“Being in the ocean is like breathing,” Sachi Cunningham said. “If I’m not in the ocean for a period of time, I feel like I’m not me. It basically allows me to be who I am, which is an ocean lover.”
Chilean-born filmmaker Andrés Gallegos chose San Francisco in 2014 to continue his education, earning an Master of Fine Arts in cinema at San Francisco State University. He had visited prestigious film schools in New York and Los Angeles, but said the Bay Area felt like home.
December in the Richmond District is a month of holiday celebration, shopping and local film screenings. The Balboa Theater has hosted the independent film festival, Another Hole in the Head, for 22 years. The festival ran throughout the month of December at the theater.
Steve Peletz, 65, underplays his high-risk activities. He has been scuba diving for more than 40 years. He joins marine biologists on expeditions in remote, exotic waters off the coast of Costa Rica, Columbia, Mexico and the Galápagos Islands. As a volunteer “citizen scientist,” his task is usually to tag different types of sharks so they can be tracked.
“It’s got a science and marine conservation story that’s a clear arc. But I also think you need a human story to make it interesting,” Peletz said. “The angle would be the dedication of this small group of marine biologists. It’s a hero’s journey.”
Prolific, award-winning independent film producer Marc Smolowitz has more than 60 credits in his three-decade career. He has raised at least $30 million for projects in every genre. At any given time, he is the driving force behind 10 films in various stages of production, including at this very moment.
Kristen Tièche walks into Le Café du Soleil, a French bistro in the Lower Haight, clutching her dog, Zizou. She rode her bike from her Inner Richmond home. It is mid-afternoon. As she places a glass of white wine, accompanied by a glass of water, at a window table, she mentions that her day is tighter than she realized, having already spent time at a volunteer garden, followed by a shower.
New York City resident Woofter, 47, who looks closer to 30, grew up in San Leandro and spent a lot of time in San Francisco, while his now-retired father, Tom Woofter, worked as an attorney in the Financial District. His brother, Matthew Hirotsu Woofter, lived in the Outer Sunset in his 20s and the siblings hung out together a lot, going to nightclubs and sporting events.
“Outerlands” is the perfect title for the indie drama written and directed by former San Francisco resident Elena Oxman. The word can mean several things – literally and thematically – in the context of a film about how people cope, connect, escape and heal.
… most of the scenes are shot at locations that have been referred to as the “Outerlands” of the City, specifically the Outer Richmond and Outer Sunset neighborhoods.
For nearly six years, her passion project has been a full-length documentary titled, “The Invisible Mammal,” which she wrote, directed and co-produced. It is finally getting its world premiere on May 3, at the Smith Rafael Film Center, during the annual DocLands Documentary Film Festival (April 30-May 4).
The latest short film from San Francisco State University student and Sunset District resident Sam Goldberg premiers at the Balboa Theatre as part of Another Hole In The Head Film Festival’s Strictly Local lineup on Dec. 7. Fellow students Lee Ivy Voisin and Julia Li helped produce the film in conjunction with the school’s professional cinematic society, Delta Kappa Alpha.
Seeing millions of bats flying around at sunset might make a lot of people run away in horror. In contrast, Richmond District native Kristin Tièche draws inspiration from the spectacle of nature to continue working on her film about the flying mammals.
San Francisco movie-goers lined Clement Street on July 14, waiting their turn to file into the 4 Star Theater. While CinemaSF’s newest theater often has movie festivals, the tone of this one felt a bit different. Shelley Duvall, “one of the greatest actresses of all time,” according to the 4 Star’s website, passed away on July 11.
Jessie Fairbanks, director of programming for SFFILM, swiftly entered the Laureate Bar and Lounge at the Laurel Inn on opening night of the mini-festival, Doc Stories (Nov. 2-5), wearing a modern and professional outfit (black jeans, black crew-neck sweater over an orange blouse with an exaggerated Peter Pan collar and low-heeled black slides).
