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Finding Your Center at Ninth Street
by Ismael Castillo and Ian Elsasser
The Ninth Street Film Center. photo: courtesy Ninth StDowntown San Francisco is changing drastically in large part due to tech companies and arts organizations flooding in. Twitter will soon open its HQ on Market and 9th Street and the American Conservatory Theater just announced its acquisition of the Strand, a decrepit legacy movie-house on Market between 6th and 7th.
Although this means the loss of yet another cinema space, the Strand will be renovated as a live performance venue and local film remains well represented at 9th and Mission, where the Ninth Street Independent Film Center has been operating for the last decade.
"Ninth Street is coming in a phase of rejuvenation and capitalization," notes the Center's Executive Director Skye Christensen. "We have grown from a capital campaign into a multifaceted media arts facility. Now we must address strategies for remaining a strong and stable force, despite economic hurdles. One of the ways that we will do that is by focusing on long term funding for building reserves and extending that shared stability to our partnering organizations."
Enter the Center (known to many simply as “Ninth Street”) and you’ll find a state-of-the-art screening room replete with Dolby Surround Sound, an HD Digital projector and 80 adjustable seats. On any given day, an independent filmmaker might be hosting a work-in-progress screening, the filmmaker group Rough Cuts is doing a screening or one of the film festivals in the building is reviewing submissions. Outside the Screening Room, filmmakers and festival staffers scuttle between offices on the second and third floors.
Acting teacher and casting director Hester Schell does a book signing and acting demo, one of the many diverse events the Ninth Street Center hosts monthly. photo: D. BlairIndeed, the Bay Area media arts scene is thriving in Ninth Street, home to some of the largest and longest-running film festivals in San Francisco: the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival and Frameline (the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival). Indeed, Ninth Street is a place for these organizations to share and collaborate.
One sad note, Ninth Street recently lost Canyon Cinema, distributer of San Francisco's famous art filmmakers, who blossomed here in the 1960s, which had to leave for financial reasons, but they continue to partner with Ninth Street for exhibitions (see More on Canyon)
Although Ninth Street also lost its partner Film Arts Foundation two years ago, it has been cultivating programs that provide similar opportunities for media arts professionals and young people like filmmaker exhibitions, youth film productions, the youth education program TILT, and start-up media arts projects through the Media Arts Incubator program.
A green screen shoot by a TILT, their youth film organization, at Ninth Street. photo: courtesy Ninth StThe Media Arts Incubator, the newest Ninth Street project, enables filmmakers and bourgeoning media arts groups to use the workspaces and resources of Ninth Street to get their messages out. The goal of the program is for Ninth Street to nurture these up-and-coming, groundbreaking media projects and gives the incubators an opportunity to further share their work with the independent film and media community.
With five slots available each year, Ninth Street holds a competitive screening process each summer. Currently, three of the five incubator participants include media arts exhibition projects: the San Francisco Green Film Festival, now in it’s second year showcasing the latest film and media about living sustainably on the planet; San Francisco's Women Film Festival, supporting, promoting and celebrating films created by women; and Art With Impact, that emphasizes the emotional power of films through increased citizen engagement.
When asked why these groups have joined the Media Arts Incubator program, Cary McQueen Morrow, head of Art With Impact, explained they wanted the opportunity to interact with others working in the nonprofit media space and use the screening room.
"Projects that are just starting up take over your life no matter what," continued McQueen Morrow. "But I find that having a place to go outside of my home allows me to create a separation between work and personal life that is extremely important to my mental health."
Two current projects in the Incubator Program include Lise Swenson's narrative feature film "Saltwater" and J.R. Flemming's "Guarding Dogs" documentary. Each filmmaker is at a different stage of production but both are highly motivated to finish their films at Ninth Street.
"Having a specific place that we all go to, where our primary meetings and resources are housed, gives us sense of belonging and legitimacy… which keeps moral high for this very labor intensive and high risk project (can we actually finish the film?)" rejoiced Swenson, "Beyond that, being smack dab in the middle of one of the most vibrant community of filmmakers and film festivals in the nation is worth its weight in networking gold."
Also a video/photo artist, Skye Christensen, did a self-portrait on a recent rainy night on her iPhone. photo: S. ChristensenWhether just visiting for an intimate night of independent film or enrolling in a yearlong residency, Ninth Street Independent Film Center invites the media arts community to maximize the space as a resource for all.
“We don’t want to just be a center for film," summarizes Executive Director Christensen. "We want to be a place for people involved in film – specifically, a center that supports artistic creative activity and actively encourages audience engagement through media arts.” Given the recent programs being offered, Ninth Street is poised to do just that.
Posted on Mar 14, 2012 - 08:12 PM
by Ismael Castillo and Ian Elsasser
The Ninth Street Film Center. photo: courtesy Ninth StAlthough this means the loss of yet another cinema space, the Strand will be renovated as a live performance venue and local film remains well represented at 9th and Mission, where the Ninth Street Independent Film Center has been operating for the last decade.
"Ninth Street is coming in a phase of rejuvenation and capitalization," notes the Center's Executive Director Skye Christensen. "We have grown from a capital campaign into a multifaceted media arts facility. Now we must address strategies for remaining a strong and stable force, despite economic hurdles. One of the ways that we will do that is by focusing on long term funding for building reserves and extending that shared stability to our partnering organizations."
Enter the Center (known to many simply as “Ninth Street”) and you’ll find a state-of-the-art screening room replete with Dolby Surround Sound, an HD Digital projector and 80 adjustable seats. On any given day, an independent filmmaker might be hosting a work-in-progress screening, the filmmaker group Rough Cuts is doing a screening or one of the film festivals in the building is reviewing submissions. Outside the Screening Room, filmmakers and festival staffers scuttle between offices on the second and third floors.
Acting teacher and casting director Hester Schell does a book signing and acting demo, one of the many diverse events the Ninth Street Center hosts monthly. photo: D. BlairOne sad note, Ninth Street recently lost Canyon Cinema, distributer of San Francisco's famous art filmmakers, who blossomed here in the 1960s, which had to leave for financial reasons, but they continue to partner with Ninth Street for exhibitions (see More on Canyon)
Although Ninth Street also lost its partner Film Arts Foundation two years ago, it has been cultivating programs that provide similar opportunities for media arts professionals and young people like filmmaker exhibitions, youth film productions, the youth education program TILT, and start-up media arts projects through the Media Arts Incubator program.
A green screen shoot by a TILT, their youth film organization, at Ninth Street. photo: courtesy Ninth StWith five slots available each year, Ninth Street holds a competitive screening process each summer. Currently, three of the five incubator participants include media arts exhibition projects: the San Francisco Green Film Festival, now in it’s second year showcasing the latest film and media about living sustainably on the planet; San Francisco's Women Film Festival, supporting, promoting and celebrating films created by women; and Art With Impact, that emphasizes the emotional power of films through increased citizen engagement.
When asked why these groups have joined the Media Arts Incubator program, Cary McQueen Morrow, head of Art With Impact, explained they wanted the opportunity to interact with others working in the nonprofit media space and use the screening room.
"Projects that are just starting up take over your life no matter what," continued McQueen Morrow. "But I find that having a place to go outside of my home allows me to create a separation between work and personal life that is extremely important to my mental health."
Two current projects in the Incubator Program include Lise Swenson's narrative feature film "Saltwater" and J.R. Flemming's "Guarding Dogs" documentary. Each filmmaker is at a different stage of production but both are highly motivated to finish their films at Ninth Street.
"Having a specific place that we all go to, where our primary meetings and resources are housed, gives us sense of belonging and legitimacy… which keeps moral high for this very labor intensive and high risk project (can we actually finish the film?)" rejoiced Swenson, "Beyond that, being smack dab in the middle of one of the most vibrant community of filmmakers and film festivals in the nation is worth its weight in networking gold."
Also a video/photo artist, Skye Christensen, did a self-portrait on a recent rainy night on her iPhone. photo: S. Christensen“We don’t want to just be a center for film," summarizes Executive Director Christensen. "We want to be a place for people involved in film – specifically, a center that supports artistic creative activity and actively encourages audience engagement through media arts.” Given the recent programs being offered, Ninth Street is poised to do just that.
Posted on Mar 14, 2012 - 08:12 PM
