FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 5, 2007
Julie Levak, Director of External Affairs, California Council for the Humanities
(415) 391-1474
jlevak@calhum.org
California Council for the Humanities Awards $238,000 to Four Film Projects That Reveal Little-Known Aspects of California Life
California Documentary Project films explore parents in the 1970s who refused to accept blame for their children’s schizophrenia; the rise and fall of independent bookstores; the world of racetrack workers; and the successful family life of two gay men raising five foster children
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Council for the Humanities announced today the winners of its current California Documentary Project program, which encourages documentarians to capture the enduring images and sounds of contemporary California life. The Council awarded $238,000 to four film projects, all of which are in production. The California Documentary Project is an ongoing program of California Stories, a multiyear initiative designed to connect Californians and foster understanding by uncovering personal and community stories that tell the story of today’s California.
The following four projects received grant awards:
- “When Medicine Got It Wrong,” sponsored by International Documentary Association (award: $80,000): Producer-Director Katie Cadigan and Director-Editor Laura Murray chronicle the rebellion of San Mateo County parents in the 1970s who refused to accept blame for their children’s schizophrenia, prompting changes in the psychiatry’s understanding of the disease. The film starts in 1974 and follows the stories of three families with boys who developed schizophrenia in their teens. We learn that the parents founded an organization to fight for better treatment for the children and to change public perception of the disease. Interviews with mental health experts, politicians and psychiatrists reveal the complex origins of California’s problems in mental healthcare. “Ours is a story that has never been told in any form,” said Cadigan. “This feature-length documentary speaks directly to one of the most misunderstood and ignored populations in the state, the one in five Californians living with mental illness.”
- “Paperback Dreams,” sponsored by Catticus Corp. (award: $80,000): San Francisco Producer-Director Alex Beckstead tells of the rise and fall of independent bookstores through the story of Andy Ross, co-owner and co-founder of the landmark Cody’s Books in Berkeley. The film begins with the opening of a new Cody’s in downtown San Francisco at a time when bookstores across the country are going out of business and follows Ross as he closes the door on his flagship store in Berkeley on its 50th anniversary and fights to keep his new one afloat. “Independent bookstores function as literary laboratories, and publishers rely on them to champion new and controversial work,” said Beckstead. “Internet superstores like Amazon can sell you only what you know you want. Who will guide readers to their next favorite book? ‘Paperback Dreams’ will document the struggle of the independents to survive and demonstrate that their role in bringing new ideas to readers remains as essential as ever.”
- “Most are Losers: The Life and Death of a Racetrack,” sponsored by the Films Arts Foundation (award: $12,500): Director-Producer Sara MacPherson and Producer Mark Arellano explore the hardscrabble, insular world of horse racing at Bay Meadows, a 72-year-old racetrack scheduled to be replaced by luxury housing and high-end office and retail space. The 30-minute video documentary follows several racetrack workers as they navigate one of Bay Meadows’ last seasons. “‘Most Are Losers’ captures the intersecting aspirations of these ‘backsiders,’ many whom live and work in the stable area of the racetrack, and their pursuit of the sport of horse racing despite the odds against winning and despite a world increasingly indifferent to them,” said MacPherson. “We wanted to document the world of the racetrack worker before it disappears.”
- “Preacher’s Sons,” sponsored by International Documentary Association (award: $66,310): Co-producers and Co-directors Celia Reed and Mark Nealey document the Rev. Greg Stewart and his partner Stillman White’s success at raising five African American boys adopted from California’s foster care system. The film, shot over five years, begins in Pasadena, where the Rev. Stewart is a minister, and follows the family to Stewart’s posts in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Reno, Nev.; and then to San Francisco, where Stewart is senior minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Society. Said Reed, “The journey of the family is presented within the context of the ongoing national debate about foster care, gay adoption and transracial adoption. The film challenges common preconceptions on both sides of the cultural divide about same-sex parents and their adopted children, and it presents a rich body of evidence that will encourage more thoughtful discussion of this emotion-laden topic.”
The Council has a long history of supporting documentary films and over the years has supported many important works, including 12 Academy Award nominees. Recent Council-supported films include “Romantico,” Mark Becker’s award-winning film about Mexican musician Carmelo Muniz Sanchez, which the New York Times calls a lovely, touching, moving portrait; “The Tailenders,” Adele Horne’s compelling look at a missionary organization’s use of ultra-low-tech audio devices to evangelize indigenous communities; and the soon-to-be released television special “Chicano Rock,” which celebrates the contributions of Chicanos to rock ’n’ roll and American culture. A complete list of recently funded film projects can be seen at http://www.calhum.org/programs/doc_intro.htm.
Guidelines for the October 2007 round of funding for the California Documentary Project will be available in May 2007 at www.californiastories.org. The California Documentary Project is supported through a partnership between the California Council for the Humanities and the New York-based Skirball Foundation.
About the California Council for the Humanities
The mission of the California Council for the Humanities is to foster understanding between people and encourage their engagement in community life through the public use of the humanities. The Council is an independent nonprofit organization and state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council has supported and created programs that bring Californians together around their history and culture for more than 30 years. For more information, visit the Council’s website at www.californiastories.org or contact the Council’s administrative office at (415) 391-1474.
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