California Portraits: FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK Returns to Sacramento

California Humanities co-presents a screening of FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK with the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento on November 21 as part of the California Portraits series. Director Bobbi Jo Hart and Fanny band members Jean Millington and Brie Darling will be in attendance for an audience Q&A after the screening. Purchase tickets to this special event

Part road trip, part inquiry, part political, social, and cultural mirror, the film from director Bobbi Jo Hart reveals the untold story of the California band Fanny, the first female band to release an LP with a major record label (Warner Music/1970). Founded in Sacramento by Filipina sisters June & Jean Millington and adored by David Bowie, the groundbreaking impact of these women of color has been lost in the mists of time… until now.  

In advance of this home-town screening of FANNY, Director of Media & Journalism Programs John Lightfoot spoke with filmmaker and California Documentary Project grantee Bobbi Jo Hart about bringing Fanny’s story to audiences throughout California and beyond. 

Congratulations on all the success you’ve had with FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK. What have been some of the highlights for you and the band since the film premiered?

I would have to say that that biggest highlight for me since the film was released is how much the bandmates have been embraced by the public who have been so inspired by their stories of resilience, creativity and strength—be it as musicians, immigrants, women, mothers or members of the LBGTQ community. There have been so many in-person film screenings I’ve been able to attend with bandmates, and some they attended without me, often performing live after the film as well. 

It is also a thrill to experience the intergenerational connections that have also taken place at various screenings, where young women from local communities would either perform after the film with Fanny, do covers of Fanny songs or even participate in a master class with some of the bandmates. I introduced Ruby Ibarra to Fanny bandmates through the making of this film which eventually led to several musical collaborations, including Ruby’s live performance with Fanny drummer/vocalist Brie Darling after a screening and Fanny lead guitarist June Millington performing on a new album and music video just released by Ruby. I hope these kinds of collaborations continue for many years to come with Fanny bandmates and young women looking for incredible mentors to inspire their own paths. Fanny bandmates may be in their 70s now, but they are forever young at heart and game for new, inspiring collaborations!

Fanny has toured internationally, but they got their start here in California. Can you describe their California roots and connection to Sacramento and how this is something of a hometown show?

Absolutely! Three Fanny bandmates—Jean, June and Brie—are Filipina American and grew up for a large chunk of their childhood in and around the Sacramento area. Jean and June immigrated with their family as pre-teens from the Philippines and self-formed a teenage band in the 1960s with other young women called The Svelts, which Brie joined as well. Their Filipina cultural identity connected them deeply as did their passion for music and performance. Jean and June’s father refurbished a bus that the band used to travel to so many places for live performances—not only in Northern California but across the state and outside its borders as well! This is definitely a hometown show and I hope that some students from Jean and June’s alma mater—McClatchy High School—are able to attend! Fanny bassist Jean still lives in Sacramento with her family as well! 

Here at California Humanities, we love a good rock ‘n roll documentary. But whether it’s FANNY, CHICANO ROCK; THE SOUNDS OF EAST LA, or EVERYDAY SUNSHINE: THE STORY FISHBONE, it’s never just about rock ‘n roll. In addition to being a portrait of a pioneering band, you describe the film as “part road trip, part inquiry, part political, social and cultural mirror.” What are some of the bigger social and cultural themes or insights that you hope audiences will take away from FANNY?

Rock ‘n roll is a portal of entry to take us into a fascinating world of kick ass women who blazed an incredible trail for generations of young women who followed in their footsteps—as self-taught musicians who wrote their own songs, played their own instruments, but also as women breaking yet another glass ceiling in a male-dominated musical genre. And equally important is the fact that back in the 60s and 70s when they were performing, the fascinating identities of bandmates who were lesbian and/or Filipina was hidden or ignored. I mean how can you truly connect deeply with role models if their identity is diluted to being simply an “all girl band”? It is a travesty that I wanted to try and rectify—to see Fanny bandmates performing today in front of audiences being celebrated as their full, authentic selves. I hope that audiences continue to take away and be inspired by how groundbreaking these women were and are, while embracing a deeper understanding of their complex human layers that beg each and every one of us to challenge our own perceptions of a women’s place in society—as there should be no limits and women should have the freedom and support everywhere to pursue their full potential! 

 Finally, any updates on the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame?

Fanny is still yet to be recognized by the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, but I know that the band is definitely on their radar, so crossing fingers that they are nominated in 2025!

 Anything else you’d like to add?

I would just like to thank Fanny bandmates for trusting me with their story. It takes a lot of courage to open your lives to a filmmaker and I am honored to have been able to tell part of their incredible story through this film, which continues to screen in the USA, Canada, UK and around the world. I am also grateful to California Humanities and Crocker Art Museum for making this special “homecoming” event possible!