Trailhead Film Project
TRAILHEAD (2015) is a documentary film project
Synopsis
TIMELINE: This film project was conceived in November, 2014. In partnership with the Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation, and with the generosity of the surrounding community, fundraising was brisk and filming was accomplished over 15 days in March, 2015. The film premiered at the Chabot Space & Science Center on October 7, 2015, and after more than 30 public screenings in 26 Bay Area venues, it was released online on April 18, 2016.
THE STORY: This 20-minute film features the City of Oakland’s largest wildland trail system that connects neighborhoods to redwood forests and more than five hundred miles of trails that span the entire East Bay. Trail users, historians, creek restoration experts, local merchants, and park volunteers are among those interviewed during a typical park day that begins predawn in Oakland’s Dimond District, and concludes at sunset from a Joaquin Miller Park ridge overlooking downtown Oakland and San Francisco Bay.
Map of the featured trail system
Summary of Production:
Intended for Oakland residents and visitors alike, this documentary explores the unique urban to rural trail system that connects Oakland neighborhoods to the Bay Area Ridge Trail and beyond. The film highlights:
- the history of Dimond Park, Dimond Canyon Park, and Joaquin Miller Park
- the multiple uses of the trail system – hiking, mountain biking, dog walking, youth education, etc.
- recent improvements to the trail system by volunteers working in collaboration with the City of Oakland
- the accessibility of the trail system to Oakland neighborhoods and business districts
Interview Subjects:
- Dennis Evanosky – Oakland historian, author, and publisher
- Michelle Krieg – Restoration and Nursery Manager, Friends of Sausal Creek
- Stan Dodson – Manager, La Farine Bakery in Dimond, trail volunteer
- Jordan Brown – Group Leader, Brothers on the Rise
- Emily Rosenberg – Chair, Friends of Joaquin Miller Park
- Mike Udkow – President, Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay
- Jim Townsend – Trails Development Manager, East Bay Regional Park District
- Deidre Joyner – Realtor, Red Oak Realty
Past Screenings:
10/07/2015: Chabot Space & Science Center World Premiere
10/16/2015: New Parkway Theater
11/04/2015: Oakland High School
11/04/2015: Oakmore Homes Association
11/08/2015: New Parkway Theater
11/18/2015: Independent Brewing Company
12/02/2015: Dimond Improvement Association
12/14/2015: Oakland City Hall
01/13/2016: St. Paul’s Towers
01/21/2016: Sequoia Diner
01/24/2016: Sunday Assembly at Oakland Peace Center
01/25/2016: Chabot Space & Science Center (PPNA Annual Meeting)
01/27/2016: Urbano Cellars Winery
02/01/2016: New Parkway Theater
02/10/2016: Grand Lake Theater
02/11/2016: Grand Lake Gardens
02/25/2016: Octopus Literary Salon
02/26/2016: Oakland Museum of California
03/15/2016: EBRPD Volunteer Trail Safety Patrol
03/20/2016: Albany Filmfest
03/25/2016: City Commons Club
03/31/2016: deFremery Recreation Center (OPR Foundation Annual Meeting)
04/04/2016: Berkeley High School
04/17/2016: San Francisco Green Film Festival
04/18/2016: Released on-line (OaklandTrails.org/watch)
04/23/2016: Ale Industries Taproom
05/03/2016: Glenview Neighborhood Association
05/11/2016: Oakland Main Library
05/21/2016: Nature Friends Tourist Club
05/24/2016: Friends of San Leandro Creek
06/16/2016: REI Berkeley
06/22/2016: Dimond Recreation Center
06/27/2016: KTOP-TV10
07/07/2016: KTOP-TV10
07/22/2016: San Francisco Frozen Film Festival
08/02/2016: Sustainable Lafayette “Open Space” Film Series
08/21/2016: Lindsay Wildlife Experience “Nature Speak” Series
09/09/2016: Oakland’s Short, Short Film Festival
09/12/2016: California Independent Film Festival
09/16/2016: New Parkway Theater
09/17/2016: New Parkway Theater
09/22/2016: REI Berkeley
10/20/2016: Epworth UMC, Older Adult Ministries
10/25/2016: Dorothy C. Wong Senior Center
03/28/2017: Hillside Gardeners of Montclair
04/10/2017: Montclair 4-H Club
09/11/2017: Joaquin Miller Park Community Center (FOJMP)
09/14/2017: Temescal Street Flicks
01/21/2018: Solo Sierrans
04/06/2018: Oakland Library, Dimond Branch
Thank you to our film sponsors!
And a special thank you to
and the following generous supporters:
Glenview Neighborhood Association
The Design Office | Ron Rifkin
Bellanico | restaurant and wine bar
Piedmont Pines Neighborhood Assoc.
Howard Neal & Associates Attorneys
Dimond Tax Services | Paul Thode
Bicycle Trails Council of the East Bay
Council Member Noel Gallo & Family
Paws & Claws | A Natural Pet Food Store & Grooming Spa
All Eyes on Me | Aaron Thornton, OD
. . .
Karen Long, Cathy Barale & Eric Lindquist, Russell & Lisa Yee
Larry Riggs, Carrie Campbell, Hank Phillips,
Karen Marie Schroeder, Gary McCormick, Chuck & Laura Escover,
Eric, Kim, Noah & Cassie Baird, Carolyn Devol, Carl Kohnert,
Loretta Quan, Alan & Barbara Goldenberg,
John, Marty, Lauren, & Erin Dodson, Doug Wong,
Allyson Hance, Paula Kimbro, Kathleen Russell,
James Baack, Pete Barnett, Matthew & Carol Lonergan,
Marysue Fisher, Carol Heard, John Olson, Carol Hazenfield,
Jeff Wilbur, Alton Jelks Jr., Scott & Kimra McAfee, Reesa Tansey,
Steve & Marie Munson, Sandra Venning, Patricia Barale,
Heidi Williams, Richard Cowan & Kathleen Collins, Bob Werner,
Birute Skurdenis, Phil & Kathy Caskey, Greg Lassonde,
Stephen Foster, Trish Powell, Leslie Ann Jones, Marion Mills,
Tom Rose & Suzanne Knott, Colleen Johnson, Marcia Henry,
Mike Udkow, Margaret Langston, Helene Byrne,
Alisa Schulman & Scot Sowder, Jennifer Bellenger,
Francesca Kuglen, Gail Wallace, Kevin Smith, R. Jacobs, LMFT,
Sam Kaufman, Amy Lester, Laine Farley, Joni Anderson,
Laurie Umeh, Scott Yundt, Saara Robles, Curtis Doughty,
John Eckhouse, Robert Terra, Dick & Nancy Kolbert,
Gisela Merker & Marilyn Miller, Charlotte Hennessy, Erik Zapien,
Marleen Sacks, Gary Larson & Helen Bell, Jessica Kim,
Antosh Gazel & Barbara Hui, Zee Wong, Mike Sherwood & Kathy Keeran,
Jean Krieg, Mary Baron, Pamela Eguchi, Caren Roddy,
Ana Rauch, Jack Stephens & Julie Jones, Gen Katz,
Marjie Rhoades, Jack Krasner, Katherine Kott, Michael J. Clark,
BB Borowitz, Irene Kane, Tom Branca, David Fore,
Andrew Aldrich, Manuel Alonso, Janice Stamos,
Mark Rauzon, Robert Finkel, Sandra Downey, Decky Thornton,
Chris & Debra Harper
What people are saying about TRAILHEAD
“It’s spectacular.”
Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle
“An inspirational and beautifully filmed documentary.”
Carolyn Jones, East Bay Regional Park District
“This film showcases our city in a whole new way.”
Ken Lupoff, Oakland Parks & Recreation Foundation
“It left us both swelled with pride.”
Bryan Beyer, Oakland resident
Production Team
Emily Fraser – Co-Director/Producer, Cinematography
Emily Fraser is a documentary filmmaker committed to finding the poetry in the every day while provoking cultural change around pressing social and environmental issues. Her work has been shown at Doc NYC, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the International Wildlife Film Festival, and LUNAFEST, among others. Emily works as a freelance director and cinematographer, and as a lecturer on film production, history, and theory at Santa Clara University. In a previous life, she worked as an environmental consultant, focusing on projects in conservation, resource management, and alternative energy. Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and art/architecture from the College of William and Mary and an MFA in Documentary Film and Video from Stanford University. Website
Henry Wiener – Co-Director/Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
Henry Wiener, born and raised in Jackson, MS, received his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, majoring in American Military History. After living and working in New York City for 5 years, Henry completed his MFA in Documentary Film at Stanford University in 2014. His films cover an eclectic group of subjects: Bay Area gun rights activists, a 21 year old female NASCAR driver, a Minor League baseball churro vendor, and a traveling Rabbi. All of these films tell stories of people who pursue life with special passion and energy, across a spectrum of American culture. Henry currently lives and works in Oakland, CA as an independent filmmaker. http://henrywiener.com
In 2017, Stan received the Parkland Steward Award from Oakland Public Works, and the Anne Woodell Community Award, Oakland’s highest honor for community service in parks. And in 2018, he was recognized with a San Francisco Bay Area Jefferson Award.
While still overseeing Oakland Trails from afar, Stan is currently living full-time at his home in Tuolumne County and is a full-time student at Columbia College in Sonora studying Forestry and GIS.
Stan Dodson – Executive Director, Oakland Trails
Stan Dodson, past manager of La Farine Bakery in Oakland (2003–2021), and founder of the nonprofit organization Oakland Trails, has worked to promote, maintain, and enhance the trail system that connects Dimond Park to the Bay Area Ridge Trail since 2008. Stan has provided leadership for community involvement up and down the hill, including producing the documentaries Trailhead (2015) and Old Survivor (2018), co-founding and managing Oakland Volunteer Park Patrol, offering free hiking tours, and leading trail maintenance and enhancement projects in Oakland’s wildland parks. Through these efforts, Stan strives to inspire outdoor recreation and park stewardship while shining a bright light on the City of Oakland.
Stan is a graduate of the Oakland Citizens Police Academy, has received three Local Hero awards from City of Oakland Councilmembers, and in 2014, La Farine was honored with a “Small Business of the Year” award from Oakland’s Mayor and City Council.
In 2017, Stan received the Parkland Steward Award from Oakland Public Works, and the Anne Woodell Community Award, Oakland’s highest honor for community service in parks. And in 2018, he was recognized with a San Francisco Bay Area Jefferson Award.
While still overseeing Oakland Trails from afar, Stan is currently living full-time at his home in Tuolumne County and is a full-time student at Columbia College in Sonora studying Forestry and GIS.