSENCE Magazine.
With a desire to grow as a journalist and delve deeper into the health disparities plaguing the Black community, and Black women in particular, she returned to the Bay Area. Jordan received her Master of Public Health and Master of Journalism (with an emphasis in documentary film) from University of California, Berkeley. Her thesis film, Oasis, tells the story of a struggling medical clinic that treats underserved populations battling Hepatitis C. The film won the Spike Lee Student Filmmaker Award at the Denver Film Festival (2016). In recent years, Jordan has continued to write for national publications including ESSENCE, Shondaland, and Glamour, while working in documentary film.
Her production credits include The Chosen Life (associate producer), Fatherless (associate producer), Bobby Kennedy for President (researcher), The Me You Can’t See (story producer), and Eyes On The Prize: Hallowed Ground (story producer).
She is currently a producer at Trilogy Films and an adjunct professor at Santa Clara University. Jordan serves on the Board of Directors of Oakland Kids First and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
The 9th Annual Lamb & Rum Fest
Lamb! Rum! BBQ! Mix & mingle with filmmakers in Golden Gate Park
EARTH MAMA screening
We’re thrilled to invite you to a special screening of EARTH MAMA, followed by a Q&A with writer/director Savanah Leaf and actor Tia Nomore. Let's return to the Grand Lake Theater to celebrate the incredible local talent who helped bring this extraordinary film to the screen.
Co-hosted by A24 and Cinemama (aka Oakland Film Center), the screening will take place this Wednesday, June 21st at 7pm. Capacity is extremely limited, so please RSVP only if you know that you can attend. If your plans change, please update your response so that others can attend.
Guests are limited to 2 tickets per reservation.
Filmmaker Happy Hour with Cheryl Dunye
Our June 2023 filmmaker happy hour was hosted by Cheryl Dunye.
Fantastic Negrito
We partnered with Red Bay Coffee and Storefront Records to present a free screening of music-inspired films at The Grand Lake Theatre. The evening featured Fantastic Negrito’s WHITE JESUS BLACK PROBLEMS along with short films by Bay Area filmmakers: Cheryl Dunye & Jocquese Whitfield, AroMa, Pete Lee, Jody Stillwater & Nicole Klaymoon along with a special documentary short by Keba Konte about the history of Red Bay Coffee.
