Leading media personalities to serve as film judges and emcee
Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area (CSC) announced the judges and emcee for their first-ever film festival charity gala, an inspiring evening of award-winning, original short films broadcast live from the Palm Event Center. Proceeds from this event, taking place on September 18th, will support the programs of Cancer Support Community, a Bay Area non-profit organization that has provided free services for over 30 years and supported thousands of cancer patients and their families.
erika bryant, author of the recently released Doing It Scared and a seasoned executive producer who’s worked on shows like OWN’s Family or Fiancé and Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta, will serve as the event’s emcee. “I have so much respect for what CSC is doing,” bryant said. “My family was hit by cancer in the last few years. You never expect it, but when it happens, I’m glad CSC is there for people. I’m grateful I have a way to give back through this event.”
CSC is accepting submissions of short films on the theme of cancer and community through May 31 at filmfreeway.com/CSCgala. “Cancer Support Community is so grateful that these leading media figures are donating their time and talent to make sure our free programs can continue to support cancer patients and their families,” said Cancer Support Community’s CEO, Rob Tufel.
To select the three winning films to be shown during the event, CSC has assembled an illustrious judging panel of film makers, producers, and industry executives with two Academy Awards and an Emmy among their many accomplishments. The five judges are
Lyn Sisson-Talbert: One of the most accomplished female producers in Hollywood and the guiding force behind original projects for film, stage, and books. She recently produced Netflix’s first original live-action musical, Jingle Jangle.
Eric Ellenbogen: CEO of WildBrain and previously a senior executive with NBCUniversal, DreamWorks, and Marvel.
Perri Peltz: An Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, journalist, director, and producer. Known for some of HBO’s most impactful documentaries, including Warning: This Drug May Kill You, Alternate Endings, and Risky Drinking. She is currently the Director and Co-Producer of Axios on HBO, which she created with Matthew O’Neill, and host of The Perri Peltz Show on SiriusXM.
Josh Cooley: An Academy Award winning film director, writer, storyboard artist, and voice actor. After 17 years at Pixar Animation Studios, he is now writing and directing animated and live action films for Disney, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, and Universal Studios.
Jeffrey Friedman: Producer and director known for The Celluloid Closet, Howl (starring James Franco), Lovelace (starring Amanda Seyfried), Paragraph 175, Academy Award winner Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt, Oscar nominee End Game, and 2021 Grammy winner Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.
About the CSC Film Festival Charity Gala
This first-ever film festival charity gala will be an elegant and inspiring evening of courage, resilience, and hope. Broadcast live online from the Palm Event Center in Pleasanton, California on Saturday, September 18, it will present three original short films on the theme of cancer and community. Viewers and attendees will be able to vote for their favorite film as well as donate to CSC and participate in a silent auction. For more information, contact Peter Dudley at pdudley@cancersupport.net.