Mission Mission

On April 26th over a hundred local filmmakers took their cameras to the streets to document life in San Francisco over a 24 hour period. It was part of a new doc series from the people who made the feature length documentary One Day on Earth. One Day in SF was produced by local filmmaker Winnie Wong, and on the same day filmmakers in ten other cities around the US were participating simultaneously. I was out there with the BAYCAT crew, interviewing people in front of the Roxie and at The Secret Alley. The One Day on Earth team is putting all the pieces together for a 3-part documentary series that we’ll be hearing more about later in the year. You can see the locations of everyone’s videos and watch them on the interactive map, and I’ve included some selections below, mostly Mission-based.

Riding along with an ambulance for the night. Great night shots, and nice profiles of the EMTs:

Kind of has a perfect opening line:

(more…)

And the techies complained for years.

New promo from the newest ape planet movie.

With Looking, Betas and Real World: Ex-plosion now available for your viewing enjoyment, the current SF production boom continues with Diary of a Teenage Girl, now filming around town. SFist has more on it here.

Day one of The Diary of a Teenage Girl ends at sunset in San Francisco. Couldn't be better. pic.twitter.com/UZvPmHnDe4

— Jorma Taccone (@jormataccone) January 21, 2014

Interested in a walk-on? Or at least being a blurry body in the background? Here’s the call for extras:

Do you know anyone interested in being a Background extra in SF on the film ‘Diary of a Teenage Girl’?
Please put them in touch using the info below!
We especially need men with longer/shaggy hair that fits the 1970′s period – call your hippy friends!

Please have all interested email the information below to the following email:
Diary.Casting.2@GMAIL.COM

1) Name, phone & email address
2) Are you over 18 y/o ?
3) Please attach a current photo. Candid or simple cell phone ” seflie” is fine.

All you need is hippy hair and a selfie!

Scenes from set- Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. #film #sf #set #sanfrancisco pic.twitter.com/rR91bvyoWZ

— SF Film Commission (@Film_SF) July 28, 2013

Our “Apes”. #film #sf #sanfrancisco #PlanetOfTheApes pic.twitter.com/le4O8vpZSN

— SF Film Commission (@Film_SF) July 28, 2013

Great shot! RT @AlexSavidge: North Beach looks like a disaster. Luckily it’s Hollywood magic, filming scenes pic.twitter.com/3x41d9NI4y”

— SF Film Commission (@Film_SF) July 28, 2013

Meanwhile, the reviews are coming in for Blue Jasmine.

Stephen Elliott is raising money via Kickstarter to make a feature length film of his novel, Happy Baby. Tonight he launches the campaign at 6pm at The Makeout Room (3225 22nd Street) with all kinds of rad entertainment:

Music by Jill Sobule

Comedy by Caitlin Gill

Yo Yo mastery by Doc Pop

Readings by Bucky Sinister and Lorelei Lee

A brief talk by Josh Bearman about how his Wired magazine article became the movie Argo

And a screening of Mr. Gracie, a five minute movie based on Happy Baby

Hosted by Stephen Elliott

Happy Baby is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen Elliott, edited by Dave Eggers and originally published by McSweeney’s.

To purchase advance tickets just make a $20, or more, donation to the Happy Baby Kickstarter campaign.

 

Our buddy, local filmmaker Sean Gillane recently completed his first feature film, shot mostly in the Mission (in apartments, Lone Palm, Dolores Park, etc.). CXL premieres Saturday 11/11 at 8:30pm at Cinema by the Bay.

Support local film!

This poignant and darkly comedic debut feature from Sean Gillane focuses on Nolan, an aspiring writer who feels stuck. He is frustrated with his career, his relationships, the world and ultimately with himself. Unable to keep from displaying his considerable disdain, he focuses on everything wrong in his life as he treads the same dissatisfying paths. When he meets the stunning and unpredictable Cassie, she invites him to let down his guard and enjoy the world around him. Nolan slowly gives in to Cassie’s exuberance, but just as he begins to change his perspective, circumstances conspire to throw his already fragile psyche into turmoil. Turning even more deeply inward, Nolan attempts escape, but must ultimately face his life as he has made it.

Tomorrow night at The Women’s Building, our blog-neighbor, Mission Local, is presenting their first ever film festival. All of the short pieces are either about the Mission or made by people who live in the neighborhood.

Sounds like some interesting stuff:

A silent dance film, a story about a romantic puppet who gets dumped by his human girlfriend, a profile of a Mission DJ who works at one of SF’s independent radio stations, a look at the conflict between the Mission’s gangs and much more. After the screening, there will be a Q&A with the filmmakers.

Check it out! Support local film so that us local filmmakers don’t have to move to LA!

Saturday, 4/28 at 7pm at The Women’s Building, 3543 18th Street, $5 suggested donation.

Link.

Local filmmaker Garry Bowden‘s new short film “Saturn Rising” premieres tonight at The Roxie. Along with the short there will be poetry readings, an art show and a live performance by Wild Child, whose music is in the movie.

Show starts at 7:30pm, $10 tickets.

Check out the trailer:

FUTURESTATES is an ITVS (Independent Television Service) project which asks filmmakers from around the country to make a short film projecting a possible future for their city. For the first season I produced Tanuj Chopra’s PIA, which looked at the personal issues of San Francisco’s android population. The second season is now rolling out and I was lucky enough to be a producer on Remigration, a vision of the future for San Francisco’s working class, by local filmmaker Barry Jenkins’ (Medicine for Melancholy).

Tonight at Public Works (161 Erie Street, near Mission) ITVS holds their launch party for the new series. Two of the shorts will be screened, and series manager Karim Ahmad will lead a Q&A with writer/director Jenkins. The event is free, but you have to RSVP here.

Check out the Remigration trailer below, and you can also see the full (20 minute) movie here!