Here For Now

J. Andrew (he/him) is a San Francisco-based filmmaker and undergraduate cinema major at San Francisco State University School of Cinema (‘23) with a passion for telling impactful and illuminating stories. His 2021 short film, Dream Upon Waking, made while attending City College of San Francisco, screened at festivals across the globe with one juror calling it “the best pandemic short this year.” At the IndieX Film Fest in Los Angeles, DUW won honorable mentions for Best LGBTQ Short and Best Set Design, in addition to being nominated for Best Mobile Short and Best Production Design. In 2021, J co-produced the queer short film, This Old Tearoom (Craig Souza, 2022), a story about an aging gay television host who comes to terms with his changing views on sex and love. J was also the production designer for TOTR where he designed and built a set resembling a highway rest stop bathroom, teaching himself CAD to build 17 Hollywood flats, numerous movable walls, and two bathroom stalls complete with a glory hole. TOTR is currently working its way through the festival circuit. J is also in production on a feature-length documentary, Meet Me at the Club, about the Castro Country Club, a sober community center and a home for the queer recovery community in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood for more than 40 years. For J, telling authentic stories of resilience and recovery fulfills a social justice mission to allow underrepresented communities to see themselves faithfully represented on screen and empowered behind the camera.

Commercially, before becoming a full-time filmmaker, J spent more than 25 years as a professional photographer, having recently exhibited a retrospective of his work. As an advertising executive, J produced and directed hundreds of television ads and digital content for national political candidates, brands and organizations. J hopes to continue his education in filmmaking by attending one of the top MFA film programs in the U.S. so he can further hone his directorial skills to do good work, tell great stories and work with amazing collaborators.