Nathan Fletcher Joins San Diego International Film Festival Advisory Board

Nathan Fletcher, County of San Diego Supervisor and documentary film enthusiast, has been named to the San Diego International Film Festival's Social Impact Advisory Board.

"It's an honor to join such an esteemed group of film industry veterans as a member of the San Diego International Film Festival's Social Impact Advisory Board," said Fletcher. "Bringing documentaries to the Festival that raise awareness about societal issues, create meaningful dialogue and spur people to take action is an extraordinary way to build understanding and share perspectives."

The Festival's Social Impact Advisory Board reviews and selects documentary films that explore complex issues for the San Diego International Film Festival as well as the Festival's Focus On Impact educational outreach program for high school students and future leaders.

Other members of the Social Impact Advisory Board include Filmmaker Stephen Gyllenhaal, Filmmaker Cecelia Peck, Filmmaker Thomas Morgan, and his producing partner Academy Award-Winning Actress Susan Sarandon.

According to Tonya Mantooth, CEO/Artistic Director of the San Diego International Film Festival, "The Festival's Advisory Boards are tasked with supporting our mission to present films that allow for all voices and opinions to come together by providing an open environment for ideas and discussion that hopefully lead to solutions. Mr. Fletcher's experiences in military war zones, serving as a policymaker, as well as a UCSD professor, give him a unique perspective that aligns with the mission of the Festival."

During the Festival on Saturday, October 19, two documentaries will be moderated by Mr. Fletcher:

• Sea of Shadows is an environmental film that follows a team of dedicated scientists, high-tech conservationists, investigative journalists and undercover agents as they risk their lives to bring the international crime syndicate to justice. Sea of Shadows will screen at 2:15 p.m. Fletcher will moderate a Q&A discussion afterward with Dr. Cynthia Smith who is featured in the film and serves as the Executive Director of the National Marine Mammal Foundation and as the Program Manager of the Vaquita CPR conservation project.

• Doing Money is a film about sex-trafficking that shares the story of a young woman who is snatched in broad daylight from a London street, trafficked to Ireland and used as a sex slave in a series of pop-up brothels. Doing Money will screen at 5:00 p.m. Mr. Fletcher will moderate a Q&A panel discussion afterward that will include San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott and San Diego Deputy District Attorney Carolyn Matzger, of the Sex Crimes and Human Trafficking Division, and the Human Trafficking Task Force.

For ticket information visit SDFilmFest.com.