Peter Nicks: George Gund III Award

Q&A

Description

Oakland High School’s 2020 senior class faces extraordinary challenges beyond graduation and college applications even before COVID-19 disrupts the school year. Led by an activist student council, the largely African American and Latinx student body demands the school board remove police from campus, a defiant act that eerily foreshadows the protests sparked by George Floyd’s death. In shining a light on these courageous youths, The Waiting Room and The Force director Peter Nicks brings his Oakland trilogy to a riveting close. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Peter Nicks is also this year’s recipient of the George Gund III Craft of Cinema Award. Established in 2011, this award pays homage to the film lover and philanthropist whose unwavering support of SFFILM spanned more than four decades. It is given to members of the film community in recognition of their distinguished service to cinema as an art form. George Gund III also believed that the Bay Area had a special role to play in championing social justice issues. Peter’s work and filmography undeniably embody the spirit of this special recognition. Homeroom will be followed by an award conversation with Peter Nicks and SFFILM Executive Director Anne Lai.