California Film Institute

Led by Executive Director Mark Fishkin since its founding in 1977, the California Film Institute (CFI) primarily presents art-house classics (such as Bergman or Chaplin retrospectives), contemporary narrative and documentary features (including commercial blockbusters such as 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire), and programs of short films at the Christopher Smith Film Center in San Rafael and at a two week festival each fall in Mill Valley. The films are drawn from around the world and while the primary audience for CFI’s programs comes from affluent Marin County communities near the Institute’s primary screening facilities, the organization has used past Hewlett support to develop educational programs that reach at-risk youth in low income neighborhoods around the Bay Area including Marin City and Bayview Hunters point. With a final general operating support grant the festival will continue to preserve and present cinematic treasures which may include implementing audience development projects to increase earned revenue to compensate for the winding down of Hewlett support.