Retiring Professor Jameson Goldner Recalls Era When Student Filmmaking Was Controversial

Friday, May 15, 2015
Photo of student and Jameson Goldner

SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER -- Today, Goldner is known as the “heart and soul” of the Cinema Department at SFSU, from which Goldner retired last fall after more than five decades of teaching. But back in the 1960s, Goldner pushed the limits of film.

“Our emphasis was really on personal expression, and some of our films were pretty risky,” said Goldner, 77.

“From Day 1 to the day he retired, he was one of the most popular professors because he was thoughtful and caring,” said Daniel Bernardi, interim dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts./p>

Goldner is credited with helping SFSU become one of the top film schools in the U.S., graduating numerous Academy Award winners and nominees. A filmmaker himself, Goldner’s 100-plus films include the Holocaust memoir “When I Was 14: A Survivor Remembers,” which won best documentary at the 2001 California Independent Film Festival.

Photo: Gino de Grandis

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