Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden," where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show: singer and former "American Idol" contestant David Archuleta talks about his new music and embracing his queer self. Then, a vegan food festival is returning to Berkeley. And we’ll hear about a few cool new movies in this year’s Oakland International Film Festival.
Today's theme is about art that reminds us to stay true to ourselves.
David Archuleta
David Archuleta captured many hearts around the country in 2008 when he was a contestant on the seventh season of "American Idol." A lot has changed for David since then. In 2021, he came out as queer and shortly after left the Mormon church. Now, he's getting personal, and having fun too, in his new EP "Earthly Delights."
David is performing at The Independent in San Francisco on September 27.
Erika Hazel
According to host Jeneé Darden, the way to a radio host's heart is a good meal. That delicious meal doesn't require meat. Which brings us to a big event coming up — the Bizerkeley Food Fest. This vegan festival is taking place on Sunday, September 7 at the North Berkeley BART station. Erika Hazel is the founder of the Bizerkeley Food Fest. She talks about what to expect for the festival this year which will be nearly twice as big as prior years.
David Roach
A lot of people are having superhero movie fatigue and they want to see more traditional films with less special effects. Well, if you're feeling like that, you might want to check out film festivals for great storytelling on the silver screen. The Oakland International Film Festival is running from September 10 to 20.
See premieres, documentaries, shorts, romcoms, dramas and more. There will be screenings at the Grand Lake Theater, Northeastern University campus (formerly Mills College) and Geoffrey's Inner Circle. David Roach is the co-founder and executive director of the Oakland International Film Festival.
Watch Host Jenee Darden's documentary "Where is East Oakland" which was screened at the 2019 Oakland International Film Festival.
