In 1963, officials in Alameda County began hearings to discuss the forced removal of Russell City, an unincorporated area home to predominantly Black and Latino residents. Sixty years later, the City of Hayward formally recognized the impact of the forced removal and issues a formal apology to Russell City residents.

Award-winning filmmaker Mimi Chakarova’s feature-length documentary The Apology follows the stories of two dozen Russell City residents and their descendants while exploring the significance of making amends for a past that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Space is limited! Please RSVP for this viewing by emailing staff@stillirisefilms.org.

Join acclaimed author and speaker Regina Mason as she shares the story of her search for her great-great-great-grandfather, William Grimes, and her startling discovery that he had written the first American autobiography of a runaway slave. His story ignited an essential American literary genre, but is largely forgotten today. His story, and her search to uncover it, are retold in a new film, Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes. In this reenactment documentary that bridges two centuries, both Mason and her forebear Grimes defy the odds of their times to tell their stories.

Program Schedule

1:00 - 1:30: Introductions & Film Background

1:30 - 3:00: Film Screening: Gina’s Journey: The Search for William Grimes

3:00 - 3:30: Q&A, Book Signing

Admission to the museum is free, but there is a $5 suggested donation for the program.

This program is presented in partnership with the Women’s Ministry of Palma Ceia Baptist Church. Program sponsored by KMS Unique Angels & Gifts.

The Hayward Area Film Festival is dedicated to exhibiting short films and videos produced by student filmmakers. This event will honor outstanding Animation, Narrative, Documentary, Public Service Announcement (P.S.A.), Experimental, and special Film Challenge projects created by students. It is the goal of the Hayward Area Film Festival to continue to encourage student creativity, give students the opportunity to tell their stories, and further introduce them to the world of filmmaking. A short awards ceremony will follow the film showcase to acknowledge the winners of each category. This program is a partnership with the Bay Area Digital Arts (BADA) program at San Lorenzo High School and the Community Multi Media Academy (CMMA) program at Tennyson High School.

More information about submitting student films for the festival is available here.

Watch Episode Six of the documentary Latino Americans: 500 Years of History, followed by Hayward City Council members Francisco Zermeño and Elisa Marquez discussing the future of Latino voting power and our increasingly diverse educational system. With the immigration debate dominating the 2016 Presidential election, these discussions are more relevant than ever. Generously sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the American Library Association (ALA).

FREE!

Lights, camera, action! It’s time for our 2nd annual Student Film Festival! Join the talented young filmmakers from our Hayward area community. Prizes awarded to the best films in the following categories: Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Narrative, and PSA. Produced in partnership with and with generous support from Community Multimedia Academy at Tennyson High School and the Bay Area Digital Arts at San Lorenzo High School. 

Manolo, Maria and Joaquin have been best friends since childhood, but a love triangle develops between the trio that soon turns into a struggle between life and death, literally!

Join us to see this visually stunning film and watch a special performance of the Mexican folk dance, "La Bruja," before the start of the movie.

Watch a 34-minute documentary in which Bay Area Muslim women share their stories about wearing and not wearing the hijab. Then stay for our discussion with the film’s director, producer, and San Jose State professor Rosemary Henze.