katherinepertuso@bavc.org
Celebrating the 2024 BAVC MediaMaker Fellows
What a year it’s been for the 2024 BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship! On Wednesday, December 4 friends, collaborators, and supporters gathered at the David Brower Center in Berkeley and virtually watched as the 2024 Fellows presented their films and celebrated the culmination of 9 fantastic months in community as a cohort. Those in attendance were impressed not only with the outstanding quality of the films presented but with how much the filmmakers clearly cared for and respected each other. We’re so grateful to our sponsors that made the event possible: Actual Films / AfterImage Public Media Berkeley Film Foundation   A special [...]
Meet BAVC Media Instructor: Ken Schneider
Meet Ken Schneider, a longtime editor, documentarian, and dedicated mentor. He currently teaches Aesthetics of Editing here at BAVC Media. With roots in sound engineering and lighting for local projects, Ken’s filmmaking journey took a pivotal turn when he stepped into the world of documentary editing, sparking a deep love for sculpting raw footage into compelling narratives. Ken has made a profound impact not only as a filmmaker but also as a teacher, guiding new storytellers at BAVC Media. In this interview, Ken shares insights into his approch to film, the lessons he hopes to impart in his upcoming Aesthetics [...]
SF Commons Presents: Podcasting 101 with Isa Nakazawa & Victoria “Kiki” Fajardo
Are you curious about starting your own podcast but don’t know where to begin? Join us for Podcasting 101 on Wednesday, October 30 from 5:30pm-7:30pm. Unlock the tools and knowledge you need to create, launch, and grow your very own podcast! In this free workshop, you’ll learn the essentials of podcasting—from concept development and equipment basics to recording techniques and audio editing tips. Whether you’re an aspiring podcaster or just exploring the medium, this workshop will equip you with the skills to confidently record and publish your voice for the world to hear. What You'll Learn: Podcasting Fundamentals: Understand the different types [...]
Announcing: BAVC Media Collaboration with the BAYLIST
The Black List, the world-renowned platform that has transformed the screenwriting industry since 2005, is thrilled to announce The Bay List: a new collaboration between The Black List and Rafael Casal designed to identify and highlight ten exceptional screenplays and pilots by writers from or with close ties to the Bay Area. This project is helmed by hometown heroes and tastemakers looking to champion writing from the next class of emerging storytellers, including BAVC Media! Additional participants in the inaugural Bay List include: Unanimous Media (Stephen Curry and Erick Peyton), Playtone (Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman), 186K Films (Hasan Minhaj [...]
MediaMaker Fellows at the 20th Camden International Film Festival
The 2024 BAVC MediaMaker Fellows traveled by plane and car from across the country to midcoast Maine for the 20th Camden International Film Festival. It was a thrill and a pleasure to attend along with festival staff from the last two decades, documentary filmmakers from across the globe, and industry professionals who know that CIFF is something special. We reunited with BAVC Media-supported filmmakers who were at CIFF to screen new films and pitch their latest projects. Throughout the long weekend we participated in all of our favorite annual traditions (the Points North Pitch, the Town Hall, 1-on-1 industry meetings, [...]
Announcing Playback Lab, Free Video Preservation for San Francisco Residents
BAVC Media and SF COMMONS have unveiled our new community preservation center, the Playback Lab! Inspired by the Memory Lab Network at public libraries nationwide, BAVC Media and SF COMMONS now offer free, do-it-yourself audiovisual preservation services for San Francisco residents. Boasting a variety of playback machines, the SF COMMONS Playback Lab empowers our community to control their own stories held on video formats most common to the average creator. “We’re really playing against the clock with analog media, and quickly running out of time to save crucial stories that give character to our local community. San Francisco has had [...]
Announcing Fall 2024 Editing Fellows in Partnership with PG&E
Announcing BAVC Media’s second cohort of Editing Fellows in partnership with PG&E: Mariam Coulibal, Anh Le and Rose Hoang.  Award-winning professional editors and filmmakers, Jessica Jones and Kristina Motwani, are returning as mentors for Fellows in this second cohort of the fellowship. A unique opportunity to build the postproduction workforce in San Francisco, the Fellowship aims to impart industry knowledge from seasoned professionals assist in Fellows’ development in becoming an assistant editor and facilitate the addition of professional work samples to each Fellow’s portfolio. Through this Fellowship, BAVC Media is providing aspiring editors from underrepresented communities the opportunity to receive [...]
2024 Preservation Access Program
Each year, our Preservation team, through the Preservation Access Program (PAP), accepts a select number of projects to digitize and preserve at a reduced rate. We're excited to announce this year's list of PAP participants: World Arts West Founded in 1978, World Arts West is the nationally recognized leader in advocating for cultural arts communities. Serving the largest culturally-specific artist dance and music network in the United States, we are a wraparound cultural artist service provider, a hub for comprehensive capacity-building artist services for the San Francisco Bay Area cultural artist community. Media: 30 Betacam recordings of SF Ethnic Dance [...]
BAVC Preservation Collaborates with ENTRE in the Rio Grande Valley
Last month, Tim Lake, Co-Director of BAVC Preservation, had the privilege of being invited by ENTRE to teach a two-day, in-person version of HOT-AV. Read Tim's first-hand account of his experience visiting the organization below: ENTRE, founded in 2021 by artists and filmmakers C. Diaz and Andres Sanchez, is a community film center and regional archive dedicated to providing access, knowledge, and skills in filmmaking and archival practices. Its mission aligns closely with that of BAVC Media: to inspire social change through diverse voices and talents. BAVC Preservation is nationally recognized for the highest quality of video preservation and access. [...]
BAVC Media Youth Honored by SFFILM at Essential SF 2024
BAVC Media’s Youth team was honored to receive recognition from SFFILM during their Essential SF award ceremony on April 16, 2024. Essential SF is an ongoing project that shines a light on the region’s legendary, idiosyncratic, and multifaceted contributions to film culture in the Bay Area and a compendium of people and organizations most vital to the Bay Area film community. “We are admirers of [BAVC Media’s] work of uplifting and equipping young Bay Area students and filmmakers with skills and resources to create media that promotes social change and celebrates their diverse stories through Reel Stories and BAVC Youth [...]
