In 1983 an old abandoned metal foundry in East Oakland, CA was converted into live work spaces for artists who thirsted for a place where they could make art unhindered by the rules of society. The result was an artists community that spawned an underground scene in Oakland that was an incubator of creativity unlike anywhere else in the city. From that community sprung a long list of visual artists, Academy Award winners, an Emmy Award winning actor, Speed Metal- Punk -Trance -Rock bands, circus performers, a pirate radio station, and much more from the motely crew of residents. This is their story and the insanity and cultural abnormalities from this notorious building in Oakland. (This film is in production)

 

 

 

GentriFRIED
Feature documentary film  The bay area has evolved socially and economically from the waves of the digital revolutions, from desktop publishing to the internet economy. These have been accompanied by rifts in the social and cultural fabric. The San Francisco that was once a bastion of freedom and artistic experimentation has been overrun by tech money and become a monoculture. Oakland, which for such a longtime had lived in SF’s shadow and has a rich history of unparalleled diversity along with more artists per capita than any other city in the country, is now under fire from a steady flow of well funded techies moving in. Is Oakland to suffer the same fate as San Francisco? Will long time families be displaced? will artists and the arts be kicked out to make way for affluent refugees of SF and Silicon Valley? Can it be stopped? Can it be done differently? One thing is for sure everyone in this story is GentriFRIED!     
(This Film is in Production)