Professor Daniel Bernardi awarded Visiting Canterbury Fellowship
Professor Daniel Bernardi has been awarded a Visiting Canterbury Fellowship at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. From July 15 to August 25, 2026, he will be in residence with the Department of Creative and Digital Arts, where he will lecture on cinema and media while also directing a documentary that makes use of the university’s state-of-the-art virtual production stage. This prestigious fellowship, part of the University’s Erskine Programme, supports international academic exchange and recognizes Bernardi’s contributions to film, education, and scholarship.
Assistant Professor Rafael Flores & the Latino/a/x Film Club Screen “We Can’t Breathe” at 2025 Oakland International Film Festival
On September 18th Professor Rafael Flores and the Latina/o/x/e Film Club screened their latest short film “We Can’t Breathe” at the historic Grand Lake Theater for the 2025 Oakland International Film Festival. The narrative short chronicles the environmental impact the Richmond Chevron Refinery has on the Mexican-American Community. Founder of the club Daniel Tinajero, and cine grad Tanya Ochoa spoke to the audience about their involvement in the project as student filmmakers. Many SF State Cine Alumni and current students were there to celebrate their work, and the film has now been released for commercial distribution on the Future Today, Stash and Fawesome Streaming Platforms.
Assistant Professor Mihaela Mihailova presents talk, “Deep Unlearning,” at Speculative Fiction Across Media Conference
In late September, Mihaela Mihailova, assistant professor of Cinema, presented at the second annual Speculative Fiction Across Media conference, held in Monterey Park. She gave a talk titled “Deep Unlearning: Decolonial and Feminist Interventions in AI-Generated Media” and took part in a panel discussing potential strategies for adapting award-winning science-fiction author Ted Chiang’s novella “The Lifecycle of Software Objects.” Her co-panelists included Chiang, screenwriter Eric Heisserer (Arrival), director Georgia Lee (Red Doors, The Expanse) and fellow scholar Ida Yoshinaga (Georgia Tech).
SFSU Cinema Alumni Birdy Wei-Ting Hung featured in filmmakermagazine.com
As part of their series 25 New Faces of Independent Film 2025, Filmmaker Magazine interviewed Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, discussing her background working on music videos and documentaries in Taiwan, plus her eventual entrance into San Francisco State University’s Graduate School of Cinema. Her Student Academy Award-winning thesis film, A Brighter Summer Day for The Lady Avengers, is also gone over in detail.
Read here: https://filmmakermagazine.com/people/birdy-wei-ting-hung/
FEMINIST FILMMAKER FELLOWSHIP (F3)
The Feminist Filmmaker Fellowship (F3) aims to provide an open and safe space, virtual or in-person, advocating for womxn and non-binary filmmakers. Our events allow leadership development to flourish by listening to members to help bring their ideas to life.
Follow us on Instagram @feministfilmmakerfellowship for all our updates and to help us make some films.
JOIN QUEER CINEMA COALITION
Queer Cinema Coalition ensures a safe and creative space for LGBTQ+ filmmakers on campus to learn how to make our mark in an industry that doesn’t prioritize our voices. Through guest speakers, screenings/discussions, and community organizing, we build life-long connections to help us survive and thrive as filmmakers at SF State and beyond.
Follow us on Instagram @queercinemacoalition.
JOIN THE ANIMATION SOCIETY
The Animation Society strives to educate and provide an inclusive space for creative SF State students to learn about and discover a love for animation.
Email: animationsocietyatsfsuofficial@gmail.com
Website: Animation Society Wixsite
Instagram: @animationsocietysfsu
LATINO/A/X FILM CLUB
The Latino/a/x Film Club is now recruiting students dedicated to improving the representation of Latinos in the film industry and celebrating the contributions they have made to the media industry. Students and allies from any discipline are welcome to join regardless of their academic background. This club has regular monthly activities to facilitate networking, resume building, attracting potential paid gigs, and studying the legacy of Latino/a/x cinema in the United States.
Follow us on Instagram @ltnxfc.
Dear Prospective Students:
The School of Cinema offers in-person tours of our facilities. Please make an appointment by contacting the Cinema Office at cinema@sfsu.edu.
- For any questions about the touring process, please contact our Production Coordinator, Pablo Riquelme (priquelm@sfsu.edu)
