Woo Ming Jin’s Stone Turtle plays with genre and form—see it for the first time in California at the 2023 SFFILM Festival
Film Still from Stone Turtle.
Woo Ming Jin embraced the chance to make Stone Turtle, his eerie drama that won the FIPRESCI prize at the 2022 Locarno International Film Festival and makes its California premiere at the SFFILM Festival on Saturday, April 15. It was the middle of COVID, a time of punishing lockdowns in Malaysia. In those bleak times, the filmmaker’s career seemed at a standstill.
“During COVID, there was a feeling that I wasn’t sure whether I would make another film,” Woo says during a video call. “I had the opportunity to make this film very quickly, and I thought, ‘You know, I’ll just do something that I truly want to do without any sort of expectations from anyone else.’”
What is Stone Turtle about?
The title, Stone Turtle, refers to a Malaysian folk tale, a kind of romantic tragedy involving a turtle couple who become separated, leaving the female turtle to search ever after for her missing mate. The lore comes alive in beguiling animated sequences, directed by Paul Raymond Williams (assistant animator on Studio Ghibli’s The Red Turtle).
The animation is woven into the story of Zahara (Asmara Abigail), an Indonesian migrant living on the titular island off the east coast of Malaysia. The place is sparsely populated, the province of women, all outsiders like Zahara and her 10-year-old niece Nika (Samara Kenzo). Zahara’s biggest concern besides selling enough turtle eggs to sustain her small family is getting Nika into school, a high hurdle when only Malaysian citizens are allowed to register for public education. But those challenges are soon supplanted by one far more dangerous. An interloper arrives on the island, Samad (Bront Palarae). He claims to be researching leatherback turtles but Zahara recognizes him and doubts his intentions are so benign.
As Zahara and Samad face off, violence and mystery envelop their conflict, embroidered with elements of ghost stories and revenge, and shot through with alternative timelines that have led some critics to compare Stone Turtle to the classic Harold Ramis comedy Groundhog Day.
“In terms of Groundhog Day, I suppose it’s the seminal sort of time loops movie,” Woo says. “When we started making this, and I was discussing it with my producer, we thought it could be a day repeating itself but it could also be parallel realities, so like one version after the other.
“So time loops weren’t strictly on my mind as we were making it, but as we edited and the film became more crystallized, it became obvious it was a time loop. So, unconsciously absolutely, Groundhog Day, or I really enjoyed that Tom Cruise movie, Edge of Tomorrow. Maybe I was thinking more of that in terms of this looping element.”
Film Still from Stone Turtle.
Woo was a boy when he first visited the island that became his mythical Turtle Island. He spent holidays and vacations there fishing, starting when he was in high school. Then a few years ago, he spent a few months there while working on a project and got to know some of the villagers who eked a subsistence living turtle poaching. With turtle populations declining, it is a practice that could be disastrous but conservation groups in the region have become the villagers’ customers, ensuring the safety of the eggs.
“It was sort of like a symbiotic relationship,” Woo says. “I found it really fascinating. That was the catalyst for the film, and I had really wanted to make a film on the east coast. That region where we shot is really well known for that folklore, the legend of the stone turtle. It was really my desire to basically tell a contemporary version of this folklore and I was inspired by some of the people I’ve encountered in the region.”
To the folk tale and the turtle poaching, Woo added in elements highlighting the situation for migrants in a society where they have few rights or opportunities and also observes the perilous status of women in patriarchal society. At the same time, Woo didn’t want to make a heavy-handed social issues movie.
“In terms of the genre, I just wanted to have some fun with it,” he says. “Maybe it was a reaction to COVID. We were all stuck and feeling miserable and I thought, ‘This is an opportunity. I’m just going to do something fun.’ I say ‘fun’ in quotation marks as cinematic.
“I wanted to do something that’s important but also play with genres. And I’d always wanted to mix animation with live action, and then came the idea of looping time, because this place where we shot is pretty magical.”
Film Still from Stone Turtle.
Woo wrote Samad with Palarae—whom the director describes as a kind of Malaysian Michael Shannon—in mind. The men are friends, and Palarae appeared in Woo’s film Zombitopia (2021), as well as one Woo produced, Barbarian Invasion (2021). The actor occasionally works in Indonesia and suggested Abigail, with whom he’s appeared in several films, to Woo.
“I had seen a few films Asmara’s been, and she was really brilliant,” Woo says. “She had this sort of natural instinct about her. Even though she’s professionally trained, she has this feral sort of instinct about her that I really liked. We cast her and immediately knew she had chemistry with Bront, because that was important. Even though they were playing good/bad person, they still needed to have some sort of on-screen chemistry.
“And so, we worked together on this character, Zahara. There was a lot of input that Asmara gave that I really welcomed because, for me, I’m writing the lines but I always enjoy it if the actors take the role and sort of sort of carve it to make it their own.”
Woo Ming Jin’s San Francisco Homecoming
When it comes to Stone Turtle’s appearance at the festival, the film represents a kind of homecoming for Woo. The very first film festival Woo attended was what was then the San Francisco International Film Festival in 2005, when his first feature Monday Morning Glory screened as part of a spotlight on Malaysian cinema programmed by Roger Garcia. Four years later, another of his features, Woman on Fire Looks for Water, delighted Festival audiences. Woo can’t attend in person this year but he is thrilled that Stone Turtle will represent him at the Festival.
“I’m very happy to screen it in San Francisco,” he says, “There is something special about screening to an audience in San Francisco.”
Pam Grady is a freelance writer, whose work appears in the San Francisco Chronicle, 48 Hills, and other publications. She also has her own web site.
Stay In Touch With SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM works hard to bring the most exciting films and filmmakers to Bay Area movie lovers. To be the first to know what’s coming, sign up for our email alerts and watch your inbox.
Here’s why we’re excited for the West Coast and hometown premiere of Stephen Curry: Underrated, Peter Nicks’ new documentary about the four-time NBA champ.
Stephen Curry interviewing at Davidson College. Photo Courtesy of Apple Original Films.
The 66th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) will tip off with a feature-length documentary that scored some serious points from audiences at the 2023 Sundance International Film Festival:Stephen Curry: Underrated. Directed by Oakland local and Emmy Award-winner Peter Nicks, Underrated is the latest Apple Original Films and A24 movie you need to see.. The Steph Curry doc is also produced by Oaklander and Fruitvale Station and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler, who recently accepted the Irving M. Levin Award for Film Direction at SFFILM Awards Night. All of these Oakland connections are part of what makes us most excited for the SFFILM Festival Opening Night screenings of Underrated at the city’s historic Grand Lake Theatre.
What Is Stephen Curry: Underrated About?
Stephen Curry: Underrated is the remarkable coming-of-age story of one of the most influential, dynamic, and unexpected players in the history of basketball: Stephen Curry. This feature documentary—which blends intimate cinéma vérité, archival footage, and on-camera interviews—documents Curry’s rise from an undersized college player at a tiny Division I college to a four-time NBA champion, who built one of the most dominant sports dynasties in the world.
It is directed by Peter Nicks, who returns to the Festival for the fourth time. Nicks previously screened The Waiting Room (SFFILM Festival, 2012), The Force (SFFILM Festival, 2016), and Homeroom (SFFILM Festival, 2021) here at SFFILM and his latest film celebrates the iconic NBA superstar Stephen Curry. Nicks intertwines Curry’s emergence on the court at Davidson College with thrilling footage of the 2021–2022 Golden State Warriors season, when the team won its fourth championship of the Curry era. In the film, Nicks turns his lens to Curry’s feelings and thoughts about not only his sports ambitions but also his family and academic aspirations as well.
Stephen Curry: Underrated premiered at Sundance, and includes quiet moments of reflection from Steph Curry along with a wealth of behind the scenes access to the local legend. The film is produced by Peter Nicks, Ryan Coogler, Erick Peyton, Sean Havey, Ben Cotner, and Marissa Torres Ericson with Emily Osborne, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler as executive producers.
Stephen Curry in warmup gear before a game. Photo Courtesy of Apple Original Films.
Who Is Peter Nicks?
Emmy award-winning director and producer Peter Nicks has called Oakland, California home since 1997. He has been part of the SFFILM community as a filmmaker, grantee, honoree, mentor, and valued partner for well over a decade. His Oakland Trilogy has been part of three SFFILM Festival programs respectively: The Waiting Room (SFFILM Festival, 2012), The Force (SFFILM Festival, 2017), and Homeroom (SFFILM Festival, 2021).
“SFFILM has been a supporter of mine from the beginning of my trilogy about Oakland institutions and I’m proud to partner with them on my latest project, which is about another Bay Area institution of sorts,” said Director, Peter Nicks. “Stephen Curry’s story is at once universal and personal, a thrilling expression of the power of pushing beyond expectations and fighting to be seen. These themes are not only woven deeply into Stephen’s story but also that of the town itself and I’m excited to share the film soon at Oakland’s legendary Grand Lake Theater.”
Director Peter Nicks on the red carpet of the Golden Gate Awards at the 2017 SFFILM Festival. Photo Courtesy of SFFILM.
Where Can I Watch Steph Curry: Underrated?
Stephen Curry: Underrated will open the 66th San Francisco International Film Festival with two screenings at the historic Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland. It’s exciting to welcome an Oakland-based filmmaker into a legendary local movie palace for a documentary about a person who remains near and dear to many residents of The Town. Director Peter Nicks and producer Ryan Coogler are expected to join us for both screenings.
Want to celebrate even more? A limited number of tickets will be available for public purchase to the Opening Night Party which will be held at OMCA, the Oakland Museum of California. See the film, hear from the filmmakers, and join us for our opening night party on Thursday, April 13. The two screenings of the film will happen at 6:30 pm PT and 9:30 pm PT. The SFFILM Opening Night Party will start at 9 pm PT and run until midnight.
Stay In Touch With SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM works hard to bring the most exciting films and filmmakers to Bay Area movie lovers. To be the first to know what’s coming, sign up for our email alerts and watch your inbox.
Last spring, at the 65th SFFILM Festival, we paid tribute to cinematic icon Michelle Yeoh, who wrapped up the year by earning an Oscar nomination. Will she finally win big at the 2023 Academy Awards?
Michelle Yeoh. Photo by Pamela Gentile.
In April 2022, SFFILM welcomed Michelle Yeoh to the 65th San Francisco International Film Festival for a special tribute to the enduring icon, which was hosted by award-winning actor Sandra Oh. In a joyful and wide-ranging onstage conversation, the pair celebrated the career and gifts of this unparalleled international movie star. Yeoh carved out a now-legendary path in Hong Kong cinema in the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s, performing her own stunts in action films like Yes, Madam (1985), Police Story 3: Super Cop (1992), and Holy Weapon (1993).
Then came the release of director Ang Lee’s Academy Award-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Whether you saw the film when it premiered in 2000, or joined SFFILM at the Castro Theatre for your first Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon viewing in the lead-up to the tribute, it’s clear why Yeoh gained critical recognition worldwide after this starring role. A standout supporting role in a little 1997 Bond film called Tomorrow Never Dies introduced her to even more audiences.
Called “one of the great international movie stars of the past quarter-century” by New York Times chief film critic A.O. Scott, Michelle Yeoh is a singular, tenacious talent—and that’s exactly why we honored her career last year. After decades of memorable roles, Yeoh has now earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her formidable performance in The Daniels’ (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) multiversal gut-punch Everything Everywhere All at Once. Will Michelle Yeoh win an Oscar on Sunday, March 12? SFFILM believes so—and forecasted it nearly a year ago.
Michelle Yeoh in Conversation with Sandra Oh at the 65th SFFILM Festival. Photo by Pamela Gentile.
Has Michelle Yeoh Been Nominated For An Oscar Before?
Despite her impressive and enduring career in film, Michelle Yeoh has never been nominated for an Oscar before. Even her BAFTA nomination for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon didn’t push the Academy to recognize Yeoh over two decades ago. Now, with Everything Everywhere All at Once—the most-nominated film at the 2023 Oscars—Michelle Yeoh is finally being given the recognition she has long deserved on the awards circuit.
At the Golden Globes, Michelle Yeoh became the first Malaysian actor to win Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy. This is also Yeoh’s first time being nominated for the Critics’ Choice Awards, and her second BAFTA nomination. Her role as Evelyn Wang, the laundromat owner who’s just trying to navigate an IRS audit when she’s pulled into a multiverse-spanning adventure, is a career-defining one. And that’s saying something given Yeoh’s decades’ worth of accomplishments.
The role has landed her numerous awards from critics associations, in addition to that Golden Globe, and her fellow Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar nominees—Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Stephanie Hsu—have all earned accolades for their ensemble work in the film. Most recently, Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian woman ever to win any individual category at the Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG Awards). She won the honor for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, of course. But does that SAG win—both as an individual and as a member of the year’s most outstanding cast—indicate a promising night at the Oscars?
Fans outside the Castro Theatre for the Tribute to Michelle Yeoh in Conversation with Sandra Oh. Photo by Pamela Gentile.
Can Michelle Yeoh Make Oscar History?
When Academy Award nominations were announced in January, Michelle Yeoh became the first Malaysian person, and the first Southeast Asian person, to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. She’s also the second woman of Asian descent to be nominated in the category, with the first being biracial actor Merle Oberon. Nominated for her role in The Dark Angel in 1936, Oberon felt the need to conceal her biracial identity due to the pervasive racism in the studio system.
If Michelle Yeoh wins, it will be a landmark moment in film history. “[Other Asian folks] come up to me and they say, ‘You’re doing it for us’,” Yeoh said in an interview with TIME, which named her an icon of the year. And as the 2023 Oscars near, Yeoh is emerging as the category frontrunner. Even so, some film critics and cinephiles are still betting on two-time Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett (The Aviator, Best Supporting Actress; Blue Jasmine, Best Actress) to nab the award again for her starring role in Tár.
SFFILM Director of Programming Jessie Fairbanks, Michelle Yeoh, and Sandra Oh onstage at the 65th SFFILM Festival. Photo by Pamela Gentile.
After receiving news of her nomination, Yeoh told Deadline that the most important part of her Oscars push was that it could show others, especially other Asian actors and filmmakers, that they can do it, too. “I’m very ordinary. I just work very hard,” Yeoh said. “There are so many brilliant actresses [and] actors out there who know that they have a seat at the table. All they have to do is find an opportunity and get there.”
So, can Michelle Yeoh make history? SFFILM thinks she can! And if Yeoh wins, we’ll be dancing just like she and Sandra Oh danced on stage at the Castro Theatre last year. It was a privilege to honor you, Michelle. You’ve got this—in every universe!
Stay In Touch With SFFILM
SFFILM is a nonprofit organization whose mission ensures independent voices in film are welcomed, heard, and given the resources to thrive. SFFILM works hard to bring the most exciting films and filmmakers to Bay Area movie lovers. To be the first to know what’s coming, sign up for our email alerts and watch your inbox.
Remembering former SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan
On Wednesday, January 25, former SFFILM Executive Director Noah Cowan passed away at his home in Los Angeles. Our staff and alumni are deeply saddened by his loss and we’ve been swapping many uproarious stories about Noah, a wonderful, wild, big-hearted, and complex person who did so much for this organization during his tenure. His legacy is still propelling SFFILM ever forward, with filmmaking and film appreciation at its center.
Noah stepped into the Executive Director role at SFFILM in 2014—then known as the San Francisco Film Society—and immediately got to work with his bold vision for the organization. He said at the time, “The Bay Area has a storied relationship to cinema’s century-plus history and is currently home to the technology companies that will decisively influence the medium’s future. SFFS is uniquely positioned to work with filmmakers, educators, and enthusiastic local audiences to embrace the dynamic and exciting changes taking place within the industry and continue to ensure that great cinema is made, seen and appreciated.”
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan on stage with Ellen Burstyn at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan on stage with Ellen Burstyn at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan on stage with Ellen Burstyn at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan on the red carpet with SF Mayor London Breed and former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
Noah Cowan on the red carpet with SF Mayor London Breed and former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
Noah Cowan on the red carpet with SF Mayor London Breed and former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan and Ellen Burstyn sitting together at SFFILM Awards Night.
Noah Cowan and Ellen Burstyn sitting together at SFFILM Awards Night.
Noah Cowan and Ellen Burstyn sitting together at SFFILM Awards Night.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan with Pat Cleveland and Stephen Burrows at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan with Pat Cleveland and Stephen Burrows at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan with Pat Cleveland and Stephen Burrows at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan with Marcus Hu and B. Ruby Rich at SFFILM Essential SF
Noah Cowan with Marcus Hu and B. Ruby Rich at SFFILM Essential SF
Noah Cowan with Marcus Hu and B. Ruby Rich at SFFILM Essential SF
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan with Johnnie To at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan with Johnnie To at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan with Johnnie To at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan and Shah Rukh Khan at the 2017 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan and Shah Rukh Khan at the 2017 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan and Shah Rukh Khan at the 2017 SFFILM Festival.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan and Wesley Morris at the 2016 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan and Wesley Morris at the 2016 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan and Wesley Morris at the 2016 SFFILM Festival.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan in the audience at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan with Jennifer Siebel Newsom and CA Governor Gavin Newsom at the 2019 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan with Jennifer Siebel Newsom and CA Governor Gavin Newsom at the 2019 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan with Jennifer Siebel Newsom and CA Governor Gavin Newsom at the 2019 SFFILM Festival.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan and filmmakers of Darkest Hour at an SF Honors Award Presentation.
Noah Cowan and filmmakers of Darkest Hour at an SF Honors Award Presentation.
Noah Cowan and filmmakers of Darkest Hour at an SF Honors Award Presentation.
Launched in March of 2017, Noah delivered the rebranding of the organization, integrating all programs including year-round exhibitions, the world-renowned San Francisco International Film Festival, SFFILM Makers, and SFFILM Education under the banner of SFFILM. This new SFFILM was the foundation of who we are today—an organization that prioritizes supporting filmmakers young and old, bringing together the local film community, and inspiring film lovers throughout the Bay Area.
“Noah’s impact on SFFILM was indelible and lasting, and I was honored to carry the stewardship of the organization from Noah’s visionary work. He helped to bring us into a more modern and accessible era, starting with our name change from the San Francisco Film Society, as well as elevating our artist development and education programs to a higher visibility aligned with our legacy festival,” said SFFILM Executive Director, Anne Lai. “His energy and excitement about what we do continue to echo in the new initiatives he created during his time here. Like the movies, he was bigger than life and will be greatly missed.”
Photo by Tommy Lau.
And of course, his love and knowledge of film drove his ambitions for the artform, and for SFFILM. Associate Director of Programming Rod Armstrong shared this remembrance, “Talking about cinema with Noah was a great pleasure for me during his time at SFFILM. Following his departure, we’d pick up our cinephilic chats when we saw one another, sprinkled with nifty gossip. It’s to my great dismay that I won’t be able to continue this conversation with Noah; he made me smarter, better at my job, and hearing his always-at-the-ready laugh made my day a little brighter. The ways he expanded the scope and reach of SFFILM are just one element of his impressive legacy; I’m so proud to have been a part of it.”
We will miss Noah and we know many film communities around the world will as well. We will continue to find solace in his legacy and work, and on especially hard days, we’ll look back at his musings on filmmaking to remind ourselves of the man he was and the devotion he had for filmmaking and film loving.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan and Spike Lee on the red carpet.
Noah Cowan and Spike Lee on the red carpet.
Noah Cowan and Spike Lee on the red carpet.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan with Dolores Huerta and Peter Bratt on the red carpet.
Noah Cowan with Dolores Huerta and Peter Bratt on the red carpet.
Noah Cowan with Dolores Huerta and Peter Bratt on the red carpet.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan and Ben Fong-Torres on the red carpet.
Noah Cowan and Ben Fong-Torres on the red carpet.
Noah Cowan and Ben Fong-Torres on the red carpet.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan interviewing at the SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan interviewing at the SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan interviewing at the SFFILM Festival.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan onstage at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan onstage at an SFFILM event.
Noah Cowan onstage at an SFFILM event.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan interviewing at the SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan interviewing at the SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan interviewing at the SFFILM Festival.
Photo by George F. Gund
Photo by George F. Gund
Photo by George F. Gund
Noah Cowan in front of an SFFILM Festival venue.
Noah Cowan in front of an SFFILM Festival venue.
Noah Cowan in front of an SFFILM Festival venue.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan on stage for the 2018 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan on stage for the 2018 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan on stage for the 2018 SFFILM Festival.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan posing for a photo at the 2018 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan posing for a photo at the 2018 SFFILM Festival.
Noah Cowan posing for a photo at the 2018 SFFILM Festival.
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Photo by Tommy Lau
Noah Cowan onstage at the 2019 SFFILM Festival with the filmmakers of Tales of the City.
Noah Cowan onstage at the 2019 SFFILM Festival with the filmmakers of Tales of the City.
Noah Cowan onstage at the 2019 SFFILM Festival with the filmmakers of Tales of the City.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan with Boots Riley and Steve McQueen at SFFILM Awards Night.
Noah Cowan with Boots Riley and Steve McQueen at SFFILM Awards Night.
Noah Cowan with Boots Riley and Steve McQueen at SFFILM Awards Night.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan with former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
Noah Cowan with former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
Noah Cowan with former SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen.
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Photo by Pamela Gentile
Noah Cowan with Doron Weber and Josh Singer in front of the Castro Marquee.
Noah Cowan with Doron Weber and Josh Singer in front of the Castro Marquee.
Noah Cowan with Doron Weber and Josh Singer in front of the Castro Marquee.
Help us give a warm welcome to 2023’s group of Bay Area–based storytellers who will take up residence at FilmHouse, SFFILM’s dynamic shared workspace for independent filmmakers.
The FilmHouse Residency is managed by SFFILM Makers, the artist development program at SFFILM and is made possible in partnership with the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and additional funding from the San Francisco Film Commission and the San Francisco Foundation. The program supports both narrative and documentary projects (including features, shorts, and series) by providing 12-month residencies to local filmmakers actively engaged in various stages of production.
FilmHouse Residents receive a variety of benefits including special access to established industry professionals offering artistic guidance and support from their various areas of expertise as well asa robust guest speaker series featuring lectures and presentations by leading industry professionals; workshops led by prominent filmmakers and other members of the independent film industry; peer-to-peer support; work-in-progress screenings; bi-weekly production meetings; access to meaningful networking opportunities; and numerous other community-building programs.
The selection committee for the 2023 FilmHouse Residents were:
Masashi Niwano, Director of Artist Development, SFFILM
Joshua Moore, Artist Development Manager of Documentary Projects, SFFILM
Rosa Morales, Artist Development Associate Manager of Narrative Projects, SFFILM
Sabrina Sellers, Artist Development Coordinator, SFFILM
Manijeh Fata, Executive Director, Film SF
Dana Merwin, Producer
Natalie Baszile, Writer, Director, and FilmHouse Resident Alumni
“FilmHouse is an ecosystem of creative people and exciting projects in motion, and this year’s diverse group of residents all bring with them their own unique talents and perspectives,” said the 2023 Selection Committee.“There is an intentional balance of emerging filmmakers and more established filmmakers who have built a foundation from which to grow. These exceptional storytellers also share a personal connection to the material they are working with and we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer them the support and guidance the FilmHouse residency provides.” FilmHouse Residents Selection Committee
Let’s meet the residents that will be taking their projects to the next stage—whether it be screenwriting or post-production—at FilmHouse in 2023!
Feature Residents
Adnan Khan
Dreama’s Room – Narrative Short
When a 7-year-old girl gets a letter from her incarcerated father, she sets out on an imaginative fantasy adventure in her room to free him.
Albert Fernandez
Numero – Narrative Short
When a gifted baseball player is discovered in Cuba, an MLB scout must navigate him through the dangerous web of human traffickers to reach the multimillion-dollar contracts and redemption that await some 90 miles away. Inspired by a current DOJ investigation.
Asad Durrani
She Fell From the Sky – Narrative Feature
A struggling single dad’s life gets further complicated when his late wife falls out of the sky and back into his life.
Betsy Tsai
A Land of Long Shadows – Hybrid Feature
An aspiring journalist from working-class Belfast investigates epidemic suicide rates amongst her millennial peers. When it hits close to home, she exposes why the violence still persists in 2010s Northern Ireland, but is turning inwards.
Cheo Tyehimba Taylor
Untitled – Narrative Feature
An egotistical journalist convinces his HIV-positive brother to participate in a controversial AIDS clinical trial he’s documenting during the height of the AIDS epidemic, but the consequences reveal hidden truths.
Dominic Mercurio
He Won’t Belong – Narrative Short
In the midst of a storm on a desolate strip of California’s lost coast, two strangers begin to uncover each other’s past.
Estevan Padilla
Pangea Ultima – Narrative Feature
Convinced that their parent’s separation is the root cause of their inability to foster relationships and mature, a delusional brother and sister brazenly kidnap their estranged parents in hopes of forcing them to fall back into love.
LaTajh Weaver
Queerling – Narrative Feature
After taking a cushy tech job to make ends meet, an Oakland native struggles to stay morally grounded while benefiting from the same luxuries that are destroying her community. All while stumbling through the complexities of Bay Area’s Queer scene.
Osinachi Ibe
Tales From Under the Sun – Narrative Feature
During their first summer apart, two childhood best friends discover they have fallen in love with each other and embark on a spiritual journey that changes them forever.
Steven Liang
Godfrey’s Time, Out – Narrative Feature
After 14 years behind bars, Godfrey receives a weekend pass out of his transitional house to celebrate his newfound freedom in his hometown in the San Gabriel Valley, only to discover his city and his people have moved on without him. When the pressure to make up for lost time becomes unbearable, he wrestles with the delusion of home and the reality of new beginnings.
Documentary Residents
Aurora Brachman
Dear You – Documentary Feature
After fleeing an abusive husband and leaving behind her Pacific Island home of Kiribati—projected to be one of the first countries to disappear due to climate change—Grace is detained while seeking asylum in the US. Anchored by love letters she writes while in prison, Dear You follows Grace as she fights for stability and a new sense of purpose while contemplating the future of the rapidly-disappearing home to which she can never return.
Briana Nieves
Arise! My Beloved – Documentary Short and Feature
A group of carmelite nuns living secluded from friends and family reflect on what it means to know God and be alive in a state of profound isolation.
Caron Creighton
Dispossessed – Documentary Feature
Residents of Oakland’s largest homeless encampment struggle to keep their community united as they fight dual evictions from both the city and state.
Elivia Shaw
Untitled Central Valley Project – Documentary Feature
Land has a time limit. Untitled Central Valley Project explores the impact of decades of agricultural extraction and increasingly extreme climate on community health in California’s Central Valley through intimate short stories that investigate our changing relationship to the environment.
Ines Pedrosa e Melo
The dark knot at the center – Documentary Short
In a road movie set in post Roe v. Wade America, an anonymous group of people reckons with the current state of abortion rights in a deeply divided country. As they share their thoughts, reflections and experiences on the struggles of accessing abortion care, their voices reshape the road and the vast scenery around it, shedding light on the disparate realities of reproductive health care access in contemporary the United States.
J.P. Dobrin
Untitled asian deportation Project – Documentary Feature
After twenty years in prison, two Cambodian-American men lose their residency status due to their convictions and face potential deportation back to a country they never knew. Yet despite the insurmountable odds, the two friends try to savor their freedom and make up for a childhood lost, showing us what it means to be young at heart.
Javid Soriano
The Impossible Dream (working title) – Documentary Feature
The artistry of an opera singer endures on the streets of San Francisco, where the performer recounts his past fame while struggling to re-establish himself with his children.
Jessica Zitter
The Chaplain of Oakland – Documentary Feature
Frustrated by watching Black patients suffer in hospitals due to end-of-life healthcare inequities, a dedicated chaplain works to transform an unjust medical system, one patient at a time.
Michael Workman
The Richest Hill On Earth – Documentary Feature
Unfolding through the lives of a diverse cross-section of people in a town haunted by its history of labor struggle, The Richest Hill on Earth is an intergenerational story exploring what it means to be working class in the United States.
Rajan Gill
Harvest Party at Camp Two – Documentary/Hybrid Short
It was a summer of romance, race-wars, and rock n’ roll. Unable to attend their local prom, Harvest Party at Camp Two recounts the story of the Punjabi farmworkers in 1980s California who throw the biggest party their small town has ever seen.
Yeelen Cohen
Fighting for the Light – Documentary/Hybrid Feature
Named after the African cinema classic, Yeelen journeys to Bamako to make a movie about the enigmatic elder who inspired their name. Souleymane Cisse, director of Yeelen, readily assumes the role of godfather to the multimedia artist, but soon begins questioning the millennial’s vision. What starts as a playful personal film about the origin of a name, spirals into an existential interrogation of representation, collective imagination, and the power manifested through image creation. Juxtaposing the past, present, and future, archival footage and reimaginings of the film Yeelen, the documentary odyssey explores a fated relationship that defies cultural and generational divides.
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