Sam Green, Documentary Filmmaker, Academy-Award Nominated The Weather Underground

John Knoll, Academy-Award Winning Visual Effects Specialist, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Abyss and Star Wars Prequels, Industrial Light & Magic

Dav Rauch, Special Effects Supervisor, Compositor, The Orphanage, Grindhouse, Sin City and Aeon Flux

David Munro, Independent filmmaker, First Love, Second Planet; 2007 Undiscovered Gems winner, Full Grown Men; Co-founder, Grottofilms

Susan Gerhard, Journalist, Culture Critic, San Francisco Bureau Chief, indieWIRE - Moderator

Film in SF


San Francisco is the new Hollywood, for reel. In the last 30 years, movie makers have escaped LA to tap the Bay Area’s technological spring. This was a natural flow, as digital media and laptop prowess are now necessary in the industry. Filmerati followed this trend: we are now home to such industry powerhouses as Pixar, ILM, The Orphanage, Inc., Sam Green, Philip Kaufman, Michael Ritchie, and a few of those Coppolas. This creative surge has put our city on the map for Oscar worthy special effects and sound design. What have this migration and the digital shift in cinema done to shape the future of film? And how are the Bay Area and its leading ladies and men directing the trends? Whether you’re a cinephile or just curious to meet the red carpet character in your own backyard – you’ll want tickets to this blockbuster event.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience on June 11, 2008