Young Oakland filmmaker heads to Cannes

Oakland resident Yael Braha is heading to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May to screen her original 12-minute film, "The Waves."

A cinema major at San Francisco State University, Braha is one of two student filmmakers to receive the $2500 Eastman Scholarship Award for Cinematography and Excellence from Kodak.

The film debuts as part of the festival's Kodak Emerging Filmmakers Showcase. "The Waves" features famous statues of San Francisco and Braha's native Rome -- including such figures as Willie Mays, Joan of Arc and St. Francisco -- along with original poetry by the Jewish filmmaker. Braha's family immigrated to Italy after feeling persecution in Libya.