Alan Llavore | Office of Marketing and Communications | (909) 537-5007 | allavore@csusb.edu
Cal State San Bernardino alumnus Jay Gerren (’00, communication studies) screened his feature-length documentary, “Bar Daddy,” as part of the inaugural Inland Empire Black Film Festival. The event, supported by the CSUSB Pan African Alumni Chapter, was held in the Santos Manuel Student Union South Theater on campus.
The festival brought together the campus and community to celebrate Black storytelling through film. Attendees engaged in a question-and-answer session and experienced the festival’s featured films firsthand. The event is dedicated to empowering Black talent and showcasing films by and about people of African descent.
In addition to “Bar Daddy,” the festival featured “Kylie,” an official Sundance Film Festival selection by Sterling Hampton; “My Name is Myeisha,” a critically acclaimed film by Rickerby Hinds; and “Fenice,” a Telly Award-winning film directed by Sabrina Lassegue. Hampton also won the Best Short Film award for “Kylie.”
The event, held on Feb. 21, included a tribute to Gerren’s sister, Natasha, who passed away last year and was one class short of completing her degree at CSUSB. She was honored during the festival with a posthumous honorary degree. Proceeds from the event were donated to a scholarship fund established in her memory.
Gerren, owner of Gerren Productions and founder of the film festival, described “Bar Daddy” as a deeply personal project centered on his uncle, Al Jenkins, who has helped approximately 3,000 individuals prepare for the state bar exam. The documentary followed two aspiring attorneys through their bar exam journeys.
