SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING'S 3rd FEATURE FILM, ‘MOONLIGHT SONATA’ WRAPS PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY
SAN FRANCISCO, CA., November 2, 2007 ---
"MOONLIGHT SONATA", our third independent feature film at SFSDF by the Fog City Pictures, has wrapped its principal photography on October 31st, after 5 weeks of shooting in the Bay Area ( in HD, Digital Format ). More >> (PDF)

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING HOSTS BAY AREA WOMEN IN FILM & VIDEO (BAWIFT) PRESENTING “NOW CLEAR THIS! : MUSIC RIGHTS 101”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA., November 2, 2007 ---
The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking is proud to announce that we will once again host Bay Area Women in Film & Video (BAWIFT) monthly meeting. More >> (PDF)

“AROUND JUNE” MOVIE TRAILER CONTEST INVITES ASPIRING FILMMAKERS TO CUT THE TRAILER
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (October 15) – An online editing contest to cut the winning movie trailer for the upcoming feature film, “Around June,” will launch on October 15th on the CineWave station at Podango See site for details >> - More >> (PDF)

FOG CITY PICTURES & SFSDF ANNOUNCE WORLD PREMIERE OF PRESQUE ISLE OCT. 5 AT MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (SFSDF) announces the World Premiere of PRESQUE ISLE, its first feature film produced with production partner Fog City Pictures, which will take place on Oct. 5, 7:15 at the Cine Arts Sequoia Theatre in Mill Valley. More >>  (PDF)

SAN MATEO ORACLE EMPLOYEE WINS GRAND PRIZE IN “SIX IN THE CITY” SCREENPLAY CONTEST – SCRIPT TO BE PRODUCED AS A PROFESSIONAL FEATURE FILM BY SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING
SAN FRANCISCO, CA., July 9, 2007 ---
Oracle software designer Ritchard Shadian, of San Mateo, California, won the Grand Prize in San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking’s (SFSDF), "Six in the City" Screenplay Contest. Shadian’s winning feature-length screenplay, “The God Girl,” will be professionally produced in a joint venture between Fog City Pictures and SFSDF.  More >>  (PDF)

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING ANNOUNCES NEW SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP SERIES
SAN FRANCISCO, CA., June 11, 2007 ---
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking is proud to announce its new
Screenwriting Workshop Series. The first in the series, Screenwriting I, begins
Thursday, August 16th, 2007. More >> (PDF)

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING TO HOST SF CUTTERS MEETING
SAN FRANCISCO, CA., June 13, 2007 ---
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (SFSDF) invites you to join us as we host the next SF Cutters monthly meeting on Tuesday, June 26th at 6:15 pm in our campus Green Screen and Sound Stage. SF Cutters is the World’s first Apple Final Cut Pro Users Group formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000. Doors will open at 6:00 pm, so don’t be shy to come early and take a look around! More >> (PDF)

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING STUDENT FILMS SELECTED TO SCREEN AT SAN FRANCISCO BLACK FILM FESTIVAL
SAN FRANCISCO, CA., May 29, 2007 ---
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking produces over 250 high quality films per year. It’s no wonder that two SFSDF films have been chosen to this year’s San Francisco Black Film Festival, which runs June 7th – 10th, and 14th - 17th, 2007. "Amy's Night Out” and "The Blue Brick." More >> (PDF)

SF SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING, ANNOUNCES START OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON SECOND FEATURE FILM, "AROUND JUNE" ­ STARRING NAME HOLLYWOOD ACTORS
Filming begins January 15th- February 9th in SF's Potrero Hill area. 1/5/07 More >> (PDF)

SAN FRANCISCO SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING'S FALL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS STRONG
Enrollment indicates desire to study film in a project-based environment where hands-on experience is paramount. 6/10/07 More >> (PDF)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SF SCHOOL OF DIGITAL FILMMAKING, ANNOUNCES START OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY ON SECOND FEATURE FILM, "AROUND JUNE" ­ STARRING NAME HOLLYWOOD ACTORS
Filming begins January 15th- February 9th in SF's Potrero Hill area

SAN FRANCISCO, CA- JANUARY 5, 2007 -- The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (SFSDF) is not just a world-class learning facility for filmmaking; in less than two years it has established itself as a force-to-be-reckoned-with for quality independent film production. On January 15th, SFSDF's second independent feature film, Around June, starring Hollywood actors Samaire Armstrong (Entourage, The O.C.), Brad William Henke (World Trade Center, Sherrybaby), Jon Gries (Napoleon Dynamite, Real Genius) and introducing Oscar Guerrero, will begin filming on location in the Potrero Hill district of San Francisco through February 9th. For more information on SFSDF, visit the website at www.sfdigifilm.com or call (415) 522-1200.

With an original screenplay by SFSDF teacher, James Savoca, who will direct the film, Around June is a love story in the vein of a classic fairy tale set near the shipyards of San Francisco. June (Armstrong), is a young woman trapped in a life caught between her crippled, abusive father (Gries) and mentally challenged uncle (Henke), whose adoration of her offers little solace. One day, through a poetic twist of fate, June meets a penniless immigrant, Juan Diego (played but newcomer Oscar Guerrero), whose love empowers her to finally break free and realize her dreams.

Jeremiah Birnbaum, co-founder of SFSDF, instructor, and producer of Around June was impressed with the script handed to him by one of the school's teachers, James Savoca. "I read James' script and loved it so much we decided that it would be perfect for our second feature film project," says Birnbaum. "Our feature films serve two purposes, it offers our students the unique opportunity of crewing on a professional film project and it brings more feature film production to the Bay Area."

Around June will be shot with the help of a 35 member crew comprised of two-thirds industry professionals from both San Francisco and Los Angeles. The remaining crew members are SFSDF film students working in two 2-week shifts.

Produced by Jeremiah Birnabaum, Ralph King, and James Savoca from SFSDF and executive produced by Greg Corbin of the L.A. based production company Caviar Films and L.A. based Alyssa Weisberg of Alyssa Weisberg Casting, Around June will be entirely shot in hi-definition digital video.

CAST

Japan-born Samaire Armstrong didn't pursue acting professionally until a few years ago. She was first cast in a recurring role on the critically acclaimed NBC series, "Freaks and Geeks." That role was followed shortly thereafter by guest-starring roles on, "Judging Amy," "Party of Five," "That's Life, "ER," and pivotal role in a particularly creepy episode of the "X-Files." She is best known for starring as Emily, Ari Gold's assistant and Eric's love-interest, on "Entourage" for HBO, and she was recently seen co-starring on the hit Fox series, "The O.C."

Brad William Henke is quickly making a name for himself as one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. During the last two years he has appeared in such acclaimed projects as Me You and Everyone We Know, North Country, Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, Sherrybaby co-starring Maggie Gyllenhaal., and Hollywoodland opposite Adrien Brody. Brad will next be seen co-starring in the ABC mid-season drama "October Road."

Jon Gries has appeared in more than 30 feature films. He recently wrapped production on "The Astronaut Farmer" with Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen for the Polish Brothers and Warner Brothers and starred opposite Jon Voigt and Terence Stamp in the feature film, "September Dawn." Gries has also completed starring roles in the Trigger Street production of "The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang" and in the independent feature films "Frank", "Elsewhere", "South of Heaven," "Waterborne," "Sledge: The Untold Story," "Car Babes" and "Bar Starz." He is also appearing in Fox Atomic's "The Comebacks." Last year, Jon received the prestigious 2005 IFP Spirit Award Nomination for Best Supporting Acting for his role as Uncle Rico in the multiple-award-winning Fox Searchlight smash hit "Napoleon Dynamite."

PRODUCTION

James Savoca - Writer/Director. A New York native, James got his start in the theatre and made the choice to study acting with Louise Lasser at Carnegie Hall, not to become an actor, but to become a better director. His feature film directorial debut was "Sleepwalk," starring Drea de Matteo (The Sopranos), which had its broadcast premiere on IFC. His second feature, "The Crooked Corner," was recently completed and is in the beginning stages of the festival circuit. James' short film, "Revelation", starring Kevin Corrigan, aired on The Sundance Channel. Before directing his first feature, James assembled two successful theatre groups where he wrote and directed four plays on off-Broadway's downtown theatres.

Ralph King ­ Producer: Formerly a student at SFSDF, Ralph co-produced Presque Isle and directed 5 short films. Prior to filmmaking, he worked as a journalist for 25, primarily writing for the Wall Street Journal and was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Jeremiah Birnbaum - Producer: Jeremiah is the Co-Founder and CEO of the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking. A native New Yorker, he has worked as a producer, editor, director and educator in film and video for over seventeen years.

Greg Corbin- Producer: Originally from Southampton, NY, Greg started his career in the film industry by producing his first short film in 2000 called Mid-Summer Life Crisis, which was filmed in New York City and directed by James Savoca. Since joining Caviar Films, Greg has put together a slate of over 20 projects that are in various stages of development. Some of the projects include: Senor Vasquez and the Holy with Alfred Molina, Goldenbones, an outrageous teen comedy, written by Allan Aaron Katz (Diamonds), and The Lieber & Stoller story, based on the life of the famous rock and roll songwriting duo.

Caviar los angeles is a Los Angeles-based production company, founded in 2002 by Michael Sagol and Tom Weissferdt. Initially called Atomik Pictures, in 2004 the company partnered with Belgian production company caviar to begin representing European directors for the American television market with offices in L.A. and Cape Town, South Africa.

Alyssa Weisberg - Executive Producer/Casting Director: Alyssa has been casting for the past 14 years in film, television and theater. Her film credits include studio films such as Mission Impossible III, The Long Kiss Goodnight, U-Turn and Booty Call; she's also worked extensively on the independent scene on such projects as The House of Usher, Telling You, Freeway and The House Of Yes. Alyssa recently won an Emmy Award for casting the pilot of ABC's Lost, which has gone on to international acclaim.

About SFSDF:
San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking (SFSDF), the most innovative film school in the Bay Area, bridges the gap between traditional education and professional moviemaking. Utilizing state-of-the-art high def equipment and a professional sound stage, students make their own movies, work on HD feature films, and launch their careers. Offering intensive, hands-on one-year Digital Filmmaking Programs, five-week Digital Filmmaking Workshops, and eight-week Acting for Film Classes.

In 2006, SFSDF produced their first feature film, Presque Isle, written and directed by Cannes and Sundance award-winning filmmaker Rob Nilsson. The film was shot on location in Santa Cruz and on set at SFSDF and is currently in post-production with the goal to submit in March for consideration at Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, France.