We’re thrilled to announce that two of our undergraduate students, Jacqueline Canchola-Martinez and Ryan Davis, have received Honorable Mention in the Film & Video category of the 2025 Eisner Prize—UC Berkeley’s highest award for creative achievement.
Both students produced their award-winning geo-films in GEOG 127: Geographic Film Production during Fall 2024, taught by Joel Wanek. Their films will be screened at BAMPFA (Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive) on May 18 at 2:00pm as part of the Eisner Prize showcase. The event is free and open to the public.
About the Films:
Aquarian Dreams—Water’s Secret Key by Ryan Davis
Aquarian Dreams is a geo-film that reveals the secret role of the wind in moving water from the sea to the tops of mountains—a poetic and scientific journey through Earth’s water cycle.
INTERLOCUTORS by Jacqueline Canchola-Martinez
A study in listening and noticing, INTERLOCUTORS follows a handful of student farmers and gardeners working a plot of land near the UC Berkeley campus. The film quietly observes their relationships with the land, each other, and the more-than-human world.
Presented at BAMPFA since 1991, the Eisner Prize screening celebrates a wide range of student films—from narratives and documentaries to experimental and essay films—and offers an opportunity to engage directly with the filmmakers.
Congratulations, Jacqueline and Ryan! We can’t wait to see your films on the big screen.
Learn more: Film and Video Makers at Cal: Eisner Competition