BAVC Media: Home to Bay Area Filmmakers, Artists, and Activists Since 1976

Via – The BAVC Media Staff

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — May 20, 2025 — Founded by a group of local activist filmmakers in 1976 as the Bay Area Video Coalition, community media non-profit BAVC Media has served thousands of media makers at different stages of their education, experience, projects and careers. 

Along with numerous peer organizations and individual artists, BAVC Media was impacted by the recent spate of cancelled federal arts and culture funding. In a recent statement (published May 6, 2025) describing the situation, the BAVC Media team stated: “Despite ongoing challenges and the current federal government’s deluge of hostile actions, designed to destabilize the important work of arts and culture administrators across the US, we remain committed to serving our diverse community, being a voice for equity, and championing independent creators in the Bay Area.”

Their programs span artist development, preservation, production services, youth and adult training, and community media, as the home of San Francisco’s public access station SF COMMONS.

BAVC Media has seen numerous celebrated artists and films pass through its programs, with projects regularly screening at major festivals and broadcasting on PBS. Recent success stories include Seeds (2025)—winner of the Sundance U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentary—by Brittany Shyne which was part of the BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship program and Seeking Mavis Beacon (2024), directed by BAVC Youth alumni and former staff member Jazmin Jones, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was produced and distributed by Neon—producers or Oscar-winning films Parasite by Bong Joon Ho and Anora by Sean Baker.

Among the youth programs BAVC Media offers is Climate Warriors, a month-long climate justice filmmaking intensive from July to August. The program is for high school-aged youth between the ages of 14-18 from San Francisco and across the Bay Area. Participants develop skills in video and audio production within a collaborative environment, apply those skills to develop a climate justice-oriented short film, and connect the production of the short video to a social impact plan.

Additionally, Reel Stories—an Oakland-based program focused on girls and gender-expansive youth—runs a series of summer camps for ages 11-17. Campers team up to write, film, and edit their own documentary or narrative films. Past guest speakers have included Oscar-winners Brenda Chapman and Lora Hirschberg, award-winning directors Cathy Yan, Nijla Mumin, and screenwriter Kristy Lowrey.

The BAVC Media preservation team has collaborated with artists, filmmakers, historical organizations, museums, and universities to preserve thousands of hours of video and audio, including some of the most influential video artists in the medium. Through the SF COMMONS Playback Lab, San Francisco residents have access to free, do-it-yourself audiovisual preservation services, empowering the local community to digitize their own home videos and personal stories held on VHS, Video8/Hi8, and digital video formats.

“We are calling on our community to support BAVC Media and our programming—by attending our classes, coming to our events and joining our membership program to get the most out of everything we offer. We’ve been a vital part of the Bay Area’s creative ecosystem for 49 years, providing local media makers with the tools they need to tell their stories. With our community behind us, we can remain a beacon for independent storytellers, especially those who lack the resources and access to get their foot in the door.” – Paula Smith Arrigoni, executive director of BAVC Media

BAVC Media recently relaunched its Membership program with new-and-improved offerings for the community. Members enjoy year-round benefits, including discounts on their video and production  classes, workshops, exclusive events, networking opportunities, access to facilities, equipment, and more.

To learn more about BAVC Media and ways to get involved, visit bavc.org and follow them on Instagram for updates.

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