Sausalito Film Festival Series Premieres May 31st

Marin Magazine has been a sponsor of the Sausalito Film Festival since 2009. Blogger Cheryl Popp decided to cover the Slingshot film preview.


Some may find it startling to learn that over 50% of all human disease is a result of bad water; in fact, more than 2 million deaths a year (mostly children under the age of five) are attributed to bad water. The good news is that there is one man who is trying to do something about it…and he’s succeeding. Welcome to the opening night documentary for the Annual Sausalito Film Festival — it is an inspirational film featuring one of the western world’s most famous inventors and iconoclasts, Dean Kamen of Segway fame.

Slingshot is a film about revolutionary technology and a passion to improve people’s lives. It is a tale of David tackling Goliath –– and triumphing. It is about a quirky, modern-day Thomas Edison making his mark by providing clean water for the world. Something we take for granted.

I was able to preview the film and have to say, it’s truly a fascinating documentary, demonstrating how one person with perseverance can really make a difference. It grabs you when you least expect it.

New Format for Sausalito Film Fest

Slingshot, directed and produced by Paul Lazarus, will be the first in the Sausalito Film Festival’s new “series” of films. The festival –– now in its sixth year –– has been re-invented as a film “series”. Instead of one jammed packed weekend of films, there will be a series of films in Sausalito throughout the year. According to founder and film festival director Antonio Capretta, the Sausalito Film Series will continue to showcase “films that are making a difference; directors who are taking a chance; provocative documentaries and dramas.”

The premiere or “opening night” for 2014, is slated for Saturday, May 31st, at Cavallo Point.  The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception (open bar) and lavish culinary delights from the resort’s world class kitchen, followed by the movie Slingshot and a panel discussion moderated by former Bay Area newscaster Dana King (now a working artist and avid environmentalist). The panel will feature the film’s producer, Barry Opper, as well as other local visionaries and innovators. Tickets are $75 per person. For tickets or more information, visit sausalitofilmseries.com