Local Filmmaker Brings Short Documentaries

to MiraCosta College

Former local newscaster-turned-filmmaker Jody Hammond will present two of her short documentary films in “Behind the Camera: Conversations with Filmmakers,” a new series of presentations sponsored by the MiraCosta College Letters Department. The event is scheduled for Friday, April 4, 7 p.m. at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo Campus Student Center, 3333 Manchester Avenue, Cardiff.  The event is free of charge.

Hammond will present “A Hand Up,” a film which delves into the reasons why Vietnamese women specialize in nail care and operate nail shops throughout the U.S. She’ll also show her film “Packed House,” which explores the phenomenon of hoarding known as “packrat syndrome.”

Hammond has been a news reporter in Southern California for nearly three decades. She holds a master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Fluent in Spanish, Jody is a UCLA graduate who started her broadcasting career in Los Angeles. After five years at KNX Newsradio, Jody made the switch to television news, and has worked at all three network affiliate stations in San Diego. She is the recipient of dozens of journalism awards, including five Golden Mikes and six Emmys. She is currently a freelance producer for NBC News and CNN.

Of making the transition from TV reporter to documentary filmmaker, Hammond says, “I refer to myself as a ‘recovering reporter’ and I always tell people that just as actors always claim they really want to direct, reporters say what they really want to do is produce documentaries. I just say that I’ve found what I want to be when I grow up, I just haven’t figured out how to make a living at it! But there is life after local TV news!”