
Thank you for joining us! Missed the premiere?
Click here to watch the full showcase with filmmaker interviews.
Watch this year’s films here:
Filmmaker: Chihiro Wimbush
Logline: A former lifer now brings two recent parolees who did time together, out of the uncertainty of their urban environments and into the refuge of nature.
Filmmaker: Michael Price
Logline: A dream to create the perfect wave forever changes a small Central Valley town into a premiere surfing destination.
Filmmaker: Adán Ávalos
Logline: A poetic documentary about family unity, love for community and the last neighborhood delivery breadman.
Filmmaker: RaShan McClarty
Logline: Ceasar “C-Flo” Johnson is a rapper, recording artist, entrepreneur, coach, and mentor. His influential words have touched the lives of countless people and he continues to motivate during these difficult times.
Filmmaker: Jason Duong & Julease Graham
Logline: Julease Graham speaks with activists, artists, academics, and faith leaders on the anxiety of living, surviving, and thriving amid racism and violence while the future for the Black community seems so uncertain.
Filmmaker: Matt Mealer
Logline: In the shadow of Yosemite National Park, the oldest and youngest crew members of a historic steam railroad ponder the future of their trade in a post-pandemic world.
Filmmaker: Rigoberto Moran
Logline: An artist born and raised in the Central Valley becomes an art professor. Inspired by his grandfather early in life, he encourages his students to accomplish their dreams and follow their passion.
Filmmaker: Jenny Toste
Logline: Heath, the little beekeeper, doesn’t do it for the honey; he does it for the bees. If we’re not careful, they could disappear, taking 80% of our food and our Valley’s $22 billion ag production along with them.
Filmmaker: Jamillah Finley
Logline: Breakbox Thought Collective documents its transformative program, the Fresno Black Girl Magic Project, uniting young Black girls from unique backgrounds as they transition into adulthood.
Filmmaker: Shira D. Gordon
Logline: Clipped to the rock hundreds of feet in the air, female climbers embark on a journey that is about so much more than the long and difficult climb.
What is The Big Tell?
The Big Tell is a regional filmmaking program offering grants for the
production of 5-minute minidocumentaries that feature stories from
California’s great Central Valley.
The Central Valley Community Foundation will award ten grants of
$5,000 each for the creation of short films about the amazing people,
places, and activities that make the Central Valley so remarkable and
unique.
This is the perfect opportunity to either get your start in filmmaking or
work on a passion project close to you. Winners will also be mentored by
Emmy-nominated documentarian Sascha Rice.
Thank you to our Community Partners!
Mentor to Filmmakers
2019 The Big Tell Winners
Filmmaker: Adán Ávalos
Filmmaker: Regina Simmons
Filmmaker:Glenn Philip Martinez Aquino
Filmmaker: Chad Saechao
Filmmaker: Orlando J. Gomez
Filmmaker: Christopher Velazquez
Filmmaker: Joshua Krause
Filmmaker: Karen Dusek