The Mill Valley Film Festival celebrates movies made in the Bay Area with its “Made in San Francisco” panel. We spoke with San Francisco filmmaker Beth de Araújo about Josephine, her second feature film, shot in San Francisco and centered around Golden Gate Park. Starring Mason Reeves, Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan, the film follows an eight-year-old girl whose life changes after witnessing a violent crime. After years of development and support from SFFILM, Josephine premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. The story shows how film organizations and festivals can help filmmakers take a project from an idea to the big screen.
