When Bay Area real estate developer and philanthropist John A. Sobrato talks, people tend to listen. He had a powerful message Tuesday when People Acting in Community Together (PACT) honored him at its luncheon in San Jose.<\/p>\n
He encouraged the crowd of more than 300 people to help the most vulnerable people in the community meet today\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow more than ever, those that can give, should give bigger. Those that can serve as a volunteer should bring others to serve with them. I can assure you that you will have great joy in doing so and become good examples of faith and action,\u201d said Sobrato, who credits his family and his Jesuit education at Bellarmine College Prep and Santa Clara University with his value system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout my life I have seen that when ordinary people come together with purpose and compassion, extraordinary things become possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The overflow crowd at the Mexican Heritage Plaza also celebrated the 40th anniversary of PACT, an interfaith group founded in 1985 to encourage grassroots community organizing. That mission is exemplified by PACT\u2019s other \u201cFaith in Action\u201d honoree Tuesday, the Immigrant Protection and Empowerment Network. The network, known as IPEN and led by Akemi Flynn, was launched by the nonprofit Amigos de Guadalupe to provide legal and emotional support for immigrant families facing deportation and separation.<\/p>\n
The Rev. Jon Pedigo, who became PACT\u2019s executive director in February, said he was overwhelmed by the attendance at the luncheon and thought it showed strong support for PACT\u2019s mission. \u201cCommunity organizing helps us understand that \u2018we\u2019 are the people, all of us together,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat community organizing does is \u2014 it develops the voice of people who don\u2019t feel they are seen as one of \u2018the people.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
IT\u2019S A MOVIE BUFFET: It\u2019s been a great month for South Bay film festival fans, and after the 16th annual Silicon Valley African Film Festival last weekend, two more big movie showcases are coming up this weekend.<\/p>\n
First up is the return of the San Jose International Short Film Festival, which opens Thursday night and runs through Sunday at the Cinearts theater at Santana Row. \u201cLimitless\u201d is the theme of the 17th annual festival, which will feature more than 150 short films sorted into 20 viewing blocks. You can get the full schedule, as well as ticket and pass information, at sjsff.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Festival co-founder Bill Hargreaves says short films might require a bit more from an audience than a feature-length movie, which has more time to introduce a backstory and character motivations. But he sees plenty of room for both formats.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal has always been to celebrate the best in independent cinema, to champion brash and complex storytelling that would rival anything at your local cineplex, but this is not to replace those multi-million dollar feature projects,\u201d he said. \u201cInstead, our hope is to complement them with an entirely different type of storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific FilmFest is opening Friday night in Sunnyvale with \u201cThird Act,\u201d a documentary by Tadashi Nakamura about his father, Robert A. Nakamura, known as the \u201cGodfather of Asian American Film.\u201d The festival continues at the AMC Sunnyvale theater through Sunday, and you can get schedule and ticket information at svapfilmfest.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n NOT SO FAST, GILROY: This Sunday was supposed to be the first Gilroy Open Streets, an event similar to Viva CalleSJ in San Jose when a few miles of streets are closed to motor vehicles and open for bicycles, runners, skaters and strollers. Unfortunately for anyone looking forward to enjoying a car-free day, the event has been cancelled.<\/p>\n