About Us.

It All Started with Coffee

When Bay Area businessmen and movie buffs got together for the very first time, they had no idea that their initial meeting would spark a professional partnership spanning over 16 years, multiple cities and now an annual event in the heart of downtown Yountville.

Introduced by a mutual friend, Bill Hargreaves and Sinohui Hinojosa met for coffee in what was destined to be a memorable and eventful discussion about their mutual love of film, filmmakers and the art of storytelling.  "It was surprising how well we connected," Hinojosa says, "...we found a shared interest and immediately discussed ways we might share it with others."
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Storytelling first

After the three hour conversation, they had agreed to launch what would become the San Jose International Short Film Festival (now in its 15th year), bringing awareness to short form entertainment and connecting filmmakers with Bay Area audiences that seldom get the opportunity to see the brilliant storytelling behind what they coined as "World Class Short Films".

The story was always the connecting factor and together they determined that a focus on story first - over casting, production values or genres enabled them to find incredible films that resonated with audiences.
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Beyond San Jose

Once the festival got its footing they moved from downtown San Jose to an amazing space (Santana Row) and the event took off. Films submitted are routinely vying for honors that include BAFTA and Academy Awards, the event went from two to four days and has built a solid following.

From those successes they took the show on the road, initially with a smaller festival in Walnut Creek for five years, but when the opportunity to connect with audiences in Yountville became available, they jumped at the chance to bring a special event to the heart of Napa Valley.
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Wine, Food, Culture and so much more

Yountville not only is the perfect location for a four day film festival, but the atmosphere and culinary elements make it a fantastic partner in delivering a true entertainment experience that involves so much more than films.  From the ability to craft Pop Up Screening rooms in the very walkable downtown area, to the support offered by local merchants, restaurants and wineries - the Yountville International Short Film Festival is a true connection that merges "World Class Short Films" with the best that Napa Valley has to offer.

What more could anyone want?
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