Christopher (Chris) Castro is the Preservation Lab Manager at BAVC Media. He preserves cultural memory by traversing the world of VTRs and deteriorating videotapes in order to create the highest quality transfers.
Chris is originally from the East Bay. Prior to joining BAVC Media in December 2023, he oversaw the digitization, access, and preservation of audiovisual media at a community archive. He also worked in Collection Services at the UCLA Film & Television Archive while he earned his MLIS, specializing in Media Archival Studies.
He holds a certificate in Film Preservation and Restoration from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and FIAF, and was the 2021 recipient of the Society of American Archivists’ Mosaic Scholarship.
Chris enjoys film photography and collecting vinyl, especially R&B, hip-hop, disco, soul, and funk (shoutout to his fave shop: The Stacks). Nerd out with him about: (Bay Area) Broadcast History, Philippine Cinema, or songs produced by The Neptunes.
