Closing Night: A Life Illuminated
Guests Expected
Be there as we welcome Director Tasha Van Zandt and Producer Sebastian Zeck back to SFFILM and enjoy a post-screening Q&A including film subject Edie Widder.
Description
Tasha Van Zandt returns to SFFILM (After Antarctica, Festival 2021), with a luminous profile of pioneering marine biologist Dr. Edie Widder and together they take audiences on an thrilling deep-sea mission. Fueled by a cinematic and scientific determination to capture bioluminescent life as it has never been filmed before, this visually stunning film is a breathless adventure. Blending archival footage with present-day expeditions, the film offers a rare glimpse into the ocean’s glowing ecosystems while tracing Widder’s personal and professional journey. More than a portrait of a scientist, A Life Illuminated is a meditation on curiosity, perseverance, and the power of seeing what has long been hidden. It’s a dazzling exploration of life at the edges of human knowledge — and a reminder of the wonders that still wait in the dark. – Jessie Fairbanks
Tasha Van Zandt is a director, cinematographer, and producer. She wrote and directed the short documentaries The Gun Chronicles: A Story of America (2019), One Thousand Stories: The Making of a Mural (2019), and The Chronicles of Miami (2023). Tasha co-wrote and directed the feature documentary After Antarctica, which World Premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2021 and won the Bay Area Documentary Jury Prize. A Life Illuminated is her latest film.
Trailer
Film Details
LanguageEnglish
Year2025
Runtime89
CountryUSA
DirectorTasha Van Zandt
ProducerTasha Van Zandt, Sebastian Zeck, Jessica Harrop, Kathryn Everett
EditorSebastian Zeck, Eileen Meyer, Katrina Taylor
CinematographerSebastian Zeck
MusicAlex Somers
Print SourceSandbox Films
Closed CaptionsClosed Captions are confirmed for this film
Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions aren’t currently confirmed for this film
American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation isn’t currently scheduled for this film