I just attended the World Premiere of Fog City Mavericks at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco, last night, April 29, 2007. The documentary was a Spotlight Film of the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival. Most of those featured film makers from the movie were present in the audience and participated in a Q&A following the screening. It was an amazing experience and excellent film. Directed by Gary Leva, who previously directed A Legacy of Filmmakers: The Early Years of American Zoetrope premiered at Telluride and is part of several film school curriculum, directed, wrote, edited and produced this new film. The movie is a history of film in the San Francsico Bay Area, as early as 1850 with Eadweard Muybridge, followed by Charlie Chaplin, the Essanay Company and Bronco Billy. The amazing last 40 years were chronicled with appearances and interviews by George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Saul Zaentz, Philip Kaufman, Chris Columbus, Clint Eastwood, Walter Murch,John Lasseter, Carroll Ballard, John Korty, Sofia Coppola, Brad Bird, Robin Williams, Peter Coyote (the narrator)Steve Jobs, among others. The key films from their bodies of work were included in Fog City Mavericks. These lions that refused to submit to the Hollywood machine in the late 60's struck out on their own to create an environment where the film school experience could continue without the worry of box office, budgets nor their creative endeavors being spliced and diced by studio editors. Their groundbreaking achievements were chronicled in this excellent documentary. Don't miss it. Jana Hardy
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