Oakland Originals is a series of short documentaries that spotlight the ground-breaking artists, thinkers and do-ers that have shaped Oakland, California into a uniquely vibrant and thrilling city, but also whose works have inspired and impacted the world beyond.
Team
Jim McSilver
Director & Producer
Team
Jim McSilver
Director & Producer
Jim is an Oakland, California-based director, producer, and editor of documentaries, scripted and branded films. His work centers on artists and advocates working for social change and environmental justice. He loves collaborating to tell stories...
Jim is an Oakland, California-based director, producer, and editor of documentaries, scripted and branded films. His work centers on artists and advocates working for social change and environmental justice. He loves collaborating to tell stories that surprise and inspire audiences.
Since 2014, he has directed and produced six "Oakland Originals" short documentaries, spotlighting the voices and visionaries of Oakland, California. His directing credits also include work for USA Hockey, the Autism Society of the San Francisco Bay Area, the San Francisco Department of Public Works, East Bay Regional Parks Foundation, Intel, Oracle, CamelBak and others.
As an editor and co-producer, Jim’s credits include the NAACP Image Award finalist and Webby Honoree "Judging Juries" (Apple TV+), a searing look at racial bias in jury selection. He also edited "Weathering the Future" (PBS/NOVA), a feature documentary highlighting communities employing ancient wisdom and innovative solutions to climate resilience, and "Waging Change" (PBS/international), which focuses on the fight for a living wage for tipped restaurant workers. His editorial work includes multiple award-winning documentaries for PBS and global broadcast, including "Manifest Destiny," "The Split Horn," and films for CNBC, Lucasfilm, Smithsonian Network, AJ+ and History Channel. He has field-produced for clients such as the NOVA, NEA, Gilead Sciences and the BBC.
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J.P. Dobrin
Director, Co-Producer – Gilbert Gong film
Team
J.P. Dobrin
Director, Co-Producer – Gilbert Gong film
J.P. Dobrin is a documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Oakland, California. His visual work has been commissioned by Al Jazeera, the New York Times, PBS Frontline, Washington Post, Vox, and the International Rescue Committee. He became...
J.P. Dobrin is a documentary filmmaker and photographer based in Oakland, California. His visual work has been commissioned by Al Jazeera, the New York Times, PBS Frontline, Washington Post, Vox, and the International Rescue Committee. He became passionate about visual journalism while completing his BFA in photography at the Academy of Art San Francisco. He went on to learn documentary film at the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. His most recent documentary Irse - Leaving Venezuela (2019, 26 min.) is about the Venezuelan exodus as told through the stories of two pregnant women. The global broadcast premiere is scheduled for June 2020 on Al Jazeera Witness.
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Grants & Awards
East Bay Fund for Artists
Our Ask
We are looking for partners to help fund post finishing on two of the films and distribution or outreach and impact screenings for all three. Partners can commit to supporting an individual film or the entire series. Options include partnering as a presenting sponsor, streaming platform presenter, educational distributor or many other options. Let's talk!
