CSUMB alumni-produced film accepted to top festivals

By Mark Muckenfuss

Cal State Monterey Bay is going to Sundance. 

The documentary film produced by several CSUMB almuni has also been accepted to the South By Southwest festival. The two events are the top two film festivals in the country. The short film is a portrait of the Salinas Valley and was made by former CSUMB instructors and Otter alumni Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck and Robert Machoian. Several other alumni were involved in the making of the film.

Ana Sanchez, of Salinas, is named as a producer in the film’s credits. She graduated from the Cinematic Arts and Technology program in December 2022 and worked with Ojeda-Beck while still a student. 

“I helped to get locations for the film and people who could give their personal thoughts about the valley,” Sanchez said. 

Getting site permits and people who were willing to go on camera was a challenge, she said. She had pretty much forgotten about what she calls a beautiful film. 

“I never heard anything more until a month ago when Chris Carpenter [longtime lecturer for CSUMB’s film program] called me and said it was done and it's being submitted,” she said. “Then I heard it was Sundance and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s a really big thing.”

This is the third time Ojeda-Beck has had a film accepted to Sundance. But it hasn’t gotten old.

“It’s always a big deal,” he said. “One aspect that was very special this time was getting to work with my former students like Ana, Saul Cardenas and LiliArlen Gomez.”

Alumnus J. Cody Baker is also credited as a colorist. 

Ojeda-Beck earned a bachelor’s degree in CSUMB's Cinematic Arts and Technology program in 2009. After getting a graduate degree, he returned to CSUMB for 10 years as a lecturer. Most of that time, he lived in Davis and commuted to the campus. But he moved back to Monterey in 2022 and wanted to do a film about the area. He and Machoian had worked together on a similar film that looked at a small community in Nebraska. 

“I thought it was a great opportunity to make a film about the Salinas Valley,” he said. “We would drive the valley, along River Road a lot, and film things that stood out to us and interview the locals. A lot of the conversations are about time. It was almost like I was getting advice from people about how to come to terms with the passing of time.”

That aspect of the film changed him. 

“It altered my perception for sure,” said Ojeda-Beck, who is in his late 30s. “I feel I’m not young anymore, but I realize I’m not old either. To me, that was a powerful perceptual shift. It’s not too late to pursue the things I really want.”

Last year, he was hired to a tenure-track position at Sacramento State University. 

Carpenter said the film is an example of the collaboration the CSUMB program fosters. 

"Having 'The Long Valley' accepted into the Sundance Film Festival is a testament to the incredible dedication and talent of our Cinematic Arts and Technology students and alumni,” Carpenter said. “This kind of opportunity prepares our graduates to excel in the competitive world of filmmaking, and we are immensely proud of the achievements of our alumni."

Cardenas, who graduated in 2022, lives in Salinas and has his own small production company, making videos for local agencies. He helped coordinate some of the interviews for “The Long Valley,” but was surprised when he learned it had been accepted to Sundance and that his name was included in the credits. 

“You never know,” he said. “These little tiny things that you do, all of a sudden I’m in the credits for a Sundance film. Sundance adds credibility to my name. It was a small part, but still, I’m proud to have done that small part.”

Sanchez said she too is happy to be able to put the accomplishment on her resume. She’s applying for a grant to make a film from a script she wrote and said she is glad she chose the program she did.

“At CSUMB, as soon as you start classes you get your hands on a camera and you get your hands on film,” she said, “and they give you the networking. I feel like they prepared us really well.”

The short will be available for online viewing from Jan. 30 – Feb. 2 as part of the Sundance lineup. South by Southwest runs March 7 - 15.