Categories: Cori Wilbur, THE BUZZ

THE BUZZ: SDIFF Brings New Cinematic Commentary to Old Social Issues

San Diego International Film Festival 2018: Windy Borman (& Others) Bring New Cinematic Commentary to Old Social Issues

Written by Cori Wilbur

October 18, 2018

San Diego’s International Film Festival, which ran this year from October 10-14, offered a vast selection of the most recent triumphs in filmmaking. If there is a best occasion to get your documentary fix in, that weekend was it.

Having a sweet spot for films, feminism and films about feminism, one such documentary in particular grabbed hold of my attention.

The winner of several “Best Documentary” awards and featured at SDIFF was Mary Janes: The Women of Weed, a documentary which takes us on one filmmaker’s own journey as she explores the world of Cannabis and meets the women who influence it.

Written, directed and produced by the skilled Windy Borman, the purpose of the film, she says, is to “spark the conversation that each community needs to have about Cannabis.”

Borman just happened to be in the right place at the right time to provide such a spark. The time was 2015, the place was Colorado. Having spent most of her life shying away from Cannabis altogether, she came across a statistic that resonated with her: that 36% of leaders in the Cannabis industry were female.

With her films, Borman focuses on the themes of “gender parity, social justice and environmental sustainability.” So it made perfect sense to make her project about how a female dominated industry can positively affect each of these facets of our socioeconomic narrative.

“Popular culture is now willing to listen to us some of the time.” Borman is a leader herself in this generations’ politically charged and emotionally uplifting approach to filmmaking. The time for a female-dominated industry is now. Windy Borman has one possible suggestion that may even hit multiple birds with one stone.

A documentarian hopes their audiences will take away a sense of enlightenment, empowerment or a combination of both. Here, Borman was triumphant in creating an “intersectional feminist film that was about opportunity not oppression,” which she said was an end goal in creating the film.

Among some of the other radically uplifting films featured at this year’s festival were California’s Forgotten Children, The Mark of War, and BlacKKKlansman. Unfortunately, SDIFF is over for the year but if you have the chance to come across another showing of any of these films, definitely seize the moment.

To check out more about Windy Borman, Mary Janes and any future viewings, visit http://maryjanesfilm.com/. To learn more about the San Diego International Film Festival and the films shown, visit https://sdfilmfest.com/.

Vanguard Culture

Vanguard Culture is an online media entity designed for culturally savvy, socially conscious individuals. We provide original interviews and reviews of the people, places, and events that make up San Diego’s thriving arts and culture community, as well as curated snapshots of the week’s best, most inspiring and unique cultural and culinary events. We believe in making a difference in the world, supporting San Diego’s vibrant visual and performing arts community and bringing awareness to important social and community causes.