The Big Tell Showcase | Central Valley Community Foundation

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The Big Tell’s 2021 Showcase Special

Thank you to The Big Tell’s presenting sponsor The James B. McClatchy Foundation and community sponsor Community Media Access Collaborative for making The Big Tell possible.

The Big Tell is a CENTRAL VALLEY ONLY film contest where local filmmakers vie for the chance to win a grant to produce a 5-minute mini-documentary. Its intent is to share undiscovered or lesser-known stories from California’s great Central Valley.

The Central Valley Community Foundation awards ten grants of $5,000 each for the creation of short films about the amazing people, places, and activities that make this region so remarkable and unique.

Each year, the contest attracts over 75 applications from 6 counties in the Central Valley. The 10 finalists have 3 months to create their films. They receive one-on-one mentorship from Emmy-nominated documentarian Sascha Brown Rice and a one-year membership to Community Media Access Collaborative (CMAC).

The completed films premiere together at The Big Tell Showcase in the fall.

The Big Tell is presented by The James B. McClatchy Foundation with support from Community Media Access Collaborative.

Recently two 2020 The Big Tell films received National Hometown Media awards. Read the story here.

Congratulations to this year’s 2021 The Big Tell Winners!

The Arts, The Gift That Keeps on Giving | Jeremy Miller

Local legend Deborah McCoy shares what fuels her passion for dance, the role it has served in her life and how she uses her talent to serve others.

Good Fire | Erica Tom

For thousands of years the North Fork Mono Tribe has used fire to restore Central Valley land. A look at this practice amidst a time of drought, megafires, and climate change.

Hope in a Basket | Chad Saechao

Asian strawberry farmers in Visalia share the roots of their business and what it takes to own one of the busiest strawberry stands in town.

Kaweah Kweens | Zach Green Films

From the foothills to Capitol Hill—middle school girls help pass national legislation combating climate change.

Little Big Gym | Rigoberto Moran

A small gym in Farmersville is a free outlet for kids to play and learn—and a source of inspiration for the community.

Mammoths in Madera?! | Eddie Garcia

A paleontologist uncovers Madera’s Ice Age history after an intact mammoth tusk led to the discovery of a trove of fossils in a Madera landfill.

Mi Elotero (My Corn Man) | Carolina De La Torre

Community support is imperative as Latino street vendors face a rise in violence against them.

Not Just any Restaurant | Matt Mealer

A mother and daughter draw on 130 years of Central Valley heritage as they breathe new life into an iconic Basque restaurant in Los Banos.

Beyond the Basket | Jennifer Robin

A look at the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation’s traditional basket making and medicine gathering. Elder basket weavers share why cultivating medicine is important to the tribe.

Stan Bitters: Ceramics Wizard | Ed Goto

A documentary focusing on the impact this local internationally-known ceramics artist had on the 1960’s Organic Modernist Craft Movement.

Click here for a one-page printable version.