We sometimes have so much fun making movies here that we maybe forget that filmmaking can be a serious endeavor – something that can change people and capture the most important moments of our lives. Film is perhaps the most powerful a medium we have and, when used correctly, can bring good to the world and act as a ever-long testimonial for the magic of our lives.

San Francisco’s The HIV Project has turned to film to help spread their message of HIV awareness and prevention. Their hand-picked compilation of short films capture heartache and happiness of a community under attack by a deadly disease.

From their Kickstarter fund raising page:

“Still Around” is the “The HIV Story Project’s” most ambitious art project so far: We challenge 16 local filmmakers to make 16 5-minute short films about people living with HIV. The end result will be a video AIDS Quilt for the 21st Century about those still around – a feature-length compilation and celebration of life, that represents people of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, genders, and sexual orientations.”

One of the films in the compilation is short titled “Instant Dad” with was written and directed by SFSDF One-Year Filmmaking alum, Rick Osman. Rick came to FilmschoolSF over year ago with a background in Real Estate – and without any filmmaking experience to speak of. And now here he is, relatively fresh from graduation, and already shooting work that is capturing audiences and changing lives.

“I was delighted to direct this short autobiographical doc about raising my nephew during the height of the AIDS crisis and be able to share with people how important his arrival in my life was to my ultimate survival, said Rick.

The compilation has been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival and confidence is high. “Instant Dad” was edited by FilmschoolSF faculty member, Milena Grovensky.

You can catch the films this Friday, December 10, from 6:00-9:00pm at SOM Bar in the Mission during The HIV Project’s Holiday Celebration and Fundraiser.