This Week on the Central Coast…
Two new productions from local filmmakers, a Salinas flight academy for teens, and three UCSC alumnae named most influential.
Monterey
New Clint Eastwood Movie Showing Exclusively in Monterey
This week, Clint Eastwood will be debuting a new movie in select theaters. Juror #2 is only being released to fifty theaters across the country. Luckily for us, one of those theaters is the Century Theaters at the Del Monte Shopping Center. And if going out to a theater doesn’t sound like fun to you, the movie is likely to simultaneously debut streaming on Max.
Juror #2 is a legal thriller about a man called in for jury duty in a high-profile murder case. He realizes he has a connection to the case and faces a moral dilemma of either revealing his knowledge and possibly saving an innocent man or keep quiet to protect himself.
Warner Bros has a long-standing relationship with Eastwood spanning several decades. The limited release plus streaming is likely a strategic change meant to adapt to recent trends. Juror #2 will have five showings throughout the day. You can find more information and purchase tickets on the Cinemark website.
Salinas
Flight Academy Offered to Salinas Teens
The Bob Hoover Academy expanded its offerings of flight instructions for teens. The academy provides hands-on training and aviation knowledge so the troubled teens have skills for future career growth. The program is sponsored by several local partners that provide necessary resources and opportunities.
Throughout the course of the program, students will learn the basic principles of aviation, get hands-on training in simulators, learn how STEM concepts relate to flight, and go on field trips to various locations important to the aviation industry.
The Monterey Office of Education has helped expand the program beyond Rancho Cuelo to include the Salinas Community School. The academy aims to inspire youth by giving them the tools needed to pursue a career in the aviation industry.
Santa Cruz
Longtime TV Producer Filming a Short Film
Sherry Halperin is a longtime film producer who resides in Santa Cruz. While her experience is mostly in film, her work expands to various parts of the entertainment industry. Her new short film, If Only, was shot in Santa Cruz. It follows the friendship of two older women, one Jewish and one Muslim, and is inspired by current global events.
There is no announced release date yet, but you can follow Sherry Halperin on Instagram to get updates on all her projects.
Three UCSC Alumnae Named Most Influential Women of 2024
This week, the San Francisco Business Times awarded its Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business of 2024. The women are selected based on their leadership abilities, the impact they’ve made in their communities, and how inspiring they are to those around them.
Three UCSC Alumnae were named in the report:
Judith Bell works for the San Francisco Foundation. "I have a sense of responsibility to make a difference, to contribute to the movement for greater racial and economic equity."
Katherine Evans works for CSAA Insurance Group. "It is important to me to do things that matter and that have purpose. For the most part, generations leave the world better than they found it; I want to make this true for my own generation and for those that come after me."
Rudy Bolaria Shifrin works for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. "I knew then I wanted to work on figuring out how to ensure everyone can begin life at the same starting line. It’s unacceptable that some people are born with so many more obstacles perpetuating intergenerational poverty."
Each of these women has made a notable impact in their respective fields, embodying all the qualities the award seeks to highlight.