Festival Talk: Filming in San Francisco: A Case Study with Outerlands and Film SF

Elena Oxman makes her narrative feature debut as writer/director with Outerlands, a film she developed as an SFFILM FilmHouse resident. A native of New York City and Connecticut, she moved to the Bay Area in 2011. In 2014, she wrote and directed the narrative short film Lit, shot at the Lexington Club and in the Inner Richmond of San Francisco. A co-founder of the documentary collaborative American Beat, Elena has taught film and filmmaking at Stanford, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies, the College of San Mateo, and the Harvey Milk Center for the Arts.

Marc Smolowitz is a multi-award-winning director, producer, executive producer, and consulting producer who has been significantly involved in over 60 successful independent films. The combined footprint of his works has touched 250+ film festivals & markets on 5 continents, yielding substantial worldwide sales to theatrical, television, and VOD outlets, notable box office receipts, and numerous awards and nominations. His credits include films that have screened at top-tier festivals such as Sundance, Berlin, Venice, Tribeca, Locarno, SXSW, Chicago, Palm Springs, SFFILM, AFI DOCS, IDFA, DOC NYC, CPH: DOX, Tokyo, Sydney, Melbourne, Viennale, Jerusalem, among others. In 2009, Marc founded 13th Gen, a San Francisco-based boutique entertainment company that works with a dynamic range of independent film partners globally to oversee the financing, production, post-production, marketing, sales, and distribution efforts of a vibrant portfolio of films and filmmakers. In 2016, he received one of the prestigious Gotham Fellowships to attend the Cannes Film Festival’s Producers Network.

Monica Castro is a trailblazing Producer from the San Francisco Bay Area, who blends her Colombian and Filipino heritage with a relentless drive to break barriers in the entertainment industry. Known for her hustle, Monica quickly made her mark, contributing to high-profile projects like All Day and a Night (2020) and Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage (2021), which then led her to the commercial realm, partnering with powerhouse clients such as Google, Salesforce, Meta, and Kaiser Permanente. Monica’s journey into independent filmmaking has included extraordinary collaborations with some of Hollywood’s brightest stars, including Geena Davis and Emilia Jones on Fairyland, and Jessica Chastain on Dreams, both shot in San Francisco. But it’s her unwavering commitment to her community that fuels her biggest passion: amplifying the voices of those too often overlooked in mainstream media. With a fierce belief in the power of storytelling to ignite change and driven by a deep love for her hometown, Monica is on a mission to elevate diverse narratives and bring fresh, authentic perspectives to the screen, empowering local Bay Area talent to reshape the future of film.

Galen Wallace is a locations manager and scout born in Los Angeles who has been part of the San Francisco Bay Area film community since 2016. His filmography features several San Francisco-set films, including Elena Oxman’s Outerlands (2025), which premiered at SXSW; Michel Frano’s Dreams (2025), which premiered at Berlinale; and Alex Ferrufino’s Splash City, currently in post-production. His earlier production credits include I Am A Virgo, Earth Mama, and 13 Reasons Why, among others.

Manijeh Fata is the Executive Director of Film SF | San Francisco Film Commission where she has worked since 2015. In her role, she has led and collaborated on numerous high-profile film, TV and independent productions, including The Last Black Man in San Francisco, The Matrix Resurrections, Venom, Beautiful Boy, Fremont, Fairyland, Food Network’s Chef Dynasty: House of Fang, Hulu’s Chance, Amazon’s I’m a Virgo, Apple’s The Last Thing He Told Me and Surface, and Netflix’s The OA. Her work has involved extensive coordination, forging relationships with studios, local filmmakers, city departments, and neighborhood and merchant groups. With over 20 years of experience in arts and education program management, Manijeh has also developed impactful community outreach initiatives and built partnerships with non-profit organizations in Oakland and San Francisco. She holds two bachelor’s degrees from UC Berkeley and an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University, where she created the award-winning short film Las Fruteras: A Fruitvale Tale.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Sofia Alicastro has always been drawn to the magic of storytelling. She began her career at top film festivals like Sundance and Tribeca before finding her niche in filmmaker services—collaborating with creatives to bring bold visions to life. Returning to her hometown, she joined SFFILM’s Artist Development team, where she co-led the FilmHouse Residency program and played a key role in film funding efforts. She later transitioned into social impact work at HealthSherpa, helping expand healthcare accessibility while deepening her passion for community-driven work. Now, as Deputy Director of Film SF, Sofia oversees department operations, production activity, and key programs, ensuring a diversity of storytellers can bring their projects to life. She also serves as a Board Member of San Francisco Cinematheque.