Many people dream of producing famous film projects and seeing their vision come to light right in front of them. Sonoma State alumni, Alex Bretow has made that dream a reality. His perseverance and out of the box thinking has set him apart and been developed through and after his time at Sonoma State. 

Talking with him, he emphasized the strong foundation of values he had learned through his college experience, and the great people he collaborated with and learned from. He went into depth regarding his time in Studio Blue on campus. 

“There weren’t a ton of opportunities in film through SSU, but we found a way to harness what was available and go after our passions regardless. We would spend our weekends making movies, staying up all night editing in Studio Blue (which was then SSUTV) and persisted after our dreams regardless of what we thought was possible. SSU is a place that encourages self-discovery and self-exploration, we took that freedom to heart and worked toward a vision of our future that we created for ourselves.” 

Bretow is a standout alumnus because he has continued to break barriers and push beyond his own creative limits consistently and effectively. Additionally, he mentioned him alongside his peers working in the film studio created a demand for additional programs, and the University created a Master’s Program for Film Studies and forged a path for future students and their creative endeavors in the process.

As an active film producer, Alex is interested in pleasing audiences with his creative films. He says his biggest reward in his current role “is seeing audiences and critics respond to our films, ideally in theaters or watching their reaction videos online, reading their reviews, etc. Watching people dissect the meaning of our film in an analysis video on YouTube, or reading reviews from critics who understood and connected with the film are incredibly rewarding.” 

Since his time at SSU, he has continued to produce films and his latest project, The Night is a horror film surrounding a couple and their stay in Hotel Normandie. The film was released in the U.S. and Canada on January 29 and has already become “Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes”, according to Bretow. This movie has received rave reviews and has been admired for its high quality production and cast. 

This spotlight inspires students who also want to harness their passion and creativity as a full time job and this story proves that hard work and determination are key facets in that process. Now, Bretow is behind a major film that is available on several streaming platforms (Apple TV, iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, etc.) as well as on their own website, www.thenight.movie. 

His story is a great tribute to someone who consistently followed their passion and believed in themselves and was able to put himself in a position to make his dreams come true. As a recent graduate, he serves as a great example of someone who utilized the University’s resources to learn and grow creatively and intellectually. The various outlets designed by the school can be amazing resources and tools to push students beyond their comfort zone and show them the importance of their creativity. Ultimately, his work has been noticed for its quality for years and many will be watching to see what is next.