PAST WINNERS 2009 – 2021
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Grant Award Winners
I Didn’t See You There – Reid Davenport. *Saul Zaentz Award
Skin of Glass – Denise Zmekhol. *Al Bendich Award
A Thousand Pines – Sebastián Díaz Aguirre. *Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Elevate Award
Boogaloo Originals – Spencer Wilkinson.
Death and Deathability: A Period Piece – Maria Victoria Ponce.
Hangtown – Lyntoria Newton and Stuart Harmon.
Heaven Through the Backdoor – Banker White, Anna Fitch and Sara Dosa.
Instrumental: The Elayne Jones Story – Grace Wang and Julie Wyman.
Julia Vinograd: Between Spirit and Stone – Ken Paul Rosenthal.
On the Divide – Maya Cueva.
Pleistocene Park – Luke Griswold-Tergis.
Quest – Santiago Rizzo.
Sanctuary Rising – Theo Rigby.
Sunday Errand – Christy Chan.
The Curse of the Mutant Heirloom – Debra Schaffner.
Who the Hell is Johnny Otis? – Doug Harris and David Zeiger.Student Grant Award Winners
After Hours – Neil Haeems.
Anchored Out – Clara Mokri and Katie Bernstein.
Barrier Lands – Joey Horan.
Kiana – Shandaeya Caldwell.
Orchestra from Oil Drums – Gail Feldman. -
Grant Award Winners
Fruits of Labor – Emily Cohen Ibañez. *Saul Zaentz Award
Untitled Prison Hunger Strike Film – Lucas Guilkey. *Al Bendich Award
Oaklead – Alex Bledsoe. *Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Elevate Award
Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? – Francisco Núñez Capriles.
The Lake Merritt Monster – Benjamin MulHolland.
Vivien's Wild Ride – Jessica Anthony and Vivien Hillgrove.
Two Rivers – Todd Darling.
We Still Here / Aquí Estamos – Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi.
When You Were Young – Tracey Quezada.
Shelter In The Palace – John Slattery.Student Grant Award Winners
8 Days at Ware – Meg Shutzer and Rachel Mueller – UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
Na Luta Delas – Orion Rose Kelly and Pedro Cota – UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
My Own Mecca – Alba Roland Mejias – San Francisco State University.
Alpha Phi Nightmare – Neil Haeems – UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
Crow Country – Tsanavi Spoonhunter – UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. -
Grant Award Winners
Sansón and Me – Rodrigo Reyes. *Saul Zaentz Award
Black Mothers – Debora Souza Silva. *Al Bendich Award
The North Pole 2 – Yvan Iturriaga.
Spring Valley – Garrett Zevgetis, Ariana Garfinkel.
United States vs. Reality Winner – Sonia Kennebeck/Ines Hofmann Kanna.
Moody Suzy – David Telles.
Through the Windows – Bret Parker.
ataraxia – Haley Seppa.
Undocumented Justice – Marlene Morris.
Stripped For Parts – Rick Goldsmith.
Last Days of Paradise High – Co-Directed by Emily Thomas and Derek Knowles.
White Highlands – Daphne Matziaraki.
The Blind Captain – Sarahbeth Maney.Student Grant Award Winners
Irse – Co-directed by Marian Carrasquero and J.P. Dobrin.
A Place To Breathe – Michelle Grace Steinberg.
Sheila E. – Jennifer Steinman Sternin.
Untitled Dwarfism Project – Julie F. Wyman.
Vanishing Chinatown: The May’s Photo Studio – Emiko Omori/Lydia Tanji.
Home Yet Far Away – Sabereh Kashi.Emeryville Grant Award Winner
Hale – Brad Bailey.
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Grant Award Winners
Bryan Gibel, Director / Producer | A.K. Sandhu, Producer, Sign My Name to Freedom. *Saul Zaentz Award
Shareef Nasir, Director | Dana Nachman, Producer, Case 993. *Al Bendich Award
Andres Alegria, Director / Producer | Abel Sanchez, Director / Producer, Song for Cesar*
Denise Zmekhol, Director / Producer | Amir Soltani, Co-Producer, Skin of Glass
Ellen Spiro, Come And Take It
Jed Riffe, Producer | Frances Causey, Director, The Long Shadow
Johnny Symons, Director / Producer | Kenyon Symons-Rogers, Director | Daniel Chein, Co-Producer, Hoodie
Lacy Jane Roberts, Co-Director | Luisa Conlon, Hanna Miller, Co-Directors, We Became Fragments
Lee Swenson, Producer | Judith Ehrlich, Director | Christopher Jones, Producer, The Boys Who Said No
Mark DeSaulnier, Producer | Spencer Wilkinson, Director, One Voice
Mark Oltmanns, Director | Jason Motlagh, Co-Director, The Unwanted
Mathew Ramirez Warren, Director / Producer, Weed Dreams
Meg Smaker, Director / Producer | Bryan Storkel, Producer | Abigail Disney, Executive Producer, The UnRedacted
Nina Menendez, Producer | Maureen Gosling, Director | Jed Riffe, Producer, The Nine Lives of Barbara Dane
Rick Tejada-Flores, Producer | Will Parrinello, Director, Troubled Water*
Robin Fryday, Director / Producer, We Are Kids
Sean Buckelew, Director | Jeanette Bonds, Producer, Drone
Stephen Most, Producer | Kevin White, Director, Wilder than Wild
Yoav Potash, Director / Producer | Brad Marshland, Producer, Diary from the Ashes* Thank you to the City of Emeryville for supporting these Emeryville filmmakers.
Student Grant Award Winners
Anaiis K. Cisco, Gryl
Daniel Chein, Sonsplitter
Juhee So | Russell Kiel, Producer, Maelstorm
Lovage Sharrock, XRAYSPEX
Nani Walker | Grace Oyenubi, Director / Producer, Forced
Natalya Sharapova, Your Number’s Up
Serginho Roosblad, The Maze -
Grant Award Winners
Sara Lafleur-Vetter, The Sacred & The Snake. *Saul Zaentz Award
Lise Pearlman, American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton. *Al Bendich Award
Bill Kinder, Wartime Projections
Delnaz Abadi, The Secret Fatwa
Jason Cohn, Mad as Hell!
Jennifer Steinman, The Musical Legacy of Sheila E.
Jim LeBrecht, Crip Camp
Kim Anno, Quba
Marsha Mather-Thrift, Capture a Legacy
Michelantony Dunston, Life and the Lady
Peter Li-Pan Lee, Don’t Be A Hero
Pratibha Parmar, My Name is Andrea*
Pam Uzzell, Welcome to the Neighborhood
Sam Ellison, Voyagers
Yvan Iturriaga, The North Pole* Thank you to the City of Emeryville for supporting these Emeryville filmmakers.
Student Grant Award Winners
Anaiis K. Cisco, Breathless
Bradford Bailey, Hale
Deborah Craig, It’s Been a Great Ride
Isara Krieger, Beacon
Jason Hanasik, How To Make A Pearl
Maya Craig, Water Town
Molly Stuart, Objector -
Grant Award Winners
Sheri Shuster, Still I Rise. *Saul Zaentz Award
Dawn Valadez, The Pushouts. *Al Bendich Award
Connie Field, The Whistleblower of My Lai
David Brown, Setting the Word on Fire
Mike Seely, Exiled: America’s Deported Veterans
Marlene Morris, A New Color
Amir Soltani, Dogtown Redemption
Kevin Wong, Home Is A Hotel
Jane Greenberg, The Surrender of Waymond Hall – in partnership with The East Bay Community Foundation
Erika Cohn, Belly of the Beast – in partnership with the LaFetra Family FoundationStudent Grant Award Winners
Melina Tupa, The Search
Alsanosi Adam, Losing Oakland
Daniel Chein, Sonsplitter
Kayo Gorden, Possessed
Simona Schneider, Moll
Romin Lee Johnson, Paparon
Yuhe Yao, I Take A Long Nap on the White River -
Grant Award Winners
Harrod Blank and Gina Leibrecht, Les Blank: A Quiet Revelation.*Saul Zaentz Award
Jason Zeldes and Michael Klein, Romeo is Bleeding
Jun Stinson, Futbolistas 4 Life
Marcy Cravat, Angel Azul
Morgan Schmidt-Feng, On Her Own
Rebekah Fergusson, Navigating The Divide
Rick Goldsmith, Mind / Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw
Shaleece Haas, Real Boy
Tal Skloot, 4 Wheel Bob
Vivian Kleiman, No Straight LinesStudent Grant Award Winners
Emily Gibson, The Buddhist Bin Laden
John Hyatt, The Surge
Mark Kurlyandchik, The Homeless Beat
Ryan Lee, Home
Sara Lafleur-Vetter and Niema Jordan, Oasis
Sally Schilling and Andra Cernavskis, Melting Glaciers, Deadly Lakes -
Grant Award Winners
Eugene Corr, Ghost Town To Havana. *Saul Zaentz Award
Amir Soltani, Dogtown Redemption
Gregory Scharpen, Buchla
Karina Epperlein, Finding The Gold Within
Kim Anno, Water City, Berkeley
Marlene Morris, A New Color
Raymond Telles, A Photographer’s Journey
Rick Goldsmith, Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw
Rick Tejada-Flores, My Bolivia–Remembering What I Never Knew
Robin Fryday, Riding My Way Back
Sarolta Cump, The Gold Fish Casino
Sheri Shuster, Still I Rise
Snitow-Kaufman Productions, Company Town
Judy Montell/Emmy Scharlatt, In The ImageStudent Grant Award Winners
Dorothy Atkins, The Battle Over Thompson Divide
Leah Dubuc, Zora -
Grant Award Winners
Catherine Ryan and Gary Weimberg, My Love Affair With The Brain: The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond. *Saul Zaentz Award
Samantha Grant, A Fragile Trust
Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, El Poeta
Ashley James and Kathryn Golden, Santos
Melissa Regan, Nuns On The Bus
Tony Nguyen, Giap’s Last Day At The Ironing Factory
Quinn Costello, Rodents of Unusual Size
Kyung Lee, TelosStudent Grant Award Winners
Mariel Waloff, A Confused War
Adam Grossberg, Vacant Seat
Nikki Sonfield, Samba Funk
Nicolas Collins, Work Progressed
Gina Moreno and Kevin Lawrence, Ore Wa Neko Da -
Grant Award Winners
Jacob Kornbluth, Inequality for All. *Saul Zaentz Award
Pratibha Parmar, Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth
Maureen Gosling, BAMAKO CHIC: Threads of Power, Color & Culture
Karina Epperlein, Finding The Gold Within
Suzanne LaFetra and David Collier, F-R-E-E
Deann Borshay Liem, Geographies of Kinship: The Korean Adoption Story
Cassandra Herrman, When I Say Africa
Paula Mozen, Life Interrupted: Telling Breast Cancer Stories
Rick Goldsmith, Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw
Robert James, The Night Minister
Delnaz Abadi, The Secret Fatwa
Avon Kirkland, Triumph And Tragedy: The Life of Booker T. Washington
Benjamin Schuder, The Village of Peace
Peter Nicks, The Waiting Room
Kelly J. Richardson, Without A Net
Tory Stanton, Games People Play
Sean Mitchell, Witness 11
L. Jeffrey Moore, A Midsummer Nightmare: The BetrayalStudent Grant Award Winners
Emily Bender, Half Full
Crescent Diamond, Performing Girl
Samina Hitch, Anarkali Blossoms
Rob Fatal, La Bamba 2: Hell Is A Drag
Alia Lundy, Bless You -
Grant Award Winners
Lisa Fruchtman, Sweet Dreams. *Saul Zaentz Award
Aarin Burch, Roots and Wings
Arwen Curry, Worlds of Ursula K. LeGuin
Judith Ehrlich, The Mouse That Roared
Connie Field, Martin Luther King in Palestine
Robin Fryday, The Barber of Birmingham
Yusef Haroun, Amen
Dan Krauss, The Imagination of Jeremy Blake
Toby McLeod, Losing Sacred Ground
Marilyn Mulford and Aleixo Gonçalves, A Song of Unity
Tamara Perkins, Life After Life
Denise Zmekhol, Google Earth Hero: Chief Almir and the Surui Tribe of AmazonStudent Grant Award Winners
Mary K. Flynn and Nina Goodby, Angel For Hire
Kate McLean, Pot Country
Marlene Morris, A New Color
Rob Richert, No One But Lydia -
Grant Award Winners
Judith Montell and Emmy Scharlatt, In the Image. *Saul Zaentz Award
Arielle Elizabeth (Krnich), Truth Takes Time
Eugene Corr, Ghost Town to Havana
Jed Riffe, Germ Wars
Joel Pincosy, Goatherder
Justine Shapiro, Our Summer in Tehran
Maureen Gosling and Chris Simon, This Ain’t No Mouse Music
Katie Gallaway and Kelly Duane de la Vega, Better this World
Rachel Antell, No Word for Autism
Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow, Between Two Worlds
Leah Mahan, Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek
Kelly J. Richardson, Without a Net -
Grant Award Winners
Yun Suh, City of Borders
Yoram Savion, T.U.R.F.
Scott Crocker, Ghost Bird
Pam Uzzell, Welcome to the Neighborhood
Marilyn Mulford, Archeology of Memory: Villa Grimaldi
Denise Zmekhol, Children of the Amazon
Helen De Michiel, Lunch Love Community
Gail Dolgin and Robin Fryday, The Barber of Birmingham
Crescent Diamond, The Heretics
Nancy Kates, Regarding Susan Sontag
Rick Tejada-Flores, My Bolivia: Remembering What I Never Knew
Karina Epperlein and John Knoop, Buenos Aires 1997: Awakening from Sorrow