San Francisco Film Society and Kenneth Rainin Foundation announced the 11 finalists for the seventh round of SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants of up to $300,000, to be given to one or more feature films that through plot, character, theme or setting explore human and civil rights, discrimination, gender and sexual identity and other social issues of our time.
Winners of the spring 2012 SFFS/KRF Grants will be announced in early May.
Finalists
Kat Candler
Hellion, screenwriting
Hell-raising twelve-year-old Jacob puts a kid in the hospital as retribution for beating up his kid brother. When he gets out of juvenile hall, his single dad and brother pay the price for his continued delinquent behavior. For more information visit candlerproductions.com.
Ryan Coogler
Fruitvale, screenwriting
Fruitvale is the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family and strangers on the last day of 2008.
Robinson Devor
Untitled Sara Jane Moore Project, preproduction
A fascinating look into the mind and actions of Sara Jane Moore, a former socialite and suburban mother turned San Francisco radical. Drawn into the city’s social upheaval of the early 1970s, Moore became a double agent, working for both the government and several leftist revolutionary groups, until she was publicly exposed as an FBI informant. Suddenly outcast, isolated and fearing for her life, Moore attempted the ultimate act of revenge and self-preservation.
Lance Edmands, Kyle Martin
Bluebird, postproduction
In the frozen woods of an isolated Maine logging town, one woman’s tragic mistake shatters the balance of the community, resulting in profound and unexpected consequences. Told through fragmented and intersecting story lines, Bluebird examines the struggles of regret and redemption at the frontier of modern America.
Carlton Evans, Matthew Lessner
Ross, development
A hardworking young man’s staid, well-established life is upended after he posts an offhand comment to his Facebook profile, drawing the attention of numerous secretive government agencies and setting off a bizarre chain of events.
Mohammad Gorjestani, Malcolm Pullinger
Somehow These Days Will Be Missed, screenwriting
After years of being denied permission, the Etemadi family has finally been granted their visas to leave Iran. Mehdi, his wife Mina and their two kids are excited to start a new life in bustling Silicon Valley. But when they arrive, life is far from what they imagined. With their money quickly running out, Mehdi reluctantly turns to the dark world of illicit drugs, which ultimately proves to be his greatest awakening. For more information visit mkshftcllc.tv.
Leah Meyerhoff, Heather Rae
I Believe in Unicorns, postproduction
Davina is an unusual teenager, resentful about a childhood spent caring for her disabled mother. An older boy breaks through her shell and soon they run away together in a whirlwind of romance and adventure. As their new relationship turns emotionally and then physically abusive, she attempts to escape to a fantasy world but ultimately must learn to face her stark reality and reconnect with the mother she left behind. For more information visit unicornsthemovie.com.
Judy Phu
The Lovely Rejects, postproduction
A film about youth, uncompromising rebellion and love, The Lovely Rejects is the story of two young lovers with chronic illnesses who meet during chemotherapy. Tired of being in debt and of their endless struggle for health insurance and medical treatment, the two decide to go on a crime spree. For more information visit judyphu.com.
Ben Snyder
Salvage, development
Seymour Rubin has a problem. He’s 72 years old and runs an automobile salvage yard. His business is failing, his employees are on the verge of a revolt and his oldest friend and best worker is leading the charge against him. He has alienated his family, attacked his only friend and risks losing his beloved yard. He must embark on a journey of salvation.
Ray Tintori, Josh Penn
Untitled Cabal Project, screenwriting
Young revolutionaries in love take on the world and each other in a kaleidoscopically complicated universe that’s coming apart at the seams. For more information visit court13.com/films/ray-tintori.
Michael Tully, George Rush
Ping Pong Summer, production
It’s the mid-1980s. A shy teenager who lives in Maryland loves two things: rap music and table tennis. When he relocates to the beachside community of Ocean City, the most epic summer of his life begins. In addition to falling in love, he realizes his dream of becoming a ping-pong champion. For more information visit gmrush.com.