Where are they now?
Pride of the Ocean Alumni
Since 2009, smart and engaging people like you have been coming to Pride of the Ocean for the unique experience of enjoying an ocean cruise and a film festival together. Past passengers have included everyone from cruise aficionados, to film enthusiasts, to people who simply like to travel, but it has been getting to meet and know our aspiring young filmmakers that has been one of the main attractions over the past three years, and into our fourth. As George Gene Gustines said in his New York Times article, “The true delight of the trip was…the friends we made.” Come meet some of those friends, many of which you could meet on our 2013 Alaska cruise, as we look back on some of our past young aspiring filmmakers and ask, “Where are they now?”
Pride of the Ocean’s CineSLAM has taken on an entirely new inspiring landscape by heading out to sea – offering a full retreat with special guests, seminars, panels, industry knowledge… and of course the all-important CineSLAM Film Slam workshops. The Film Slam Seminars provide an opportunity for emerging filmmakers to workshop their projects in focused, peer-driven critique sessions.  Susi Walsh, Executive Director of the Center for Independent Documentary, which sponsors the workshops, facilitates on board the ship. Creating this world outside of the everyday, for filmmakers to concentrate on their art, has succeeded in allowing the work to flourish, and the talent has indeed bloomed.
Take a walk with us through the garden of successful careers, and meet some of our past CineSLAM participants and see where have their paths led.
Cheryl Furjanic
Yoruba Richen
Two alums – Cheryl Furjanic and Yoruba Richen – will join us on Pride of the Ocean 2013 in August. Cheryl continues in the world of water, her award-winning Sync or Swim documentary of an Olympic-hopeful synchronized swimming team giving way to BACK ON BOARD, the story of Greg Louganis. Yoruba is bringing to the Norwegian Pearl her completed and much-anticipated documentary THE NEW BLACK, chronicling (more…)
Nancy began winning awards for her films in 1995 when her master’s thesis, Their Own Vietnam, for Stanford University’s film program, won a Student Academy Award“ and she hasn’t stopped since! She continues to accumulate accolades, from film festivals around the country and the world, as well as organizations such as GLAAD and the International Documentary Association.
No one knows the importance of the shore excursion like your fellow passenger, award-winning writer Randall Shirley, one of North America’s busiest freelance travel journalists! Over the next few weeks, travel to Randall’s blog and read his recommendations on shore excursions that will apply to many Alaska cruises. A Vancouver native who honeymooned in Alaska, he certainly knows the territory.
Randall has been in the journalism field for 20 years, including roles as editor and travel editor of three national Canadian gay magazines, and appearing on TV and radio as an expert in gay travel, cruise travel, and theatre travel. He frequently writes for publications such as Travel+Leisure, The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning News, Canada’s Calgary Herald and Up! inflight magazine.