Windrider Film Forum Returns for Its 9th Year!
For three nights (June 28-30), Windrider Film Forum showcases award-winning, independent films and conversations with filmmakers and subjects in Menlo Park
Atherton, CA – Windrider Bay Area Film Forum today announced its program of feature films, short films, and interactive discussions for its June 28 – 30 program at the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. Tickets are on sale now for immediate purchase at windriderbayarea.org.
“It’s an honor to continue hosting high-quality, award-winning filmmakers, with their films about important issues in our society, presented accurately, and through what I call the “lens of hope,” said Terri Bullock, Director of Windrider Bay Area. “The conversations we have after the screenings between the filmmakers and the audience are amazing. They reveal an audience willing to engage in meaningful discussions and to reach out and respond to the needs of others.”
Program Schedule
SKID ROW MARATHON – Thursday, June 28, 7 PM
SKID ROW MARATHON chronicles the hopeful story of runners who participate in a running club created by a criminal court judge in LA’s notorious skid row neighborhood. Follow their struggles as they fight the pulls of homelessness and addiction, and see how running helps to bring change to their lives. Mark Hayes, filmmaker, Gabi Hayes, producer, Rafael Cabrera, one of the four runners, and Judge Craig Mitchell, creator of the Skid Row Running Club, will attend the screening and join the audience for conversation after the film.
SKID ROW MARATHON has won the Audience Award at the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival, the 2018 Santa Barbara Film Festival, the 2017 LA Film Festival, and the 2017 Coronado Island Film Festival, as well as “Best in the Fest” from the 2018 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival.
SHORTS PROGRAM – Friday, June 29, 7 PM
Always an audience favorite, our shorts program features three award-winning films.
FANNY PACK, is a delightful comedy about a young Indian-American girl hoping to follow her dreams while her father hopes she’ll follow his. Uterra Singh, the film’s star and filmmaker, will join the Q & A following the film. FANNY PACK is the recipient of multiple awards including Best Comedy at the USC First Look Film Festival.
THE DRIVER IS RED is a riveting account of the hunt for a notorious Nazi fugitive by the Israeli secret service in the remote outskirts of Buenos Aires. The story is imaginatively conveyed through hand-drawn animations. Producer Jared Callahan will be present for Q&A. THE DRIVER IS RED won Best Animated Short (Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Sonoma International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Victoria TX Independent Film Festival, and Phoenix Film Festival) as well as several other film festival awards over the past year.
The shorts program concludes with the remarkable, moving documentary REFUGEE. This film tells the story of Aicha Diop, a West African refugee who makes the difficult decision to leave her 5 children behind in hopes of providing a better life for the whole family. Her remarkable story demonstrates how the power of hope can propel us over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Film director Joyce Chen will be joining us for our Q&A. REFUGEE has been recommended by Amnesty International and the UN Refugee Agency as a must-see film.
INVENTING TOMORROW – Saturday, June 30, 7 PM
An official selection and nominee for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, INVENTING TOMORROW follows four ISEF (Intel International Science and Engineering Fair) teams – from India, Mexico, Indonesia, and Hawaii – as they prepare to compete at the largest science fair in the world. Each of their projects tackle daunting environmental issues from their own backyards. Their stories will win hearts and provide hope for the future of our planet. Filmmaker Laura Nix and featured students Sahithi Pengali from India, and Jesus Alfonso Martinez Aranda and Jose Manuel Elizade Esperaza from Mexico, will all be in attendance for Q&A following the film.
About Windrider Bay Area Film Forum
The Windrider Film Forum takes participants on a journey, exploring our common humanity imaginatively and compassionately, through film. Many filmmakers have become the conscience in our culture, creating films that do more than simply entertain us. Windrider works to find independent feature length and short films exploring the human condition with creativity and respect, hoping to inspire meaningful discussions, and to motivate its audience to respond actively and constructively.
The Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center
555 Middlefield Road, Atherton, CA 94027
Tickets: $15 general admission; $10 student admission
On sale in advance at windriderbayarea.org and also at the door (depending on availability)
PRESS CONTACT: Terri Bullock, 650 867 5383 [email protected]
High resolution images available for download at www.windriderbayarea.org/press.
