Cult Sonoma video // Huichica Music Festival : 2011

It was June in California—when all everyone expects is sunshine and blue skies for miles—but it rained. And rained. And every event in the area was cancelled. Except one: the second annual Huichica Music Festival.

In fact, it’s our belief that the inclement weather made an outstanding music festival that much more “rock and roll.”

“The music was mesmerizing, the vibe was infectious, and Mother Nature was awesome,” says Gun Bun president and festival co-producer Jeff Bundschu. Cramming into tents and clinking wine glasses together during periodic downpours only seemed to further the bonding experience.

Take a look at these short videos we produced for Cult Sonoma capturing the experience—included in part one (above) are performances by David Williams, CB Brand, Tu Fawning and Breathe Owl Breathe.

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Cult Sonoma video // Film Festival

We are so lucky in Sonoma to have a world class film festival every spring—the Sonoma International Film Festival.  We were even luckier this year because we were able to have access to the whole festival and document it day by day for Cult Sonoma—including filmmaker interviews, special event footage and even some playful words from Lifetime Achievement honoree Susan Sarandon.

Click through to see the other two short videos…

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Cult Sonoma video // Trashion Show

We lent our video production services out to Cult Sonoma to cover the exciting, first annual Trashion Fashion Show & Exhibit featuring homegrown fashions created from reused, repurposed and recycled materials.

See more at Cult Sonoma.

video // A Good Baker

One of our favorite things about living in Sonoma is the bread.  Our community is lucky to have one of the world’s greatest bakers making bread just for us!  Take a look at the short feature we produced on the subject above for Cult Sonoma, which writes:

There is gravity to a good bit of bread—it carries a sort of sacramental heft that doesn’t fool around. The way the outside shatters like a mosaic as you take a carnal rip off the crust, or the way it springs forth like a cloud into your mouth, swirled with a slug of olive oil. Great bread tethers you to your mortal coil—to your teeth and tongue and bones and blood and the all the things and conversations going on around you. It keeps you from floating away into the zeitgeist and leaving nothing but status updates to show for it. Pair it with nice beer, friendly people and some amicable herbs and vegetables and you pretty much have another reason to live.

This is why we have vaulted Sonoma’s Mike [the bejkr] Zakowski to the echelon of artisanal god. What can we say? He maketh good loaves, the sort of bread that bores into your psyche, the sort that would keep ancient fishermen alive when adrift at sea or something. I guess what we’re trying to say is that there are a lot of breads out there, but his breads feels divinely necessary.

“Every town needs a good baker,” intones Mike from the shipping container in his backyard he’s converted to a professional, artisinal bread-baking shop.  We agree and we feel very blessed that Sonoma’s good baker is Mike!

Please try Mike’s bread for yourself if you get an opportunity—look for him at Sonoma Valley’s farmers markets. We look forward to a lot more from Mike as he prepares to represent the U.S. in the 2012 World Cup of baking in Paris
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music mixed by
Max Lynch

cult sonoma video // di Rosa

We love art, and the Bay Area is certainly renowned for its uniquely creative vision—a vision which Sonoma area collector Rene di Rosa excelled at capturing in his extensive collection at the di Rosa preserve.  We were sorry to hear of his recent passing.  Sarah recalls, fondly, interviewing him for a story and how all he wanted to talk about was how much he loved eating his lunches at Sonoma Market.  We do too!  We’ll miss seeing him across the salad bar, but happily know his passion for art and his support for the arts will live on through the di Rosa preserve.

Here is a short video we produced for Cult Sonoma, capturing just a fraction of the collection and di Rosa experience.

SONOMA magazine // Fall 2010

Once again sporting art direction and page layouts by Peter, the latest issue of SONOMA magazine—its second issue distributed nationally—features a story on the valley’s sublime Scribe Winery by Sarah:

“Scribe Winery is exquisitely imperfect. This is where the sheen of Wine Country ends and its patchwork, outlaw lore bubbles to the surface. It’s where the dust billows over an irregular dirt road, escorted by a long row of palm trees that beckon you back toward the coarse hillsides and corrupt histories and overgrown, feral sweetness to a turn-of-the-century hacienda wiling away its hours in a state of gauzy, dilapidated bohemian grace. It’s where Andrew Mariani, his brother Adam, their uncle Andrew Avellar and Napa-based winemaker Kristof Anderson spend their hours making a neglected property whole again, and almost coincidentally, crafting lush, drinkable wine…[read more]

We’ve been receiving rave reviews on this issue, and Sarah’s Scribe story in particular. Our favorite response, though, is this note from Adam Mariani of Scribe:

“Beyond the beautiful writing and absorbing journey you take the reader on, we are moved by how well you captured SCRIBE.  It is re-inspiring to hear our manifesto spoken so well in your writing.  Thank you.”

If you don’t subscribe, please go out and pick up a copy at the newsstand—or at least check out some of the content on the magazine’s web site!

Also, be sure to check out the video we produced on Scribe Winery for Cult Sonoma!

video // cult sonoma

We’re under the spell of Scribe Winery . . . here’s a video we produced on the subject for Cult Sonoma!

Update: We were able to return to Scribe Winery for their last bash before they remodel “The Hacienda.” The event was a collaboration between the winery and 18 Reasons:

video : cult sonoma // SVMA's Mix

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art‘s regularly occurring Mixes have become one of our favorite after hours activities in Sonoma.  Above is a short video we produced for Cult Sonoma on the most recent Mix—a masquerade theme complete with local punk band Static People and surrounded by the fabulous Silence, Exile & Cunning exhibit (see Miya Hannan‘s “Journey” installation below.)

video : cult sonoma // Huichica Music Festival

Another video we produced for cultsonoma.com—this one a summary of the first annual Huichica Music Festival at Gundlach Bundschu Winery.