yasaman
Student Board Blog: SPIKE LEE, Black Influence in Hollywood
Written by Kayen Manovil ‘23-‘24 Student Board Member When we speak of trailblazers in the Black community, we often speak of civil rights leaders and political pioneers. While MLK Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman and the many more have undeniably earned their foot in the appreciation circle for their contributions to Black liberation, we often forget to include those whose art medium transcends minds on a global scale: Filmmakers. From breaking stereotypes with multidimensional stories on Black experiences to inspiring a wave of social critique through a Black lens, it’s safe to say that screenwriter and director Spike [...]
Student Board Blog: Mindy Kaling, Never Have I Ever
Written by Amara Kapur ‘23-‘24 Student Board Member Never Have I Ever is a series on Netflix about a young Indian American girl, who is trying to balance her culture, school life, friends, and many high school related problems while also dealing with the death of her dad. The show first came out in 2020, and since then has gained a lot of attraction. Vera Mindy Chockalingam, known professionally as Mindy Kaling, is a comedian, screenwriter, actress, and producer. The first show she gained recognition for was her role in the show The Office as Kelly Kapoor. Since then, she [...]
Student Board Blog: Becoming the Subject
Becoming the Subject Written by Madeleine Wilson ‘23-‘24 Student Board Member Since the very first film, in 1895, by the Lumière brothers, film and media alike have skyrocketed. Media now takes many forms, in feature length and short films, Tiktok reel videos, even Youtube informational videos and gaming screen recordings. With the advancement of film technology came the advancement of style and artistic exploration. Dolly zooms and dutch angles, the world watched aghast and star-struck! Let’s take a look from the very, very beginning… At first, there was theatre in Egypt. Simple scenes performed to small crowds, which inspired Greeks [...]
Student Board Blog: Queer Cancelation
Queer Cancelation Written By '22-'23 Student Board Member Harper Hallquist  With the recent cancellation of GLAAD award winning television series Our Flag Means Death, speculation of the cancellation of queer media has risen. With shows over the years such as First Kill and I Am Not Okay With This, many beloved shows featuring LGBTQIA+ representation have been abandoned. Our Flag Means Death After a slightly successful season one of the enrapturing show Our Flag Means Death, an imminent season two was approaching. Once released with more popularity and press coverage, the show was canceled in January of [...]
Student Board Blog: The Importance of a Good Score
The Importance of a Good Score Written by (2023-2024) Student Board Member Ariana McCants One of the most significant pieces of any film is its score. Many filmmakers treat the scoring of their film as an afterthought, which is an unfortunate oversight. The fact of the matter is: the most critically acclaimed films would not have risen to such acclaim, had they not have had a great score to accompany them. A great score can elevate a film from being good to being unforgettable. Composer and Music Producer Hans Zimmer Consider Hans Zimmer, one of Hollywood’s most innovative [...]
Student Board Blog: Feminine Horror
Feminine Horror Written by (2023-2024) Student Board Member Jean Halstead *Content warning: violence, abuse, sexism, assault, & cannibalism* Jenifer’s Body was met with a lukewarm response following its 2009 release, but looking back, it’s hard to believe this wasn’t by design. The film was marketed like any other irreverent, semi-erotic horror film, and attracted the respective audience. So viewers were understandably surprised to find that this film was instead a complex, angry, and gruesome depiction of young womanhood. Granted, it was not without sex, violence, and humor, but those elements were used to communicate a larger idea, rather than being [...]
Celebrating 10 Years of Reel Stories
On September 28, we celebrated a significant milestone and gathered at KQED for the second annual Reel Stories Celebration & Awards. It was a night to remember, as we commemorated a decade(!) of Reel Stories programming that has been instrumental in uplifting women, girls, and gender-expansive filmmakers in the Bay Area. A Decade of Empowering Voices The evening was not only an awards ceremony but also a celebration of the voices and creativity of women and gender-expansive filmmakers of all ages. In the words of Paula Smith Arrigoni, BAVC Media’s Executive Director, “We celebrated the rebellious act of training young [...]
Black Women in Film Summit
[vc_row type="in_container" full_screen_row_position="middle" column_margin="default" column_direction="default" column_direction_tablet="default" column_direction_phone="default" scene_position="center" text_color="dark" text_align="left" row_border_radius="none" row_border_radius_applies="bg" overlay_strength="0.3" gradient_direction="left_to_right" shape_divider_position="bottom" bg_image_animation="none"][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_tablet="inherit" column_padding_phone="inherit" column_padding_position="all" column_element_spacing="default" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" column_link_target="_self" gradient_direction="left_to_right" overlay_strength="0.3" width="1/2" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" bg_image_animation="none" border_type="simple" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_gallery type="flexslider_style" images="21917,21920,21921,21922,21919" onclick="link_no"][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding="no-extra-padding" column_padding_tablet="inherit" column_padding_phone="inherit" column_padding_position="all" column_element_spacing="default" background_color_opacity="1" background_hover_color_opacity="1" column_shadow="none" column_border_radius="none" column_link_target="_self" gradient_direction="left_to_right" overlay_strength="0.3" width="1/2" tablet_width_inherit="default" tablet_text_alignment="default" phone_text_alignment="default" bg_image_animation="none" border_type="simple" column_border_width="none" column_border_style="solid"][vc_column_text]My name is Morgan Lewis, and I am the Reel Stories Instructor and Community Engagement Specialist. This month, I attended the Black Women in Film summit hosted by the Black Women Film Network in Atlanta Georgia! I got to sit in on [...]
