Lights, Camera, Action! The 2011 Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema Festival Begins

August 30, 2011August 30, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

In Park City, they have Sundance. In Colorado, there’s Telluride. And here in San Francisco’s finest rustic mountain village, we have our own celebration of homegrown cinema: The Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema Festival.

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema offers free screenings of Bernal Heights and local filmmakers’ works in neighborhood parks and open spaces to increase the exposure and recognition of local artists, to heighten appreciation by neighborhood and citywide residents and to bring community together for the enjoyment of our parks and neighborhood resources.

There are a few differences, of course. Those other festivals show their films in, you know, theaters. We show ours outside. They are overrun with paparazzi and creepy Hollywood types; Our festival is dog-friendly and BYOB. Sundance takes place in January, and Teluride kicks off early September. And wouldn’t you know it… Bernalwood’s festival happens in early September too. Which means it’s that time of year, right now.

So pack a blanket, don your most cutting-edge polar fleece, and get ready to enjoy our very own glamorously unglamorous film event. The festival kicks off with a star-studded opening night gala tomorrow night, Aug. 31, at the world-famous New Old Clam House on Bayshore, before moving on to other sites around the neighborhood on subsequent cinema-packed evenings.

Heeeeeeere’s you complete 2011 Bernal Heights Outdoor Film Festival schedule:

Wednesday, August 31 – Sunday, September 4

5 FREE Nights / 5 Bernal Sites

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Download the 2011 Film Lineup

Wednesday 8/31 — 6:30–9:30 pm
Opening Night at The Old Clam House
299 Bayshore Boulevard
Reception, Films & Music
Benefit for Bernal History Project. Suggested donation at the door of $15 includes two (2) drink tickets

6:30–7:30 pm Music & Reception
Mister Odom and the Odom Poles
7:30–8:00 pm Awards Presentation
8:00–9:00 pm Film Screening

_____________________________________

Thursday 9/1 — 6:30–9:30 pm
Block Party on Tiffany Avenue
between 29th & Duncan Streets
in partnership with Mobile Arts Platform
Outdoor Films, Music & Fun

6:30–7:30 pm Live Music & Activities
The Patsy Chords
Make Your Own Film
Plant a Seed
7:30–9:30 pm Film Screening

_____________________________________

Friday 9/2 — 5:00–10:00 pm
Film Crawl on Cortland Avenue
between Bennington & Anderson Streets
Music, Lounge, Films & After Party

6:00–8:00 pm Red Hill Books —Headquarters & Lounge
401 Cortland
Michael Groh and Ted Savarese
7:00, 8:00 & 9:00 pm Film Screenings
Simultaneous presentations at 7 sites. Screening times at some sites are limited. Check the venue film listing for times.

– Progressive Grounds — 400 Cortland
– Four Star Video — 402 Cortland
– Kingmond Young Studio — 416 Cortland
– Bernal Yoga — 461 Cortland
– Bernal Branch Library — 500 Cortland
– Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center —
515 Cortland
– Inclusions Gallery — 627 Cortland

– After Party at The Lucky Horseshoe —
453 Cortland (21 years and over venue)

_____________________________________

Saturday 9/3 — 6:30–9:30 pm
Under the Stars at Precita Park
Folsom Street at Precita Avenue
Meet-the-Fillmmakers, Music & Films

6:30–7:30 pm Live Music & Reception
Classic Rain featuring Karen Huggins
7:30–9:30 pm Film Screening

_____________________________________

Sunday 9/4 — 6:30–9:30 pm
Closing Night at El Rio
3158 Mission Street — 21 years and over venue
Meet-the-Fillmmakers & Films
Suggested donation at the door of $10 includes
two (2) food tickets
No-host bar; No cover

6:30–7:30 pm Filmmakers Reception
7:30–9:30 pm Film Screening

_____________________________________

Free admission. Seating at all screenings is on a first-come, first-served basis. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and low-back beach chairs for outdoor venues. Each site is easily accessible to neighbors and citywide residents on foot or directly by BART 24th Street and SF Muni bus lines #12, #14, #24, #49 and #67.

PHOTOS: From top, slowpoke_taiwan, Guillaume Lebleu, and Telstar Logistics

This Glorious Bernal Hill Photo Made My Jaw Drop

August 29, 2011August 29, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 8 Comments

I really can’t tell you how much I love love love this photo taken by Enzo Christopher Njoo and submitted to the Daily Secret. Over on Facebook, a viewer named Melinda cracked the code on the photograph’s subtle-but-clever color-coding:

Love the color contrasts…. red for the living , green for the one that sustains that life, and gray for the inanimate objects.

Click it to enlarge, then join me in a round of “Ooooooh! Aaaaaaaahhh!”

PHOTO: Enzo Christopher Njoo

No, THIS is Bernal Heights at Its Most Bernal Heightsiest

August 29, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 20 Comments

Once upon a time not all that long ago, SFist described this photo as being “Bernal Heights at It’s Most Heightsiest.” Their pick was good, but something about it felt a little too cliche and formulaic to me.

Instead, I’d nominate the photo above, which I snapped last weekend on Cortland… I think it captures something essential about the Bernal Heights condition, circa 2011.

Discuss.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

You Have Another Month to Taste the Bernal Supper Club

August 26, 2011August 26, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 12 Comments

Last week, I finally made it to the Bernal Supper Club, that Monday night pop-up restaurant created by a close-knit group of Bernal Heights foodies.

It was delicious. I started with the roasted beet salad, served with ricotta stuffed blossoms, basil puree, and pine nuts:

For my main, I chose the duck leg with wild rice, pickled cherries, and fennel salad. Also great:

No less great were the big smiles on the faces of chefs Tony Ferrari, Jonathan Sutton, and Miles Carnahan. “I spend all week looking forward to Monday!” Ferrari said when I grabbed him for a moment to say hello. The restaurant had a healthy crowd, and the gents were clearly having a blast in the kitchen. Their enthusiasm was palpable.

Indeed, they’re having so much fun, they’ve decided to extend the Bernal Supper Club for another month. So every Monday evening from now through the end of September, you can dine BSC-style in their pop-up home in The Corner, on Mission Street at 18th.

And after that? With a little luck, they could end up in a restaurant spot back home in Bernal Heights. They’ve already started looking…

PHOTOS: Courtesy of Bernal Supper Club (because my pics really sucked)

Interactive Map Enables Bernal Heights Time Travel

August 26, 2011August 25, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

Get ready to spend the next few minutes immersed in blissfully satisfying distraction. There’s a new website called OldSF that combines interactive maps with geolocated historical photographs to create an easy-to-navigate history tour of San Francisco. Co-creator Dan Vanderkam explains:

Several years ago, I searched for my cross-streets on the Library’s San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection […]. The image was mislabeled — the intersection in the foreground is actually Waller and Fillmore, not Waller and Webster. Which meant that this photo from 1945 was taken from my roof!

I put together a now-and-then shot, but it always bothered me that the mislabeling of the image was so crucial to my finding it. This led to the idea of putting the images on a map.

And now, years later, we have that map!

It’s awesome. It’s geeky. It’s deep. And it’s got Bernal Heights covered. Kiss your productivity goodbye.

Bernalwood Editor Writes Article for Some Newspaper in New York; Encourages You to Report for Bernalwood

August 25, 2011August 25, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 9 Comments

I have an article in today’s New York Times about iPhone photography as an emerging art form. The article focuses on Mission-dweller Doctor Popular, who has established himself as an innovator in the medium.

ALSO, this is probably a good time to remind all our readers that if you have an iPhone, Android, or Blackberry smartphone, you have all the tools you need to become an ace reporter for Bernalwood. As my article demonstrates, that device in your pocket is a powerful photography insutrment, so please use it whenever you see *anything* fun, interesting, or important in the neighborhood. Capture the moment, then send it to us at the address shown on your screen: bernalwood *at* gmail *dot* com.

Reader Amy did it when she found that spooky pentagram on Bernal Hill. Another Tipster did it when he photographed that loose-screw guy defacing the mural at Emmy’s. And Reader X did it when he snapped that succulent thief making off with the goods.

You can do it too. And if you feel like making your photos a little more artsy-fartsy, my article may help. But if not, that’s fine too. Just send us your photos with a brief description of whatever you see, please!

Our email address again:

PHOTO: Top, iPhone photo by Telstar Logistics (aka Todd Lappin)

Sunflower, Fog, and Bernal Hill

August 25, 2011August 23, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Check this beautiful photo captured by Ed Brownson on August 12 and submitted to us via the Bernalwood Flickr group. Ed sez:

Taken on Potrero Hill. Bernal Heights is under the thick layer of fog in the background to the left. Cellphone pic, with a bit of help from Photoshop (not too much!).

Indeed. Juuuust riiiiight.

PHOTO: Ed Brownson

Home Again: Bernal Hill From a Caltrain Window

August 25, 2011August 22, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

I recently started commuting down to Palo Alto. I usually take Caltrain, and at the end of the day, on the way back to San Francisco, I get a sweet little view of our cozy little hill just before the train rolls into the station.

Even when Bernal is shrouded in fog, it always feels great to know I’m back home.

PHOTO: Telstar Logistics

Something Haunting, Something Pink, on Precita

August 24, 2011August 24, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

There’s something very haunting and very, uh, PINK about this untitled photo captured recently by Giggie Larue:

This is another Precita Ave. shot, across from the park. (The end of the vanishing point here is the “Harvest Hills” market.) There simply was no one around. I looked up at every doorway, across the street… and I didn’t see a soul.

PHOTO giggie larue

Bernal’s Battle-Scarred Race Car Returns Home for Repairs

August 24, 2011August 23, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Last weekend I took part in an unusual rescue mission. Our task: Recover a race car used by the Bernal Dads Racing Team from the suburban jungles of Davis, California, and haul it back to Bernalwood so it can be prepped for a 24 Hours of LeMons race coming up in late October.

The car itself is a battle-scarred Volvo 240 that’s been dubbed “The Whale,” and it’s adorned with sponsorship decals from many of your favorite Cortland merchants. The body is a mess, but the real disaster lies under the hood: After it seized up during a race earlier in the year, the entire engine may need to be replaced. Can those racy Bernal Dads get the job done before October?? Stay tuned!

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

Our Seismologist Evaluates Last Night’s Earthquake

August 24, 2011August 24, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 6 Comments

So, did you feel last night’s earthquake? I sure did. Heard it too. Good times.

Julian Lozos, Bernalwood’s Senior Seismologist, wasn’t here for the shake, but after it he tweeted up a storm from his high-tech monitoring post. Here’s some of his seismo-punditry:

The Bay Area quake that just happened /really/ is not related to the one in Virginia earlier. It's both too far away and too long after.

— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) August 24, 2011

Stress change from VA quake only affected area in direct vicinity of fault. Even New Madrid too far for this type of trigger, let alone CA.

— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) August 24, 2011

Waves from VA quake went past Bay Area hours ago, so the Hayward thing is not a dynamic trigger, either.

— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) August 24, 2011

Nice clean right-lateral strike-slip mechanism for the Bay Area 3.6. Hello, Hayward Fault! http://t.co/48CTGbp

— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) August 24, 2011

Dear faults in southern California: Not tonight, please. I need to sleep, and already had much distraction from research today.

— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) August 24, 2011

For those of you in @Bernalwood who are blissfully sleeping, thank chert for keeping the faults from interrupting your rest!

— Julian Lozos (@seismogenic) August 24, 2011

Yaaaaay, chert!

Meet Darren Samuelson, Large Format Photographer

August 23, 2011August 23, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 1 Comment

Here in Bernalwood, we like to go big. From our sprawling McMansions to our hulking Chevrolet Suburbans, life in the ‘Wood is all about living large. So it’s fitting that the Inclusions Gallery on Cortland is currently hosting an exhibit by Darren Samuelson, a San Francisco photographer who uses an ultra-large format camera to take big pictures of America’s most beefy landscapes.

On Thursday night, August 25 at 7 pm, Inclusions will host a Q&A with Samuelson, to discuss his work. Inclusions tells us:

Darren Samuelson built an ultra large format camera as a tool to experiment with 14×36 inch x-ray film. Seventy pounds of carefully constructed red oak, steel, and 6-foot bellows, along with an entire set of custom made film holders, processing and printing tools make both shooting and developing a photo a laborious task that results in a truly unique image. The prints showcased in this exhibition were gathered from trials on his back porch, San Francisco landscapes, and a road trip across the U.S. The character of these images comes from both the experimental nature of the camera and the orthochromatic register of x-ray film, which more closely aligns with film before the 1920s. In their iconic subject matter and aesthetics, these photos reach back to the first applications of photography. Darren is a self-taught photographer, freelance designer, and part-time chef. He works with many camera sizes–medium, large, and ultra large, and always with film. He is a Bay Area native who lives and works in San Francisco.

This terrific video shows how the magic happens:

Once again: Q&A with Darren Sameulson at Inclusions Gallery, Thursday night, August 25 at 7 pm. If you can’t make the event, do sees the exhibit of his work — and his supersized camera — on display be at Inclusions until September 18.

PHOTOS: Telstar Logistics

New New Mural at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack

August 23, 2011August 23, 2011 / Todd_Lappin / 3 Comments

Remember when that loose-screw-guy defaced the new mural at Emmy’s Spaghetti Shack back in May? The whole incident was unfortunate, but there’s now a replacement mural to fill the void. Several readers notified Bernalwood that the new mural was up (thankyouverymuch!), and Laura Muhlhammer sent us a few great snaps. Laura says:

I just walked by Emmy’s and got a look at her colorful new mural. It’s gorgeous if I do say so myself!

Nice. The folks at Emmy’s told Bernalwood the mural was painted by Nathan Tan, aka Nate1 MPC, who sells some of his sporty duds via Secession Art and Design just a few doors south. Poking around, I found this sweet little video of Nate1 in action. Visualize it: