PRESS RELEASE: ANNOUNCING BFF SPECIAL AWARDS
NEWS
Media Contact:
Andrew Neilly, Nancy Amaral
925.930.9848
andrew@gallen.com nancy@gallen.com
Isabella Miller, BFF Program Director
510.705.1481
isabella@berkeleyfilmfoundation.org
For Immediate Release
ANNOUNCING SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
The Berkeley FILM Foundation is honored to announce a new endowment from the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation (SZCF) in support of independent films that tackle the important issue of early childhood education in the Bay Area. With a matching grant from the Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation, the Berkeley FILM Foundation was able to award two $50,000 grants to two special films that actively confront the status quo of limited access to childhood education. The Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation exists to continue the important work by Saul Zaentz who believed deeply that poverty should not be a barrier to receiving high quality education early in life.
“Even before we founded the Berkeley FILM Foundation, Saul Zaentz and the Saul Zaentz Company were aligned in strongly supporting all education goals, from early education to high school education, for the region where our respective companies were privileged to grow,” says Rich Robbins. “We are gratified to continue to support Saul’s legacy and the important discussion that the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation has elevated around early childhood education,” he adds. “It is an honor to partner with his Foundation for such an imperative cause as promoting and improving Early Childhood Education through film. “
The Berkeley FILM Foundation is proud to be the conduit for this partnership between this charitable institution and these local filmmakers. Though these films are in the early stages of production, we are extremely impressed by the work they have done so far and eager to see these stories come to light. Please take a moment to read each synopsis:
The Untitled Early Educators Project by Jen Bradwell and Todd Boekelheide
This film chronicles Berkeley’s Aquatic Park School, a preschool whose employees understand the value of their work but struggle to make ends meet for themselves. The story takes a dramatic turn as the school confronts the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the livelihood of their staff and the shifted value placed on childcare across the country. Will Aquatic Park survive or be lost?
Clarissa’s Battle by Tamara Perkins
Clarissa is a driven, single Black mother and social warrior in Oakland, California who is championing the cause of childcare as a human right. Clarissa’s Battle follows her journey as a community leader and rising candidate for local office. When the COVID-19 pandemic hits, the rest of the country finally understands this battle she is fighting: homelessness, joblessness, and childcare are urgent crises that must be addressed seriously and collectively.