San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival to Screen Emmy Award-Winning Film Wade in the Water Drowning in Racism

Wade in the Water DocumentaryBlack Cat Media

San Francisco, CA

South Florida Filmmaker Cathleen Dean won an Emmy award for her deep-dive exploration into Black Florida’s fight for the right to swim. Wade in the Water Drowning in Racism, brings to life the 1960’s Civil Rights protests that desegregated the state’s beaches and swimming pools.

Now San Francisco Arthouse Short Festival has invited the Emmy-award-winning filmmaker to screen her film Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism Documentary at their Festival.

According to organizers, the goal of the festival is to showcase their brilliant projects for a diverse audience of cinephiles. It is a world-class event committed to presenting the best of this beautiful art called ‘Cinema’ and dedicated to all generations of filmmakers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports that every day, there are nearly 10,000 accidental drownings in the U.S… That’s 3,500 people every year who die in water. The numbers show another astonishing fact: the fatal-drowning rate of Black children is 5.5 times higher than white children in pools. Why? It’s a complex question among the culprits; institutional racism, myths and stereotypes, and inherited fear of drowning.

Dean says she hopes her documentary serves as an agent for change and enlightenment, especially for youth. “I am honored to participate and screen my film Wade in the Water at the San Francisco Art House Short Festival. I hope the documentary can be a source of inspiration and impact for youth in our community and beyond,” she said.

What: Screening of Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism at the San Francisco Art House Short Festival.

Where: IMDB Qualified Online Festival

When: August 21st, 2022-August 22nd

About Cathleen Dean

Cathleen DeanDavid I

Cathleen Dean is an Emmy award-winning American film director, producer, and photographer who creates innovative work inspired by her experiences in South Florida. Dean captivates audiences by bringing her characters to life. She approaches her work from an anthropological point of view, aiming to uncover historical truths that have been lost, forgotten, or hidden with time. Dean is the founder of BlackCat Media LLC.

Cathleen has BA in History from Columbia University

and an MFA from the University of Miami in Major Motion Pictures

She is most famous for her films Runway Afrique, Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism, and Being. She has received multiple awards such as:

Roxbury Film Festival Best Documentary Short

Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival Best Short Film

Miami Film Festival Best use of archival footage in a film

Miami Fashion Film Festival Best Fashion Doc

and an EMMY from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

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