David Laderman
Title: Professor
Degrees: Ph.D., Cultural Studies, UC Davis; M.A., Film, San Francisco State University; M.A. French, Emory University; B.A., English, CSU Northridge
Teaching Experience: Since 1989
Career Highlights: Writing two books, one on road movies (Driving Visions), one on punk music and film (Punk/Slash/Musicals); co-editing a volume on sampling (Sampling Media); teaching film at Stanford, UC Davis and SFSU; teaching for CSM's Study Abroad program in London and Paris; being interviewed for the IFC documentary Wanderlust; coordinating the CSM Honors Project learning community; perhaps most of all: learning from my students.
Hobbies: Reading fiction, playing music, watching films and quality television, travelling

Rafael Flores
Title: Assistant Professor
Degrees: M.F.A., Cinema, San Francisco State University; B.A., Comparative Literature & Cinema Studies, University of Washington
Teaching Experience: Since 2007
Career Highlights: Phi Beta Kappa Scholar, Arts Director for non-profit United Roots, Co-Founder of production company Green Eyed Media, Administrative Director of Hidden Gem Creative Studios. Work has been praised by: The White House, Grammy Foundation, TED-X lecture series, Cannes International Film Festival, Writer’s Guild Theater of America, London Guardian, and Chicano International Film Festival.
Hobbies: Activism, music production, traveling

Tamara Perkins
Title: Assistant Professor
Degrees: M.F.A., Vermont College of Fine Arts
Teaching Experience: Since 2008
Career Highlights: Founded Apple of Discord Productions in 2006, connecting media, activism and healing through programs such as the Wisdom Project and San Quentin Media Project – which trained at-risk youth and incarcerated men in filmmaking as a tool for transformation. Directed three feature films (Life After Life (2018), Rebound (2021), Clarissa’s Battle (2022)) – each inspired by a personal connection to the subject matter, they provide an often overlooked proximity in storytelling. Awarded 2022 Stowe Story Fellowship for SARA, Perkins’ recent feature speculative fiction script melds present day social, moral, and ethical questions with a Queer Woman and Family-driven SciFi Thriller. As a national speaker, Perkins’ repertoire spans filmmaking to prison reform and human rights at agencies, universities, and organizations such as Equal Justice Society, USF Law, and Stanford Law, and serving as media keynote for the Houston Institute’s Conference on Race and Inclusion. Perkins’ was also tapped to present the TEDx talk ‘Life After: Embracing our Common Humanity’. A recipient of Evident Change’s Media for a Just Society Award, Perkins' work provides a catalyst for learning and advocacy for some of our nation's most misunderstood and overlooked issues.
Hobbies: Reading and writing science fiction, learning languages (Mandarin, French), travel, and hanging out with my daughter

Erin Persley
Title: Assistant Professor
Degrees: M.F.A., Cinema, San Francisco State University; B.A., Film & Media Studies, Women & Gender Studies, University of Florida
Teaching Experience: Since 2008
Career Highlights: Worked with the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs to design and teach 10 workshops on scriptwriting, digital filmmaking and post-production in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombassa (Kenya) and Kampala (Uganda). Her documentary films have screened in 17 festivals, covering 11 countries from Oklahoma to Singapore. Wrote and produced for three true crime television series on Investigation Discovery.
Hobbies: Traveling around the world, hiking, cooking, watching movies (especially documentaries) and playing bocce ball

Ingrid Schulz
Title: Assistant Professor
Degrees: M.F.A., Cinema, San Francisco State University
Teaching Experience: Since 1996
Career Highlights: Ingrid has worked in the editorial departments at Pixar, Dreamworks, Laika, KQED Public Television and a number of independent films. She has taught cinema courses at UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, San Francisco City College and the University of Tallinn, in Estonia. Her award winning work has been screened worldwide.
Hobbies: Volunteering at the local animal shelter, art organizations, and spending time in nature

Jennifer Van Sijll
Title: Assistant Professor
Degrees: M.F.A. USC School of Cinematic Arts; Certificate Program, the Sorbonne, Language and Literature; L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Political Studies; M.A Coursework, University of Toronto, History; Honours B.A, Queens University, History
Teaching Experience: Since 1990
Career Highlights: Scripted 100 documentaries for venues like China Central Television (CCTV) and the Computer History Museum. Most recently wrote Ballerina, winner of multiple awards globally. Authored international best seller, Cinematic Storytelling, which nears 250,000 in book sales, translated into 12 languages and adopted at film schools worldwide. Featured speaker at Pixar, Google and Nestle's "I Dare You" series as well as Screenwriting Expos including those in Beijing, Toronto and Los Angeles. Frequent speaker and script consultant. Currently, consulting for PJ Haarsma, Netflix and Emmy Award winning producer. Earlier, script reader for Universal Studios, Assistant Producer on the Care Bears, union prop master for NABET. Jennifer lives in Los Angeles.
Hobbies: Cross country skiing, hiking and Scrabble