Big Water Summer: A Creation Story: Navajo farmer Cherilyn Yazzie has returned to her grandparents’ land to grow produce for her community during a summer where nothing goes as planned.
The Ruth Brinker Story: The life of legendary AIDS activist Ruth Brinker and her legacy of healing people through meals with love in San Francisco.
Swimming Through: Three women forge a friendship by swimming through the winter in Lake Michigan as a way to cope with the pandemic.
To Be Born: Following a childhood trauma, a village woman begins to believe that the dolls she makes help solve problems facing her community.
(click on titles in column to the right to see individual film details below)
At the age of 63, retired food-service worker Ruth Brinker became a pioneer of HIV care in her community and would become a legend among San Franciscans. The AIDS epidemic hit San Francisco the hardest and created a wave of fear and uncertainty that left many victims feeling hopeless and alone. Brinker, whose deep compassion became a source of strength for others struggling to cope with the times, began cooking meals in her kitchen to deliver to her neighbors who were too ill to take care of themselves.
Her goal was to not only provide meals but to also revitalize the city’s sense of community and spend time with HIV/AIDS patients to end the isolation they experienced. Providing meals with love became the hallmark of her mission. The work of Brinker and her growing team of volunteers led to Project Open Hand, the largest provider of nutrition to the HIV/AIDS community with sister organizations across the country. Ruth Brinker’s legacy carries on today as Project Open Hand has once again joined the frontlines in facing the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.
Awards
Semi-Finalist Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
Festivals
SCAD Savannah Film Fest ● TLV Fest, International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
West Coast Premiere! Filmmaker Attending!
- DirectorApo W. Bazidi
- ScreenwriterApo W. Bazidi
- ProducerApo W. Bazidi, Goran Zaneti; Associate Producer: Marcus Tolero, Mark Gopez
- Executive ProducerAmor Santiago, Paul Hepfer
- CastRuth Brinker, Fernando Castillo, Paul Hepfer, Tom Nolan, Wendy Cohen; Supporting Cast: Sandy Kovtun, Matthieu Brajot, William R Conrad, Richard A Kohl
- CinematographerCassidy Friedman
- EditorMatthieu Brajot
- ComposerVictoria Beits
- Sound DesignVictoria Beits
Big Water Summer: A Creation Story: Navajo farmer Cherilyn Yazzie has returned to her grandparents’ land to grow produce for her community during a summer where nothing goes as planned.
The Ruth Brinker Story: The life of legendary AIDS activist Ruth Brinker and her legacy of healing people through meals with love in San Francisco.
Swimming Through: Three women forge a friendship by swimming through the winter in Lake Michigan as a way to cope with the pandemic.
To Be Born: Following a childhood trauma, a village woman begins to believe that the dolls she makes help solve problems facing her community.
(click on titles in column to the right to see individual film details below)
At the age of 63, retired food-service worker Ruth Brinker became a pioneer of HIV care in her community and would become a legend among San Franciscans. The AIDS epidemic hit San Francisco the hardest and created a wave of fear and uncertainty that left many victims feeling hopeless and alone. Brinker, whose deep compassion became a source of strength for others struggling to cope with the times, began cooking meals in her kitchen to deliver to her neighbors who were too ill to take care of themselves.
Her goal was to not only provide meals but to also revitalize the city’s sense of community and spend time with HIV/AIDS patients to end the isolation they experienced. Providing meals with love became the hallmark of her mission. The work of Brinker and her growing team of volunteers led to Project Open Hand, the largest provider of nutrition to the HIV/AIDS community with sister organizations across the country. Ruth Brinker’s legacy carries on today as Project Open Hand has once again joined the frontlines in facing the crisis of the COVID19 pandemic.
Awards
Semi-Finalist Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
Festivals
SCAD Savannah Film Fest ● TLV Fest, International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
West Coast Premiere! Filmmaker Attending!
- DirectorApo W. Bazidi
- ScreenwriterApo W. Bazidi
- ProducerApo W. Bazidi, Goran Zaneti; Associate Producer: Marcus Tolero, Mark Gopez
- Executive ProducerAmor Santiago, Paul Hepfer
- CastRuth Brinker, Fernando Castillo, Paul Hepfer, Tom Nolan, Wendy Cohen; Supporting Cast: Sandy Kovtun, Matthieu Brajot, William R Conrad, Richard A Kohl
- CinematographerCassidy Friedman
- EditorMatthieu Brajot
- ComposerVictoria Beits
- Sound DesignVictoria Beits