SRJC Petaluma re-opens its public Cinema Series after a two-year hiatus with celebrated films and industry guests.
“We’re excited to once again be hosting community conversations around cinema and film education,” says SRJC film instructor and program coordinator Mike Traina. “The Carole L. Ellis Auditorium is a beautiful theater that was upgraded to 4K projection the day the pandemic began. We’ve selected a series of visually stunning films to show it off to the public.”
The abridged spring season will feature six films accompanied by filmmakers and expert panelists. Rickshaw Girl, an English-language drama shot in Bangladesh and produced by Penngrove resident and SRJC screenwriting instructor Eric Adams will open the series. It’s followed by My Dead Dad, an independent coming-of-age story slated for release later this summer. Both filmmakers will be present at the screenings. “There’s nothing better than having filmmakers join us for conversations on their work,” says Traina. “It affords our audience the opportunity to engage directly with content creators.”
The series also features the Chinese/Mongolian drama Anima and the Mexico/USA co-production I Carry You With Me. Each film will be accompanied by guest panelists offering insight on the work. On May 4 (Star Wars Day), the series will screen Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, widely considered the best film in the franchise. The season closes with Wes Anderson’s stop motion classic The Fantastic Mr. Fox. SRJC Veterinary Tech instructor Dan Famini will host a live animal meet-and-greet with a menagerie of residents from the Sonoma Sloth House prior to the screening.
Screenings are hosted in the Carole L. Ellis Auditorium on the Petaluma Campus of Santa Rosa Junior College every Wednesday night at 7pm. Guests are invited to attend an optional pre-film program at 6pm to learn more about each film’s production history and issues that are raised within the film. Visit PetalumaFilmAlliance.org for schedule details and additional information.
