SPELLETICH BENEFIT: SAVE-THE-ROBOTS + GAMERA +
Here’s a chance to support a true Friscostalwart, Kal Spelletich, a veritable pillar of our arts community, evicted from his long-running tenure at his Dogpatch studio by the relentless forces of gentrification. A percentage of monies from the door and bar (so drink up!) goes towards Kal’s daunting moving/storage expenses. Screening are a daring duo of his robot docs amongst a life-raft of science-fantasy reels, to kick off a Trash Film thread that runs through this season’s schedule (also on Optron2 and Archive1). Peppering the party is the climax of the classic kaiju Gamera the Invincible, the last scene from Colossus: The Forbin Project, pick hits from Journey to the 7th Planet (double-projected), Earth vs. Flying Saucers, The Great Martian War, and of course Unarius’ lesson on The Extraterrestrials. ALSO Jon Reiss’ Bitter Message (an SRL machine battle) Allison De Fern’s Fembot in Red, Peter Lichter’sGeorge’s Poem, and David King’s (in person) Every Red Death. Come early for Russ Forster on the theremin, Wilhelm Reich’s Cloud-Buster, the anomalous Number Stations, and sci-fi highballs!
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Other Cinema: LO-FI SCI-FI
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Save The Redstone Labor Temple
RLTA Organizing for Community Ownership of Iconic 1914 Redstone Building Goal is to preserve San Francisco’s defining center for creative organizing San Francisco —The Redstone Labor Temple Association (“RLTA”) has announced that it is working with the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) to be in escrow to purchase the 55,000-square-foot Redstone Labor Temple, located in the heart of the Mission District at 2926 16th St. The Redstone is San Francisco Historical Landmark #238 and is home to longtime organizations that advocate for economic equity and social justice in San Francisco.RLTA President Gary Gregerson explains what this means to San Francisco: “For more than a century, the Redstone Building has served as a hub for organizations that advocate for economic equity and social justice in San Francisco. It is known as the site where workers first organized for, and won, reasonable working hours and a standardized minimum wage, and it represents San Francisco’s legendary reputation of solidarity and civic engagement. The building has adapted to changing economic and social conditions, always retaining its extraordinary commitment to the lives of marginalized communities: immigrants, artists, industrial, freelance, and contract workers; domestic laborers; queer people; and the displaced. We look forward to continuing to think creatively about how we work and how we play for a century more.”
Explains MEDA Senior Project Manager Feliciano Vera of the importance of this prospective purchase: “San Francisco cannot afford to lose this vital asset. The Redstone features 35 tenants, running the gamut from a Spanish-language radio station and an advocacy and support organization for transgender Latinas to the renowned art group
The Lab and community-based organizations providing critical homeless support services. Such organizations have been serving the Mission, and beyond, for many years. The building is a microcosm of what San Francisco has long stood — arts, labor, activism, community — and must be preserved.”Echoing these statements is longtime Redstone tenant Kerry Laitala, “I’ve been screening moving image works and doing live performances at Artists’ Television Access for over 20 years. I moved into my Redstone studio in 2016 after having been evicted from my studio South of Market along with 42 other artists, SOMA Artists’ Studios,
which is now a biotech company.”To make this deal a reality, MEDA is actively exploring governmental and philanthropic financing options.
A first round of inspections by MEDA revealed significant structural and maintenance issues that must be immediately addressed by any prospective new building owner. The Redstone’s rehabilitation includes the need for: repointing of the brick facade, plus steel supports of the dual sections of the edifice; a brand-new roof; window replacement; water-damage abatement; revamped bathroom plumbing; and ADA-compliance implementation.
By the end of 2018, MEDA needs $7 million in financing to acquire the Redstone at a market competitive price. This investment will preserve the Redstone as a permanent center for cultural resources, and at affordable rents. If you can lend such support, please contact MEDA Senior Project Manager Feliciano Vera: (415) 282-3334 ext. 127; fvera@medasf.org.
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About Redstone Labor Temple Association (RLTA)
The mission of the Redstone Labor Temple Association (RLTA) is to promote, preserve and protect the Redstone Building, historically and currently, as a place for diverse, community-based, cultural, labor and social service organizations, individual artists and small businesses which serve the Mission District and the larger community of San Francisco. rlta.orgCurrent tenants include: Abalone Alliance, American Indian Film Institute, April Berger studio, Independent Media and Arts Collective, Chile Lindo Café, Cliff Hengst studio, Crossroads Women’s Center, Doug Norberg studio, El/La Para TransLatinas, Elliot Anderson studio, Gary Gregerson studio, Grupo Honestidad, Indian Treaty Council, Jeff
Metzler studio, Jeff Springer studio, The Lab, the Living Wage Coalition, the Western Regional Advocacy Project (WRAP), Kerry Laitala studio, Mojo Theatre, Pacific Petitions, Rick Gerharter studio, Rick Hall studio, Scott Hewicker studio, ShnooksBooks, Wonder Dog Rescue, World Can't WaitAbout Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA)
Rooted in the Mission and focused on San Francisco, MEDA’s mission is to strengthen low- and moderate-income Latino families by promoting economic equity and social justice through asset building and community development. medasf.org -
Jack Chambers’ The Hart of London
SF Cinematheque presentsAdvance tickets available here
New Beginnings is a recurring curatorial endeavor oriented to the presentation of historic works of international artist-made cinema in the contemporary context. This seasonal series intends to open space for new cinematic encounters, revive interest in forgotten (or not forgotten) classics, to problematize canons through the unearthing of unsung cinematic oddities, to provide fresh insights to well-known works, and to offer opportunities for guest curatorial input and experiment. Please send hot tips and suggestions to sfc@sfcinematheque.org.
New Beginnings Fall 2018 presents The Hart of London (1970), Canadian painter/poet/filmmaker Jack Chambers’ cinematic magnum opus, presented in its first Bay Area screening in nearly two decades. Spinning outward from scenes of generational life in the semi-rural community of London, Ontario, The Hart of London interweaves striking—and at times disturbing—scenes of birth, death and religious ritual with extensive regional newsreel footage and lyrical abstraction to present a complex and deeply conflicted allegory of a fallen humanity spiritually at odds with the natural world. (Steve Polta) Full details here.