Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. (415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com  

17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival Goes Virtual with
Reconnecting Summer 2020
Featuring all 54 Films, plus online panels, discussions and audience Q&A
July 30 – August 9
www.intloceanfilmfest.org

2021 Festival Slated for In-Person Viewing March 11 -14

23 July 2020 – San Francisco, CA. Buoyed by enthusiastic response to the online Student Film Competition, the International  Annual Ocean Film Festival will present  Reconnecting Summer 2020,  a virtual experience showcasing all of the official selections of this year’s 17^th annual event July 30 – August 9.   In addition to the online screenings of all 54 films during the unprecedented 11-day event, the festival will host livestream interviews, Q&A sessions and panel discussions with filmmakers.  Tickets and information are available on the Virtual Film Festival page at www.intloceanfilmfest.org

“We’re all connected by our oceans, and one thing we’ve learned from the ongoing global pandemic is how much we all benefit by staying connected,” said Ana Blanco, Executive Director of the International Ocean Film Festival.  “Our global online student film competition earlier this spring was incredibly successful, so we know our audience is ready to keep saving our oceans, one film at a time, from the comfort and safety of their own homes.”

The virtual festival will include feature length films, a new program of 14 shorts and nine themed programs: Adventure & Ocean Sports; Coastal Culture; Environment & Conservation ; Innovations in Ocean Sustainability; CineMare International Ocean Film Festival Kiel, Germany; Marine Sciences and Wildlife; Sharks; Surfing and Whales. All films will be eligible for a first ever Global Audience Choice Award.

Prices for the Reconnecting Summer 2020 virtual film festival are: Feature Films: $10; Themed Programs: $12; Shorts Program: $12; Special Screening: Pay what you can.  Festival passes are available at the following levels:

• All Access VIP Pass: $100: Includes access to watch all 10 feature films, nine themed programs, shorts program, special screenings and Q&As throughout the duration of the virtual film festival.
• Blue Whale Pass: $60 Includes access to watch each of the nine themed programs.
• Sea Turtle Pass: $45 Includes access to any five feature films and three themed programs of the viewer’s choice.

Since its launch in 2004, the San Francisco-based International Ocean Film Festival has attracted thousands of spectators of all ages from around the world, including film enthusiasts, sea athletes, educators, and environmental activists. Since then, the Festival has presented over 600 films from 50 different countries and featured post-film Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers, special panel discussions with content experts, and the Annual Free Student Education Program. It was the first event of its kind in North America, inspired by the well-established ocean festival in Toulon, France, which has continued to draw large audiences for more than 40 years.

Current sponsors for the 17th Annual International Ocean Film Festival include National Marine Sanctuary, BigBus of San Francisco, Gray Line Tours, SSA, Alcatraz Cruises, the Port of San Francisco, the Consul General of Canada, Blue and Gold Ferry, RBC Wealth Management, Heidrick & Struggles, Pacific Gas & Electric and Troutman Sanders LLC.

The International Ocean Film Festival encourages its patrons, supporters and partners to follow the most current advice from the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization for preventing the further spread of the COVID-19 in Northern California and beyond, and to stay tuned for announcements about International Ocean Film Festival events once the threat level is reduced. The 18th Annual International Ocean Film Festival is currently scheduled to take place March 11 – 14, 2021 at San Francisco’s Cowell Theatre at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture. The International Ocean Film Festival is a registered 501(c) 3 non-profit. www.intloceanfilmfest.org and social at: 

• https://www.facebook.com/intloceanfilmfest
• Twitter @oceanfilmfest
• Instagram @intloceanfilmfest

MEDIA ADVISORY

HOTELS RESPOND TO SAN FRANCISCO’S UNHEALTHY BUILDINGS ORDINANCE

VIRTUAL NEWS CONFERENCE
10 A.M. PT MONDAY, JULY 20
                                                               

SAN FRANCISO, CA. – (JULY 20, 2020) – The Hotel Council of San Francisco, the California Hotel and Lodging Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the former chief of the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will announce a major response to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ so-called “Healthy Buildings” ordinance. The ordinance, approved July 7 and signed by Mayor Breed on July 17, will:

• Endanger the health of hotel employees by mandating increased contacts with guests.
• Fail to align with widely recognized federal and state infectious disease experts’ health guidelines for hotels.
• Do financial harm to a specific industry that has an outstanding health safety record.
• Ignore San Francisco’s environmental laws and mandates.
• Serve the selfish interests of a union with no consideration of the employee harm it mandates.

WHO:        

Kevin Carroll, President and CEO, Hotel Council of San Francisco

Lynn S. Mohrfeld, CAE, President & CEO, California Hotel & Lodging Association

Chip Rogers, President & CEO, American Hotel & Lodging Association

Len Welsh, former Chief, California Division of Occupational Safety & Health

WHERE:     Online Via GoToWebinar: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1212036056105374731

WHEN:       10 a.m. PT Monday, July 20, 2020

CONTACT:

Pete Hillan: 831-227-5984/ pete@singersf.com
David Perry: 415-676-7007/ news@andresdavidperry-com
Jennifer Myers: 703-785-4663, jmyers@ahla.com 

Media contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc. / David Perry
(415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com 

MCmarket brings “Gourmet to Go” to your front door

McCalls Catering & Events:
Celebrating 40 Years as San Francisco’s Luxury Brand
for Society & Corporate Clients Leans Into “New Normal”
with Delicious Style and Contactless Elegance

www.mccallsmarket.com

14 July 2020 – San Francisco, CA:  In 2020, “white glove service” has taken on a whole new meaning. In this their 40^th Anniversary Year, San Francisco’s McCalls Catering & Events is cooking up something new: MCmarket (www.mccallsmarket.com) – bringing all the high-end elegance, world-class cuisine and international flair direct to your door from their kitchen with the highest standards of hygiene that are the “new normal.” MCmarket is an exciting and encouraging new play for the well-known legacy company and introduces a fresh twist to the current world of food delivery, and all with contactless delivery by McCalls superior and well-trained staff.

“It takes more than a global pandemic to stop San Francisco society, philanthropy and our need to party,” said Lucas Shoemaker, McCalls President. “Until our clients can once again come to our world- class tables, we bring our world-class cuisine to them. From our kitchen to your home or office with all the style that has made McCalls synonymous with good taste for four decades.”

As the hospitality industry came to a screeching halt and events quickly dropped off the calendar, the McCalls team spent the lead up to their big 40th anniversary brainstorming new ways to best utilize their fine-tuned skills and keep their hard-working employees. Catering and event production for the foreseeable future wouldn’t look the same.

In late March, McCalls was contacted by the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA), who were searching for a company that could help safely feed individuals in hotels who had been displaced due to COVID-19. Up for the challenge, McCalls dove head-first into the delivery business, shifting into a new business model, while striving to retain the company’s core values: make food with the freshest ingredients and a lot of heart. They learned to implement an array of clean and safe practices during this time as well as adapt to the demands of a delivery-focused business. Through this work with the city, the idea for MCmarket was born. 

“MCmarket brings the McCalls mindset to new life, providing chef-prepared meals to your dinner tables, backyard get-togethers, and office lunches,” explains Lee Gregory, Executive Vice President for McCalls and also a member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce board of directors and herself a mainstay on Northern California’s society pages. “McCalls culinary team is creating beautiful and delicious menus for daily dinners that will change weekly to utilize the freshest, most seasonal ingredients.”

Also available are party platters for gatherings of 10-12 guests, perfect for hosting a micro-event or just reconnecting safely with loved ones. According to Gregory, there are lots of options and all with contact-less delivery.  For those returning to the office and looking for an easy, healthy lunch option, MCmarket has a wide variety of fresh salads and grain bowls to feel nourished and taken care of. 

“Keeping connected to the community and supporting small businesses has also been a priority for McCalls during this time, “ says Gregory. “So MCmarket has partnered with local farmers, breweries and wineries to bring customers the best quality product on a hyper-local level.”

MCmarket’s offerings are adaptive and all-encompassing. Whether you’re seeking family weeknight dinners after weeks of cooking fatigue, or hosting a small backyard get together, micro or virtual event, MCmarket is there to meet that need. All packaging is compostable or recyclable and delivered via no-contact delivery to your doorstep by a friendly McCalls face.

What MCmarket Offers

• Weekday meal deliveries
• Weekday meal subscriptions
• Office lunch catering
• Large-format Party Platters & Holiday Menus 
• Safe, no-contact delivery as well as pick-up 
• Packaging compostable or recyclable 
• Fresh locally sourced ingredients
• Partnerships with local food and beverage providers 
• Same-day preparation and delivery 

Media Contact: David Perry & Associates, Inc/David Perry
(415) 676-7007 / news@davidperry.com

So Called “Healthy Buildings” Ordinance Would Cost Hotel & Commercial Building Owners Millions to Implement.

Will Keep 10,000 Hotel Workers from Returning to Work.

SF Supervisors Slated to Impose Redundant Standards on Industry Already Reeling Under COVID Economic Downturn.

Ordinance Would Exempt Government Buildings Including SF City Hall

6 July 2020 — San Francisco, CA: In the midst of the unprecedented health and economic crisis when politicians should be listening more than talking, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is set to vote into law a redundant and dangerous piece of legislation that will cost hotels and commercial buildings tens of millions of dollars while at the same time exempting those same buildings in which they pass such legislation. The so-called “Healthy Buildings” ordinance is slated to be voted on by the full San Francisco Board of Supervisors tomorrow, July 7, during their regular session. Pushed by organized labor, the ordinance mandates additional hiring during a time when all such employees are already out of work due to the COVID-forced economic downturn. At present, hotels in San Francisco will not reopen to tourism until mid-August and many office buildings in downtown San Francisco are at less than 10% occupancy. “The ordinance imposes significant financial burdens to implement, puts our employees at greater health risks by demanding they enter rooms more frequently and further delays hotels’ ability to reopen for tourism,” said Kevin Carroll, President and CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “No industry is more capable of implementing health, hygiene and safety protocols than the hospitality industry.” 

California’s Employment Development Department reported July 1 that 10,484 San Francisco hotel workers were laid off or furloughed from 54 hotels. San Francisco has delayed reopening of hotels until mid-August at the earliest. Complying with the proposed ordinance will increase costs for hotels delaying further their re-openings, already an uncertainty as guests are slow to resume travel.The so-called “Healthy Buildings” ordinance was written by and pushed by members of San Francisco’s Union Local # 2 and would mandate additional cleaning of rooms and public spaces in hotels even though new COVID-19 protocols from the Hotel Council of San Francisco, working in concert with multiple health and safety experts, already exceed CDC guidelines. “The well-being of our employees is paramount for the well-being of our guests,’’ Carroll added. “The guidelines our hotels have implemented follow the recommendations from national and state infectious disease experts to ensure our employees safety.”Additionally, the proposed ordinance will adversely impact office buildings. “The ordinance is plainly redundant when we have guidance from agencies such as Cal/OSHA and the California Department of Public Health covering the same topics,” said Marc Intermaggio, Executive Vice President for the Building Owners & Managers Association (BOMA). “Having multiple authorities issuing guidance and standards is confusing and accomplishes little.  The other agencies are the ones tasked by law with issuing this type of guidance and they have done so and the City should be aligned with these health authorities.”

If put into law, the ordinance would add hundreds of thousands of dollars – per month – to business owners in downtown San Francisco. The cost on an annual basis would be in the tens of millions of dollars, all at a time when due to COVID roughly 90% of all commercial buildings are now empty. According to BOMA, the increased costs would likely force further layoffs as the reduced occupancy of  buildings continues across 2020 and into 2021.

“This is not the year and now is not the time for un-needed and redundant legislation that will keep our hotel community and tourism based economy from recovering,” said Rodney Fong, President & CEO of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce . “We urge the Board of Supervisors re-think this misguided ordinance.”

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