Thursday, September 29th
Opening Night
Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 6:00pm
Officially reopening the Fox Theater after a 7 year hiatus, followed by a Red Carpet with filmmakers, talent and VIPs.
Red Carpet & Reception with Appetizers & Drinks, 6:15 -7:15pm
Special City recognition to Hank García, Watsonville independent Movie Theater Owner for 44 years.
Film Program "Local Visions Past & Present" including Pioneer Filmmaker Awards, 7:30-9:30pm
Tribute to Pioneer Local Filmmakers — George Ow, Geoffrey Dunn, Mark Schwartz, Cori Houston for their award-winning documentary series American Dream, which includes Dollar A Day, 10 Cents A Dance.
Local Visions, Past & Present
On Opening Night we present a fabulous celebration of Local Filmmaking and Inspiration, honoring pioneer filmmakers and featuring young rising stars!
Dollar A Day, 10 Cents A Dance
George Ow, Jr., Geoffrey Dunn, Mark Schwartz, Cori Houston. Mr. Ow & Mr. Dunn attending.
Enticed by the promise of jobs and fair wages, 100,000 Filipinos immigrated to the U.S. between 1924 and 1935 to toil on California’s farmlands, including the Pájaro Valley. Because of the exclusion of Filipina women and U.S. anti-miscegenation laws, the men survived the loneliness of racial discrimination by creating close-knit bachelor societies where cockfights, poker games and dance halls served as their entertainment. [30 min. All ages]
Tadaima
Robin Takao D'Oench / Vince Hall
After the closure of the US Internment Camps at the end of World War II, a Japanese American family returns home and must find the strength to rebuild both their house and their family amidst the emotional and physical destruction caused by the war. Filmed in nearby Corralitos. [Japanese with English subtitles, 15 min. All ages]
Finding Blas
Marisol Medina-Cadena - Director Attending
Recovering the secret political life of her great-grandfather, Blas Lara, the director revisits the sites in California where he migrated to prior to the Mexican Revolution and during his activism with the Partido Liberal Mexicano. The film bridges the past and present to reconstruct his life according to his published memoir, La vida que yo viví. [12 min.]
Libertad
Brenda Avila-Hanna - Director Attending
Libertad profiles the incredible Alejandra Santiago, an indigenous trans-woman from Oaxaca - now living in Santa Cruz - whose life journey transcends multiple borders. [9 min.]
Midnight Warrior
Alex Santana Jr. - Director Attending
To work. To heal. To remember. [5 min. All ages]
Emerald Ice
Jesseca Ynez Simmons - Director Attending
A cinematic odyssey exploring the mind of the American poet Diane Wakoski. This docufantasy brings to the screen her work - the sprawling beauty that is Diane's emotional spectrum. [16min. Ages 13+]