First-Ever Representation Matters Film Festival in San José

Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) and Santa Clara County Parks Present First-Ever Representation Matters Film Festival at Martial Cottle Park in San José

The free outdoor festival on September 23 features award-winning environmental and adventure short films focused on representation in the outdoors

Palo Alto, Calif. – September 8, 2022 – Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), a nonprofit trust that protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all, and Santa Clara County Parks department announce the first-ever Representation Matters Film Festival to be held in person, outdoors, on Friday, September 23, at Martial Cottle Park in San José, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. P.D.T.

The event is free. Advance registration is required at https://staging.openspacetrust.org/event/representation-matters-film-festival/. The festival will showcase stories about people with diverse experiences and identities in the outdoors. The films explore community, indigenous culture, recreation, activism and belonging.

“Growing up I didn’t have many outdoor experiences,” said Megan Nguyen, community events manager at POST and festival organizer. “POST is committed to providing access to open spaces for all, and this festival is a chance to improve on my experience for others. We believe equity in the outdoors begins with representation and feeling that you belong.”

The complete list of short films and documentaries included in the festival is available here.

Highlights include:

• Dani Burt follows Burt’s journey to find herself again, after waking up from a coma and losing her right leg from the knee down. An active, hungry-for-life person, she wasn’t sure if she could go on. Finding her courage to continue through surfing, her path led her to become the first-ever women’s World Adaptive Surfing champion.
• In the Land of my Ancestors celebrates the legacy of beloved Ohlone elder Ann-Marie Sayers. Sayers has devoted her life to preserving the stories and culture of her Indigenous ancestors. This documentary challenges viewers to consider the perilous impact of colonization on the Ohlone people in the Bay Area. It also follows Sayers as she provides a refuge in the sacred Indian Canyon for Indigenous people to reclaim their culture, spirituality, and heritage.
• Becoming Ruby shows that if you can’t find a hero, you can create your own. For the mountain biker, skier, and artist Brooklyn Bell, that hand-drawn hero was a comic character named Ruby J. Using Ruby as a role model, Brooklyn set out to “live like her, breathe like her, be unapologetically Black like her,” finding her own identity in a mix of dirt, snow, art, and inclusion.

This is a free outdoor event, but advance registration is required. Register HERE. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and snacks.

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About the Peninsula Open Space Trust
POST protects open space on the Peninsula and in the South Bay for the benefit of all. As a private nonprofit land trust, POST has been responsible for saving more than 80,000 acres since 1977. POST works with private landowners and public agencies to connect people and nature. Visit openspacetrust.org for more information.

About Santa Clara County Parks & Recreation
Santa Clara County acquired its first parkland in 1924 and became the Parks & Recreation Department in 1956. They provide a sustainable system of diverse regional parks, trails and natural areas that connect people with the natural environment, support healthy lifestyles, offer outstanding visitor experiences that renew the human spirit, while balancing recreation opportunities with the protection of natural, cultural, historic, and scenic resources. Learn more at parkhere.org.

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