Private Project

The Katan Valley

A small-town mayor’s fierce refusal to accept the reality of his family’s home being washed away by the US Government has ramifications that span across generations. Years later, his daughter Vivian reflects on their family's legacy alongside her own child.

  • Ben Friedman-Hibbs
    Director
  • Ben Friedman-Hibbs
    Writer
  • Jackson Gravagno
    Producer
  • Christopher Arauz
    Producer
  • Ben Alexander Friedman-Hibbs
    Producer
  • Rapheal Gavin
    Key Cast
    "Rick Katan"
  • Aaliyah Gillard
    Key Cast
    "Vivian Katan"
  • Chantelé Shaw
    Key Cast
    "Vivian Katan (present day)"
  • Dean Medek
    Key Cast
    "Secretary Todd Stevens"
  • Ayla Klasen
    Key Cast
    "Jenny Katan (present day)"
  • Jonah Bessellieu
    Key Cast
    "Mitch Katan"
  • Josiah Mason
    Key Cast
    "Rick Katan (childhood)"
  • Gabriel Studer-Randall
    Director of Photography
  • Marcus Gomez
    Assistant Directors
  • Plamen Tzvetkov
    Assistant Directors
  • Ethan Okamoto
    First Assistant Camera
  • Dae Philpot
    Second Assistant Camera
  • Nico Abe
    Gaffer
  • Ninny Xiong
    Sound Recordist
  • Jacob Kubik
    Sound Recordist
  • Caitlyn Cota
    Production Design
  • Bee Roehrig
    Wardrobe
  • Yesi Munoz
    Script Supervisor
  • Gilad Meiri
    Grips
  • Kai Sugioka-Stone
    Grips
  • Brooke Beeson
    Grips
  • Amey Kulkarni
    Production assistants
  • Bailey Seifferly
    Production assistants
  • Aidan Jackman
    Production assistants
  • Lynette Esparza
    Production assistants
  • Gabriel Studer-Randall
    Colorist
  • Andre Grenville
    Drone Videography
  • Jocelle Bautista
    Post production sound designers
  • Nicholas Soriano Smith
    Post production sound designers
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 25, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - San Francisco State University
Director Biography - Ben Friedman-Hibbs

Ben Friedman-Hibbs is a 20-year-old writer, director, and editor based out of San Francisco, California, focused on narrative filmmaking and music videos, finishing an undergraduate cinema degree at San Francisco State University.

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Director Statement

THE KATAN VALLEY has absolutely been the most exciting undertaking in my career so far. The story is based on the real life destruction and flooding of Monticello, CA, which is today a lake and hydroelectric dam called Lake Berryessa in Napa County, CA. We were able shoot part of this project up there, and even got access to original photos of the town of Monticello and its destruction, taken by photographer Pirkle Jones (alongside Dorothea Lange) which are in the film. From live animals to child actors, all sorts of unexpected twists and turns came up during production, and I'm so excited to finally be able to share this project, which is my 2024 SFSU undergraduate senior thesis film!