John Santos: San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards 2011

Shelter

March 2023 •Galician

What is a home? Can a body become a home? This short film tries to answer these questions about the construction of our identities through the intimate portrait of Galician transgender people.

Incitatus

November 1996 •Russian

The film features the wonderful poet of the early 20th century, Count Vasily Komarovsky. The poets Nikolai Gumilyov, Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam, among other celebrities, were not only his acquaintances but he had a considerable influence on their work. The poet’s extraordinary life gave birth to legends, whose plausibility will also be dwelt upon. Komarovsky’s niece will share her recollections with the viewer. The film is based on unique documents previously unknown to Russian and foreign scholars.

Algunos cantantes, algunas canciones

January 1981 •Spanish

An approach to Latin American protest music.

From Source to Sea

January 2018 •English

The Craft of Dirty Harry

June 2008 •English

A look at the cinematographers, editors, musicians, production designers and other talent of the Dirty Harry series.

Ripple

March 2024 •English

Rae Ripple, a welder from the outskirts of West Texas transforms neglected metal into works of art and in the process finds healing from her traumatic past.

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

September 2024 •English

Christopher Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care.

The Dream is Always the Same: The Story of Risky Business

September 2008 •English

Set against the landscape of 80s teen culture and the dawn of yuppiedom, this documentary relishes 'Risky Business' for having the brains to break from convention, while celebrating the film's cultural impact.

OnBoard

June 2023 •English

OnBoard is a brilliant chronicle of the rise of Black women on America's boards and the evolution of board diversity from Patricia Roberts Harris in 1971 to the present day, as seen through the eyes of a group of fearless women organized during the Summer of 2020 to create change. Merline Saintil, a former Tech COO and Robin Washington, a former CFO, were well-known in the boardrooms of America. During an ordinary phone call between the two women, something extraordinary happened– the movement to create an organization to expand the opportunity and exposure of Black women who can impact America's boards. Black Women on Boards, the now global organization of 200+ members, was conceived at that moment.

Sirin

December 1992 •Russian

In ancient Russian mythology Sirin is a bird with the head of a woman, a Slavic image of the Greek sirens. The ensemble of ancient Russian sacred music "Sirin" was created to revive ancient Orthodox singing traditions. It is an outstanding musical project performing folk sacred songs. The film tells about the unique work of musicians collecting half-forgotten melodies in the most remote corners of Russia.

Whore Culture

December 1993 •English

Documentary about the 1993 "Whore Culture: A Festival of Sex Work" event in Toronto.

The Business End: Violence in Cinema

June 2008 •English

An unflinching look at the ongoing debate on violence in movies and its effect on the audience.

The Art of Lotte Reiniger

December 1970 •English

This short documentary looks at the animated art of Lotte Reiniger. We are taken through a demonstration by Lotte herself on the way she cut out, constructed and filmed a silhouette character. She also discusses how she developed the use of coloured gelatines for her backgrounds. To illustrate her output, the documentary includes extracts from several of her films including Papageno (1935), The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) and The Frog Prince.

Megalopolis

January 1973 •Portuguese

An analysis of the phenomenon of accelerated urbanization in Brazil, and more particularly in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

It Ain't As Easy As It Looks... (...a.k.a. the Making of 'The Cat's Meow')

August 2002 •English

A documentary behind the scenes of Peter Bogdanovich's 'The Cat's Meow' (2001).

Lipstick

September 1994 •English

With an off beat sense of humour, the film looks at the politics and glamour of lipstick and the dilemmas of the modern woman in a marketed world.

Loyal to My Image

April 1992 •English

Through one woman's experience as an adopted person and also as a mother who relinquished her child in 1971, this documentary highlights the many complex issues associated with adoption.

Smile

October 2018 •English

A heartwarming exploration of a community art project by photographer Tawfik Elgazzar providing free portraits for locals and passers-by in Sydney, Australia's Inner West. The film explores the nature of individuality, cultural diversity and the positive joy for the photographer of seeing his subjects smile.

Children of the Night

Invalid date •English

Silent archival footage of Jewish children during the Holocaust, accompanied by music and poetic narration. A haunting portrait of a future generation lost to cruelty and genocide.

The Blood Is the Life: The Making of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula'

October 2007 •English

Director Francis Ford Coppola, cast and production crew explore the making of the 1992 masterpiece.