Around Town . . . with Robert Airoldi: Poppy Jasper International Film Festival now accepting submissions

Organizers are planning the April 2022 festival and will accept film submissions through the FilmFreeway.com website.

By Robert Airoldi

Robert Airoldi

The doors to entering cinematic creations into next year’s Poppy Jasper International Film Festival opened as South Valley’s movie-making extravaganza started accepting submissions last month.

Organizers are planning the April 2022 festival and will accept film submissions through the FilmFreeway.com website.

“It was a thrill to have our all-virtual Poppy Jasper International Film Festival viewed in 21 states, more than 50 cities in California, and almost 20 countries on six continents,” said Mattie Scariot, festival director.

The festival expects to receive more entries for next year’s event. It recently received an honor from MovieMaker Magazine as one of the publication’s “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.”

The festival will hold events in Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Hollister and San Juan Bautista in the next few months. It encourages locals to support independent films that highlight its mission of inclusion, diversity, and equity along with various educational programs. If you’re interested in volunteering for the 2022 festival, email [email protected].

Photo courtesy SMNA
From left, Sharon Luna, SMNA secretary; Breseida Perez, daughter of San Martin Cafe owner; Cecelia Ponzini, CEO of the Edward Boss Prado Foundation; Connie Ludewig, San Martin Neighborhood Alliance; and San Martin Cafe owner Eliazar Perez.

When the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance reached out for greater community participation, one resident replied with a suggestion for a “Pay It Forward” fundraiser.

Since SMNA’s mission statement includes the words “protect, support, and promote,” its members heartily accepted the challenge to do just that. They knew just where to start.

The San Martin Cafe was the choice to host this event. When presented with the idea to help Pay It Forward, owner, Eliazar Perez, and daughter, Breseida, were eager to participate. They made a plan to sell meal certificates and welcome returning guests to their cafe to provide pre-paid delicious cooked-to-order food for those in need. But there was still an important piece of the puzzle yet to be placed to ensure an effective and efficient distribution process for the certificates. SMNA reached out to Cecelia Ponzini, CEO of the Edward Boss Prado Foundation, who agreed to distribute certificates to vulnerable members in South County.

Cafe patrons began buying meal certificates — some even 10 and 20 at a time. Through the generosity and patronage of so many, they supported a local business, and raised awareness to help provide more than 100 hot meals.

This collaborative community effort provided an anonymous donation of $1,212 (the matched amount of certificates sold) to San Martin Neighborhood Alliance by a supporter of the nonprofit’s mission.

“Our efforts help restore confidence in others give hope to (South County) by helping to reunite our community following months of lockdown,” said SMNA vice president Connie Ludewig. “This event is a reminder that people do care and want to work together to make a difference.”

The Gilroy History Museum is open again for local residents to explore the city’s past.

Museum volunteers held a soft opening in early June and are looking forward to welcoming visitors, Gilroy Historical Society President Connie Rogers wants the public to know. The volunteers all have had COVID-19 training and they even have masks with the museum logo  on them to wear when visitors are in the building.

People who wish to do research must make an appointment as the reference room is small and has limited capacity. The board is discussing a potential grand re-opening event this summer, featuring the city’s 150th Year display that was ready to share with the public just as the pandemic shut the museum down in mid-March 2020. Although the virus prevented most of our celebration of Gilroy’s sesquicentennial incorporation anniversary, the time capsule was completed. It contains all kinds of documents and artifacts from 2020, including COVID-19 masks and signs. It was made by Louis Hack and decorated by local artist Carol Peters.

The museum is also looking for Gilroy High School yearbooks from these years: 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1942, 1948, 1949, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981. Are any of these  in your attic? If so, please consider donating them as they offer a wonderful look into the school’s past.