Mar 22, 2013
SFFILM
The San Francisco Film Society announces the appointment of filmmakers Chris Columbus and Victoria Raiser to its Board of Directors. They join SFFS at an exciting moment in its 56-year history with the recent appointment of film industry leader Ted Hope as executive director and the phenomenal success of SFFS–supported films Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin’s Academy Award–nominated independent indie smash hit; Fruitvale, Ryan Coogler’s debut feature which won top awards at Sundance 2013; and most recently, Short Term 12, Destin Daniel Cretton’s sophomore feature which won both the Narrative Grand Jury Award and Audience Award at South by Southwest.
“It is critically important for an organization dedicated to film to be able to draw on the expertise of experienced filmmakers who understand both the creative processes and incredible challenges in making this art and in finding a way to reach the broadest possible audience,” said SF Film Society Executive Director Ted Hope. “We are blessed with an incredibly talented and passionate board of directors committed to furthering our innovative vision for film and on behalf of Board President Pat McBaine and the entire organization, we are pleased to welcome Christopher and Victoria to the Film Society family.”
American film director, producer and screenwriter Chris Columbus was first inspired to make movies after seeing The Godfather at age 15. After selling his first screenplay while a sophomore at NYU Film School, Columbus entered Hollywood by way of screenwriting with his script for Gremlins (1984) being shepherded by Steven Spielberg, who soon became a mentor to the young scribe. After writing the scripts for The Goonies (1985) and Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), Columbus’ own directing career was launched a few years later. He is best known to audiences as the director of many popular films such as Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2 (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and the first two Harry Potter films (2001, 2002). Most recently, he received an Academy Award nomination for producing Tate Taylor’s The Help (2011). Born in 1958 in Spangler, PA, Columbus now resides in San Francisco.
“The Film Society has an incredible legacy bringing great films to the Bay Area community for over 50 years. Now they are also making great films happen: Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale, and Short Term 12–not only do they win festivals, they make the world a better place. Ted Hope’s vision for SFFS as a launchpad for innovation in cinema for artists, audiences and the industry was too compelling not to be part of. Of course I wanted to join the board.”
After founding and running a successful fashion line in New York, entrepreneur Victoria Raiser elected to follow her true passion of film. She leveraged her experience in fundraising, startups and the creative process transitioning into several production positions in Los Angeles. In 2007, Raiser founded Liria Films and since then she has directed and produced Broken Idyll (2007), a psychological thriller shot in France and Austria; How to Feed the World (2010), a short documentary about bio-intensive farming; and most recently, Melvin Smarty, an independent comedy codirected with business partner Simon Matthew with a release planned for early 2013. Raiser and Matthew are currently in preproduction for The Night Can Be Measured, an adaption of Elizabeth Berg’s New York Times bestselling novel We Are All Welcome Here. Born in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1970, Raiser currently resides in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
“I’m thrilled to be joining the board of the San Francisco Film Society,” Raiser said. “Their invaluable work in the areas of film exhibition, media education and artist support is very important to me as a filmmaker, and I’m very excited to work more closely with the SFFS staff and board to help guide the organization into the future.”
San Francisco Film Society is widely known for the annual San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) which will take place this year from April 25–May 9. The crown jewel of the Film Society’s exhibition program, SFIFF is the longest-running film festival in the Americas and a beloved showcase of cinematic discovery and innovation. Additional year-round programming for the Film Society has included daily screenings and events at SF Film Society Cinema, a robust Fall Season of specialized film series, and countless individual public and members’ screenings and events with special guests in person. Dedicated to education and improving media literacy, SFFS reaches more than 10,000 K–12 students annually through its educational programs and provides opportunities to college and university students to help facilitate their transition into the professional filmmaking arena. Filmmaker360, the Film Society’s filmmaker services program referenced above, oversees one of the largest film grant programs in the country, dispersing close to $1 million annually to incubate and support innovative and exceptional films. Other elements of Filmmaker360 include FilmHouse residencies, project development consultation, fiscal sponsorship and information resources.