Talk of the Bay from KSQD

In this podcast, we talk with Jared Schoch, founder and chairman of TurningPoint Energy and author of the forthcoming book, SOLAR COASTER: The Untold Story of the Solar Industry One Man’s Journey Leading with Soul (Regalo Press; November 10, 2026)

With weeks away from the mid-term elections, State Senator John Laird takes us through some of the more perplexing ballot measures and propositions.

On this episode of Talk of the Bay, host Howard Feldstein welcomes Remington and Ida Hoffman, a husband-and-wife filmmaking team with roots in Santa Cruz, to discuss their short film, Christmas Angels, featured in the Santa Cruz Film Festival’s Human Touch Dramatic Shorts program. Ida shares how becoming a mother inspired her to begin screenwriting, drawing on memories of growing up with a hardworking single mother amid the stark contrast between wealth and homelessness in Santa Monica. The 13-minute film takes viewers on an emotional journey blending humor, drama, mystery, and social commentary. Made on a shoestring budget, the project became a family collaboration, with Ida writing and starring, Remington serving as cinematographer and co-director, and their young daughter Una contributing a natural, memorable performance. The film’s success was recognized with the Made in LA Award at the prestigious HollyShorts Film Festival, where it was selected from thousands of submissions.

The conversation also explores the challenges and rewards of building careers in independent filmmaking. Remington recounts his journey from growing up in Santa Cruz and studying theater at Cabrillo College to spending 14 years working toward a sustainable acting career, eventually landing recurring roles on Days of Our Lives and Tyler Perry’s Zatima, now on Paramount+. He reflects on the importance of perseverance, collaboration, and the generosity of leaders like Tyler Perry, while the couple discusses learning to balance creative vision with the practical demands of producing films on limited budgets. Looking ahead, the Hoffmans plan to collaborate on additional projects, including a feature-film concept and a romantic comedy short about a vampire in a toxic relationship titled You Are My Sunshine. Throughout the interview, they celebrate the opportunities available to independent filmmakers and the importance of storytelling that connects personal experience with broader social themes.

The Hoffman’s film, Christmas Angels, will be screened:

Santa Cruz Film Festival, October 14–18

This week on this special edition of Talk of the Bay, Nyanko and Howard welcome Logan Walker, director of programming for the Santa Cruz Film Festival, to discuss the return of the festival for its 26th annual celebration, October 14–18. A film lecturer and curator who teaches at UC Santa Cruz and San Jose State University, Walker shares the festival’s history, its commitment to independent cinema, and the work that goes into bringing more than 500 film submissions down to a carefully curated program. With five venues across Santa Cruz, five days of screenings, filmmaker Q&As, special events, and parties every night, this year’s festival promises an exciting celebration of the art of filmmaking.

From the opening-night feature Lunar Sway to documentaries exploring local history, environmental issues, music, and the human experience, the festival offers something for every kind of film lover. Hear about The Lonely Child, a moving story centered on a Yiddish lullaby composed during the Holocaust; Welcome to Maggia, about the Swiss immigrants who founded Martinelli’s; and My Name Is Gita, an uplifting story about a Santa Cruz Holocaust survivor. Logan also highlights local filmmaking talent, including Christmas Angels, a short film by former Soquel High student Remington Hoffman, and discusses how the festival’s programming committee and jury help select films that resonate with audiences and reflect the diverse interests of our community.

The conversation also tackles one of the biggest questions facing the film industry today: artificial intelligence. Logan explains the festival’s approach to AI-assisted and AI-generated filmmaking and previews a panel bringing together a range of perspectives on this rapidly evolving technology. Whether you’re passionate about independent cinema, curious about local filmmakers, or simply looking for something different to experience this week, tune in for an inside look at one of Santa Cruz County’s most vibrant cultural events. Find film schedules, tickets, and festival passes at santacruzfilmfestivals.org.

Worried about election fraud or interference in our midterms? Wondering when the deadline is to register to vote or how safe mailing in your ballot might be? Our election clerks address these and other topics.

We hear from Rebecca Downing of the Regional Transportation Commission of Santa Cruz County and Metro Santa Cruz about an initiative to get people out of their cars.

What would change in your life if driving was not an option?

Week Without Driving (WWD) is a community challenge that invites people across Santa Cruz County to step out of their cars and experience how they would get around if driving were not available to them. From October 1 through October 8, 2026, we encourage you to walk, roll, bike, ride transit, carpool, or ask for rides whenever possible and reflect on what works, what does not, and what barriers exist for people who rely on these options every day.

This campaign is about building understanding, empathy, and momentum for a more accessible transportation for everyone.

Be sure to join Santa Cruz METRO’s Capitola Mall Community Celebration Event event on October 2nd, from 4-7 PM, as part of the week’s local activities.

For one full week, make an effort to try alternative transportation methods. You can:

How to Join: 

Sign Up: Register online to receive a toolkit with tips and resources.

Track Your Progress: Log your daily transportation habits and share using #AWeekWithoutDriving.

Get Involved: Encourage friends and family to join for a bigger impact.

Poet Gabriel Kittle-Cervine talks about the first annual Ink Faire he’s organizing in collaboration with the Museum of Art and History, focusing on the arts of poetry, tattoos, and ink drawing. It happens on October 17th near the Evergreen Cemetery in Harvey West Park. Food booths, art and poetry workshops, and more! Kids welcome.

On this episode, we hear from Susan Willats, ED of The Community Music School of Santa Cruz about Redwood Music Camp, a three-day music workshop and jam camp for adults. Every wish you could go back to summer camp or just play music all day and night? The camp takes place October 16-20 at Monte Toyon in Aptos. Workshop leaders are William Coulter, Shelley Phillips, John Weed, Rebecca Lomnicki, Marla Fibish and more. For more information: https://www.communitymusicschool.org/redwood-music-camp/

Registration closes October 9th.

Talk of the Bay’s Wednesday host Len Beyea was invited to attend the PolicyLink Summit that took place August 24-28 in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside Washington DC. There were over 3000 attendees at the Summit.

PolicyLink is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to fulfilling the promise of a true democracy. This program includes excerpts from two recordings provided by PolicyLink, and from over a dozen recordings Len made. Contents include excerpts of plenary speeches and panels and excerpts from the reports from breakout groups on the last day of the Summit. The program closes with an excerpt from the live concert performed at the Summit by Jon Batiste and his band.

Not included is an excellent talk given at the Summit by Howard University law professor and former ACLU Lead Attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, regarding the history of, and critical importance of, the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. That talk is available here on youtube.

We hear from Darrow Feldstein, organizer of Santa Cruz Porchfest, a one-day free outdoor festival featuring 54 local bands.  More info: https://santacruzporchfest.lovable.app/

Porchfest started in Ithaca, New York in 2007 and has since spread to hundreds of neighborhoods across the country. The idea is simple and wholesome: neighbors with porches host neighbors with instruments, and the rest of us walk between them.

Santa Cruz has always been a music town — and we think there’s room for even more of it, spilling out beyond any single stage or venue. The first annual Santa Cruz Porchfest is our love letter to our community and our musicians: a free, all-ages, one-day event where front porches across downtown become tiny stages, and the whole town becomes the venue.