The Town
Bolinas is a small coastal community in Marin County, California, roughly one hour north of San Francisco. Bolinas is the oldest town in coastal Marin. Because of the beauty and abundance of the land and sea, for thousands of years it was the home for a thriving Miwok community, some of which is still present today. It is surrounded by rich wildlife and it is the home to many small exceptionally run organic farms. Bolinas has long been a home to artists, painters, poets, filmmakers, farmers, revolutionaries, surfers, and storytellers.
Sitting in an open field by an evening fire under the almost full moon of a September sky in Bolinas, Enzo Resta and Chealy Jean were enjoying one of their jointly shared creative quarterly film retreat weekends, a structured period of time they had established for themselves as filmmakers to brainstorm, co-inspire, and support each-other in all things film related. The moon was illuminating the natural landscape and the two of them started to discuss the idea of bringing a film festival to the community. As soon as the idea was brought forth, it was understood by both Chealy and Enzo that there was only one path forward: to create the festival.
Enzo, with his lifelong and important relationship with the history of Bolinas, was called to support the cultural identity of the village. Chealy was called to serve the community, to help bring people together to create and celebrate art together, and to provide a platform for creatives throughout the world. With their shared love of film as a medium for storytelling and creative expression, they knew on that moonlit night that they would give shape to the ideas that were coming forth. In 2022, they incorporated as a non-profit entity, The Bolinas Film Festival, Inc. and they spent the year shaping the vision of the festival, which includes the three-day festival event, free community screenings of films throughout the year, film education, and local experience immersions that celebrate the local community and the environment. 2023 represents the inaugural launch of the festival and the manifestation of the shared vision.
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Vision and Mission Statement
Our vision is to create new pathways to culture and to inspire and strengthen community through that which we hold in highest esteem: our connection to people, to history and possibility, and to place.
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Our mission is to respect, to inspire, and to enrich the community by bringing the best in cinema, culinary experiences, nature immersions, and education to stimulate dialogue and enrich the cultural experience.
About the Founders
Enzo Resta
Enzo is a writer, filmmaker, and an artist. He is also a business leader and strategic advisor. He has been a part of the Bolinas community since 1967.
Chealy Jean
Chealy is an actress, documentary producer/ director and humanitarian activist whose projects harness compassion and justice and address societal violence and social equity. She has been doing creative work in Bolinas for several years.