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Dinner With Dames San Francisco #6 – With George Rush (Recap)

Dinner With Dames San Francisco #6 – With George Rush (Recap)

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Dinner With Dames San Francisco #6 - With George Rush (Recap)

Who: George Rush, SF based entertainment lawyer and producer, Cinefemme and Dinner with Dames SF Program Directors Cameo Wood and Monica West, sponsored by Charming Stranger Films, Attendees Arie Sandhu, Chelsea Christer, Liz Anderson, Ryan Lynch, Serena Schuler, Sylvia Minehan, Trina Espinoza, Veronica Moscoso, and myself Elisha Aflalo.

What: A casual discussion on issues facing women & ways to excel in their careers over dinner & drinks

Where: Central Kitchen, San Francisco

Why: To connect women filmmakers within the Bay Area and introduce their work in the industry.

When: January 15, 2019

As an aspiring filmmaker and current student, I’m rarely provided with the opportunity or space to meet like minded women in the film industry. This is partly because I am so new to the field, but also because spaces like this are rare to come by. When I had the opportunity to go to Cinefemme’s Dinner with Dames event, I was more than excited to join. On Wednesday, January 15th, the group met at Central Kitchen where the guest of honor, George Rush, a San Francisco based entertainment lawyer and producer, offered candid advice on how to navigate the film world as an independent filmmaker.

For me, filmmaking has always been a creative outlet before anything, but as I continue down this path and consider how bring this passion into fruition, the struggles that come along with that become more real as well. During the month of January and part of February, I was offered a position as an intern at Charming Stranger Films, spearheaded by Cameo Wood, who is also a prominent member of Cinefemme. Under her guidance, I have learned so much more about the industry and have been able to attend incredible and empowering events such as Dinner with Dames.

This dinner was a wonderful time to meet with other filmmakers that truly want to make a difference in the industry and understand the obstacles facing women in the business. At the beginning of the dinner, one guest, Arie Sandhu, said, “You can’t change someone, but you can inspire someone to change. That’s why film and storytelling is so fulfilling.” This quote really resonated with me and it was the perfect thing to set the tone of the dinner. From there, everyone went around the table introducing their projects, each one so unique and inspiring.

As the discussion went on, George opened up about the different hurdles that one might face while producing a film, but in a hopeful tone he advised the table that “if you try to make something great all the problems will work themselves out.” He continued on to say that good projects start with good people, and these people are what help to create a great film. It’s no secret that the film industry is a difficult place to be, but George was optimistic about the future of filmmaking and even more so in the growing space that women have built for themselves within it.

As dinner wrapped up, it was clear that all the guests were feeling satisfied from the delicious food and from the engaging dinner discussion. As a first time dinner guest, I was awed at the amount of knowledge and sharing that was so present during the meeting and my notebook was full of things I had learned. Dinner with Dames is an incredible event that provides a superb space for women filmmakers and I am so delighted that I had the opportunity to attend.

– Footage and editing by Sylvia Minehan

About Elisha Aflalo

Dinner With Dames San Francisco #6 - With George Rush (Recap)Filmmaker, Intern at Charming Stranger Films

Elisha Aflalo is a filmmaker and student at Bennington College.  Elisha is experimenting with narratives along with abstract video art and works toward combining the two in a unique way.  She is currently working on the short film RUNNING DEEP, a conceptual look into how trauma can affect one’s reality, which she is writing and directing.

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