معرفی
Daniel Bernardi is a Professor in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University, where he also serves as Internship Coordinator and Director of the Documentary Corps. He is the Executive Producer of the Veteran Documentary Corps and founder of El Dorado Films LLC, a social justice film production company. His academic and creative work centers on race, gender, and cultural representation in film and media.
- Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
- M.A., University of Arizona, Tucson
- B.A., University of Arizona, Tucson
His research focuses on critical race studies, particularly the representation and narration of whiteness in American cinema and popular culture. He is a leading scholar in the analysis of race in Hollywood, with major edited works such as The Birth of Whiteness, Classic Hollywood, Classic Whiteness, and Race in American Film. His scholarship blends semiotics, cultural studies, and media theory.
His recent documentary films explore veteran experiences across major U.S. conflicts, including The American War (Vietnam), The War to End All Wars (World War I), and The Forgotten War (Korea). These films have been officially selected at international festivals and are distributed by Kanopy, Amazon, and Journeyman Pictures. He is currently working on a film about the legal sex trade in Christchurch, New Zealand, and a book titled Signs of Aliens.
His publications and films reflect a strong interdisciplinary approach, combining academic rigor with public engagement. Notable awards include Best Documentary at the Anchorage International Film Festival and multiple official selections at international festivals.
- Best Documentary, Anchorage International Film Festival (2018)
- Official Selection, American Documentary Film Festival (2020)
- Official Selection, nine international festivals (2019)
As a Naval Reserve officer, Bernardi has served in Iraq (2009–2010), Indonesia (2010), Oceania (2011), and Vietnam (2012), which deeply informs his work on military and veteran narratives. He is also the founder of NarrativeTrack, a strategic communication analytics startup. He advises on documentary production and leads initiatives that bridge academic research with community and veteran storytelling.
Bernardi leads the Veteran Documentary Corps and collaborates with students and veterans to produce socially impactful media. His labs and teams focus on documentary filmmaking, narrative analysis, and strategic communication, often integrating military and civilian perspectives.
