Jordan Simmons: San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards 2011

Tradewinds

July 2024 •English

Tradewinds in an intimate portrait and examination of the life of CHamoru jazz pianist, Patrick Palomo, whose musical style has combined CHamoru lyrics with the sounds and melodies of contemporary and classic jazz music. Although his music career has spanned decades and continues to influence the Guam music scene, the film explores how his legacy has paved the way for younger artists to follow in his path. Together with rising local talents, Shannon McManus, John Glaser, and Andrew Gumataotao, they form the group, Tradewinds. Together the group produces music highly influenced in the jazz style with lyrics in the CHamoru language. Tradewinds is a film that highlights the importance of language preservation and explores the definition of indigenous art.

Roots Rhythms

July 2022 •Spanish

León Guanajuato is an industrial city where Israel Pérez, a graphic designer, lives. Together with his cultural group “Xolotl” they are interested in the native peoples of Guanajuato and try to rescue their roots. They are our vehicle to get to know the "Ézar", one of the last Chichimeca communities in the State, who fight against discrimination and to preserve their language and culture.

PRESENCE

November 2023 •English

Presence narrates the journey of Thati, a woman determined to overcome her anxiety attacks through surfing. She finds refuge in the waves, where the surfboard becomes her ally and personal therapy.

Tevye's Daughters

January 2007 •English

The actors who played Tevye's daughters reflect on their experiences filming Fiddler on the Roof.

Cult People

January 1989 •English

In interviews, various actors and directors discuss their careers and their involvement in the making of what has come to be known as "cult" films. Included are such well-known genre figures as Russ Meyer, Curtis Harrington, Cameron Mitchell and James Karen.

Heavenly Bodies!

June 1963 •English

A group of filmmakers shadow some glamour photographers in order to discover the skill involved in getting 'magic' to appear on the photos.

Black Girl in Bloom

August 2024 •English

St. Louis florist Darien Burress launches her small business while preparing to compete at Art in Bloom, the St. Louis Art Museum's annual festival celebrating floral design and the fine arts.

Pusharatas: A Biloxi-Croatian Tradition

August 2013 •English

Every year at Christmas, the women of the Slavonian Ladies' Auxiliary celebrate their culinary heritage by getting together to make pusharatas (a type of Croatian doughnut) for the people of Biloxi, Mississippi.

Exiled

April 2019 •Spanish

She accused the leader of the Sandinista revolution of sexual abuse. Now he is president of Nicaragua and she lives in exile.

One Wedding and a Revolution

June 2004 •English

This short film reveals the inspiration, motivation and political challenges at San Francisco City Hall during the frantic days leading up to the first government-sanctioned same-sex marriage.

Chez Schwartz

January 2007 •English

Chez Schwartz takes us inside a year in the life of Schwartz's Deli - the unique 75-year-old landmark on Montreal's historic Main. Filmed through changing seasons, from the quiet of early morning preparation to the frenetic bustle of packed lunch times and never ending line-ups, to the more relaxed ambiance late at night - Chez Schwartz is an evocative, cinematic portrait of a small spunky deli known worldwide equally for its atmosphere and smoked meat.

Curral Central

June 2023 •Portuguese

Artifact from the Future: The Making of 'THX 1138'

August 2004 •English

The Making of feature for the George Lucas movie 'THX 1138'.

Favorite Daughter

September 2022 •English

A grandmother, mother, and daughter quarantine together in a Tribeca apartment as they laugh about life over wine.

Acts of Violence

January 1985 •English

A riveting expose about the personalities of murderers and their motives. This 72 minute film covers the McDonalds' restaurant massacre, President Reagan's assassination attempt, serial murderer Henry Lee Lucas and others.

Hans Memling, Painter of the Madonna

December 1939 •French

1939 short documentary by Belgian filmmaker on pianter Hans Memling.

Slow Steady Threads

December 2023 •English

A short documentary about local and sustainable fashion in Denmark.

Angano... Angano... Tales from Madagascar

March 1989 •French

Venerable storytellers recount for the camera and their listeners the founding myths of Malagasy culture.

Like It Is

July 1968 •English

This documentary on the "youth movement" of the late 1960s focuses on the hippie pot smoking/free love culture in the San Francisco Bay area.

Meninos da Fila

September 2012 •Portuguese