Film Making San Francisco

Film maker Chat & Coffee

This is one of our General Meetings, which means we will be sitting around chatting drinking coffee (or whatever)! * Please bring: a great attitude and a desire to get involved in making movies! * the cafe does sell food and beverages If you have something to show or materials to review, feel free to bring that.

Dasein EMERGENCE - Ai Film Festival

# DASEIN: EMERGENCE **Thursday, September 17, 2026** **6:00 PM–9:30 PM** **Upcider, 1160 Polk Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco** **$13 · Limited to 50 guests** Dasein Creative Circle returns with **Emergence**, our second bi-monthly community screening following the first annual Dasein AI Film Festival and July’s Dasein Continuum event. This international one-hour film program will present a new selection of short works exploring artificial intelligence, experimental cinema, technology, consciousness, and contemporary storytelling. The evening is open to everyone, including filmmakers, artists, technologists, students, and anyone curious about where AI filmmaking stands today, what new artistic possibilities are emerging, and how these tools may shape the future of cinema. Films submitted by creators from around the world will explore subjects including memory, identity, loneliness, relationships, perception, humor, mortality, and human connection. The screening will be followed by an **Audience Choice vote**, conversation, and a relaxed community gathering at Upcider. Dasein is an international AI film festival with a larger annual edition and intimate screenings held approximately every two months throughout the year. **A new screening. New films. The same growing creative circle.** **Tickets and RSVP:** [https://partiful.com/e/mQACPF0CJXTJU1Iklrar](https://partiful.com/e/mQACPF0CJXTJU1Iklrar?utm_source=chatgpt.com) **Film submissions:** https://filmfreeway.com/daseinfilmfestival **Website:** [https://www.daseinfilmfestival.com](https://www.daseinfilmfestival.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) **Instagram:** @daseinfilmfestival

Film maker Chat & Coffee

This is one of our General Meetings, which means we will be sitting around chatting drinking coffee (or whatever)! * Please bring: a great attitude and a desire to get involved in making movies! * the cafe does sell food and beverages If you have something to show or materials to review, feel free to bring that.

Blankets, Popcorn, & a Movie After Sunset | 20s & 30s

**RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/GGfSielza1Xhz80HMU5j **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later** It happens once a month!!! Grab a cozy sweater and join me for an evening under the stars at Sundown Cinema's screening of The Parent Trap. We'll spend the first hour or so doing quick 1-1 chats to get to know each other, and then we'll break into small groups to claim our patch of grass for the film. After those rounds, you'll pick the folks you clicked with the most. We'll match you up into smaller squads of four to six, and from there, you'll grab a spot on the lawn together to watch the movie. By the time the movie starts, you're sitting with a crew of new friends to share blankets, popcorn, and favorite nostalgic scenes. Whether this bunch becomes your regular outdoor cinema squad or just great company for tonight's feature presentation, it's going to be a really fun night. The Plan: - 7:00PM: Check-In. Follow the link to set up your quick profile on your phone. - 7:05PM - 8:25PM: One-on-One Rounds. The app pairs you for focused chats. Find out who shares your favorite nostalgic movie memories, film recommendations, and outdoor spots. - 8:25PM+: Form Groups & find a spot on the lawn together to watch the movie. Reconnect with your favorite matches, form groups of 4-6, and find a spot on the lawn together to watch the movie — your group leaves together tonight. **RSVP via:** https://app.gistirl.com/event-details/GGfSielza1Xhz80HMU5j **Early Bird Discounts | More $ Later**

Film: Now and Then (1995)

**The summer pick for August is Now and Then**. This movie has a very special place in my heart. It's the perfect blend of silly and wistful. I used to listen to the soundtrack nonstop, and I will never forget the way Devon Sawa's hair fell across his face! I'm ready to relive peak girlhood. **\*This event will take place at my apartment in Hayes/Alamo Square. We'll be watching the film via my projector.** **Snacks and drinks will be provided (or bring a favorite to share!).**

Composition & Photography: A Hands-On Workshop with Harold Davis

**What:** *Composition & Photography: A Hands-On Workshop with Harold Davis* **Where:** Maine Media campus, located in the town of Rockport on the beautiful Maine Coast **When:** Monday, Aug 17, 2026 – Friday, Aug 21, 2026 **Info and Registration:** [mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/](https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/) **Description:** Guided by Harold Davis (author of *[Composition & Photography](https://rockynook.com/shop/photography/topics-and-techniques/composition/composition-photography/)*), learn the tools and visual vocabulary to creatively design your photographs. Of all the magical elixirs that make up a successful photograph, composition is perhaps the most fundamental, and at the same time the most elusive. What makes a composition “good”? It’s hard to define exactly, but we instinctively recognize good composition when we see it. There is an undeniable emotional response when a composition resonates with and complements the subject matter of an image. In this hands-on workshop, we will approach composition as an instance of open-ended two-dimensional design. Photographic exercises will start with simple shapes, such as lines and circles, and proceed through patterns and repetitions, and onwards to spirals, fractals, and abstractions. Field sessions will take advantage of the “target-rich” mid-coast Maine scenery. Classroom discussions will be intended to provoke thought about composition basics and continue to enable individual integration of the process of composition into each participant’s creative practice. [Read more](https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/). **Info and Registration:** [mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/](https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/composition-photography-a-hands-on-workshop/)

“Yojimbo” (1961) the classic samurai comedy!⚔️ 🇯🇵 Presented by Backdoor Films

Photography Crawl

Whether you're a serious amateur or a seasoned professional we're here to encourage you to share your photography as you develop your ideas, whatever your experience level. Workshop your talent with us to develop your portfolio while sharing insights with mentors, peers, and potential collaborators. No soliciting, please. Get involved in a photography crawl or a live workshop right here in San Francisco and build your photography portfolio with hands-on coaching. Build an impressive portfolio that shows off your abilities as you gain confidence and skill with your equipment. As usual, we'll meet at 11 to give out the secret assignment for the day, and then give you all about 90 minutes to explore the area and carry out the assignment before coming together again to share our experiences. Feel free to use whatever equipment you want to fulfill the assignment. And we would love to see you post your images to the Meetup group page for the event so people can check out the gallery afterward. We do ask for a $5 donation to help support the ongoing management of this event for the community and the Meetup organizer fees. Feel free to bring cash to the event or you can use this link to offer your donation in advance: [https://www.paypal.me/khaledphotography](https://www.paypal.me/khaledphotography) or if you don't have a Paypal account you can also use Venmo: @khaled-sayed-2 In the meantime, here are some posts that covers various aspects of street photography in America, ranging from selecting the ideal shooting locations to important do's and don'ts in street photography. [Five More Tips To Make You A Street Photography Pro](https://link.medium.com/QFkLndr9Vgb) [Essential Tips for Choosing Picture-Perfect Street Photography Locations](https://medium.com/@khaledfilms/essential-tips-for-choosing-picture-perfect-street-photography-locations-fdea9047a9fa) [Breaking Down the Dos and Don& don'ts of Street Photography in America](https://medium.com/@khaledfilms/breaking-down-the-dos-and-donts-of-street-photography-in-america-da4484f5cea6) [Five Street Photography Ideas to Inspire Your Next Shoot](https://medium.com/@khaledfilms/five-street-photography-ideas-to-inspire-your-next-shoot-c7a4031d3984) Feel free to comment or let me know if I need to expand on some of the tips.

Special Event: "And Life Goes On ..." (Abbas Kiarostami, 1992)

The Yerba Buena Canter for the Arts invites us to a special event, part of their series "Through an Open Window", a series of film screenings inspired by GaHee Park's exhibition at the YBCA. The second movie in the series is Abbas Kiarostami's wonderful "And Life Goes On ..." in which a filmmaker (Farhad Kheradmand) and his son (Buba Bayour) travel to the site of their last movie to see how inhabitants survived an earthquake. There's no official trailer but this clip gives you a few impressions of the amazing visuals of the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66gdMLbiS8Y We have discounted tickets, and the ticket admission includes access to GaHee's exhibition "Behind the Curtain". We can go and enjoy the exhibition together after the screening. Tickets: https://ybca.ticketing.veevartapp.com/tickets/view/list/and-life-goes-on **Please use code MEETUP for a 50% discount!** Showtime is 2 pm, we'll meet no later than 1.45 pm at the screening room in the YBCA. You can find the full series of films here: https://ybca.org/event/through-an-open-window-film-series/ - we might schedule more from this series, let me know if you're particularly interested in any one of these. Hope to see you at the YBCA screening room!

Photowalk: Mission Streets Color Hunt

🎬 Cinema as Prayer: A Night of Queer South Asian Films + Filmmaker Q&A

Bollywood Nights at Union Square

Join us for an unforgettable **Bollywood Night** in the heart of San Francisco at Union Square – rhythm, fun, community. **5:00 – 6:00 PM** – *30 minute Bollywood* *Dance Lesson* + *Party* — we’ll teach you the steps, the flair, and the fun; then we dance it out together! **6:00 – 7:00 PM** – *30 minute Bollywood* *Dance Lesson* + *Party* — we’ll teach you the steps, the flair, and the fun; then we dance it out together! **7:00 – 8:00 PM** – *Dance Party* — We turn up the music and light up the floor with a 1-hour open dance party. 🌈 Open to all ages, all levels, all backgrounds. ✨ Come casual or dressed, no pressure! Bring your friends, learn some moves, find your groove, find your friends, be a part of a magical community once a month at Union Square. Previous class in 2025 summary joy v[ideo:](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHSENixJaVA&list=RDnHSENixJaVA&start_radio=1) Free class every month on 4th Friday of the Month except in August it will be on August 14th Classes go till end of September Park in garage, Uber over, or take Powell exit on Bart Do come say hello to us so we can welcome you in our La Dolce Vita :)