Prior to the 2003 Election
Mayoral Candidates Meet with Film Community

Notes by Mari Eliza

SAN FRANCISCO CA. - The Bay Area Film Alliance invited the city’s mayoral candidates to a forum to address the issues of reviving the local film industry and re-establishing San Francisco as a film-friendly location. Peter Coyote moderated, taking questions from the audience.

All the candidates agree on some things where the film industry is concerned.

• San Francisco needs to be competitive with other cities.

• Something must be done to mend relations with the film industry and a major first step is to reorganize the SF Film Commission by staffing it with film production professionals, as opposed political appointees.

• San Francisco and its citizens can’t be too greedy and too demanding.

• They must be accommodating and reasonable if they want the industry to return.

• Local location managers should mediate between out-of-town film crews and neighborhoods. Neighborhoods leaders need to be included in negotiations.

• The outrageously high fees and surcharges to film companies need to be revoked, or at least lowered considerably before anyone will consider doing business in San Francisco again.

• Bureaucracy is to blame for a lot of inefficiencies. Processes need to be streamlined.

• The Police fees are out of hand, considering other cities provide free security services to film companies.

• The city should look into the possibility of creating a turn-key sound studio, possibly by improving the Treasure Island facility.

• All realize there is little that can be done to remedy the 1989 tax reform act, which ended deductions for investors in films. making overseas productions more attractive.

• Films about San Francisco are good PR vehicles, add to the city’s tourist appeal, and can have a counter effect on bad publicity.

• Consider investing in more public/private ventures (Leal)

• Spend less money on consultants, more on professionals in all areas of government.

• Consider hiring a publicist to get the word out when SF has returned to a film friendly location.

• Consider negotiating deals with the out-of-town producers that use in-town talent, especially location managers know “know” San Francisco.

• Expansion of the San Francisco Film Festival to include more of the local filmmakers and films.
  
  

Tom Ammiano doesn’t answer all the questions directly. When asked about protecting local jobs with outside producers, he admits he doesn’t know much about the film production business, but, he likes to negotiate and feels he will be a good mediator between the locals and the out-of town interests. He suggests providing for more money to educate film professionals and is shocked to hear that some film editors are working for $10/hr.

Gavin Newsom feels San Francisco needs to go back to where we came from. San Francisco can’t charge for the ‘privilege’ of shooting here. We need to reduce risks and uncertainties by setting up a system that benefits everyone – the city, film producers, local film community, and the neighborhoods. He would look for professionalism and passion in his appointees, and streamline processes, and consider hiring a publicist and lobbying investors.

Angela Alioto has extensive experience in the film industry, having worked on productions in Italy for a number of years. She created the SF Film Commission during her time as supervisor, and promises to re-establish a film-friendly commission, streamline processes and use the SF Film Festival to promote more local films and filmmakers. Small businesses in San Francisco need all the help they can get, but, Angela says her first priorities are programs for children, the homeless, and health issues. She intends to free up some funds by eliminating the $110k plus salaries at city hall. Her recent successes on anti-discrimination suits against large corporations have netted big awards and favorable decisions for independent contractors.

Susan Leal has been investing San Francisco’s money as our Treasurer, doing rather well in these lean economic times. She advocates putting every city department on a performance-based budget. She wants to make it easy for everyone to do business in San Francisco, eliminate favoritism to big contractors. She wants to consider promoting the local film industry through public/private partnerships, would like to expand the SF Film Festival, and consider setting up a revolving credit account for film companies and producers of local films and TV productions. She wants to keep more ad agency billings in San Francisco.

The Other Four were interviewed simultaneously, with apologies from Peter Coyote.
All were in favor of streamlining systems and making San Francisco more film-friendly.
The Former Police Chief, Anthony Ribera, oversaw some big films during his time on the force he wants to see San Francisco return to a neighborhood-oriented, business-friendly city. He would like to see industry partner with the schools.
Michael Denny and Roger Schulke wans to de-regulate and get the government out of the way of business people so they can do business. They want a business-friendly environment.
Jim Reid wants to build economic housing on the land around Hunter’s Point Shipyard. He campaigns by riding the muni all day long, meeting and greeting people.

According to Coyote, the California Arts Council did a study, which found that every dollar spent rolled over sixfold in the community, reason enough for the city to invest in bringing Films back to San Francisco.