No one can say that Greg Stevens lacks vision. This struggling independent filmmaker has devised a gutsy plan to revitalize San Francisco's film economy by creating an organization called Save Our Theaters that will support independent film production, single screen theater preservation and the evolution of cutting edge film technology all in one stroke.

Funding for this program hinges on the passage of Proposition L, a local initiative that will appear on the November ballot that seeks to secure roughly 10% of San Francisco's hotel tax funds. In real terms, this translates into an annual 8–10 million dollars. It does not include revenues from ticket sales that will eventually add to the fund once the program is running.

Should the proposition pass, the first task of Save Our Theaters will be to restore the 13 remaining independent theaters, once called Movie Palaces, to their original beauty. Heading up this task would be Mike Doban, owner of Arcangelo Entertainment, an 8 year-old firm specializing in cinema development, booking and distribution.

But the restoration process won't stop at fixing the upholstery. The theaters will also be equipped with state-of-the-art digital film projection capability. This is critical to the plan for two reasons. First, most independent filmmakers shoot in digital format but there are only 10-15 theaters in the country that can screen digital film. Save Our Theaters would in effect double that number within the first year and dedicate its programming to independent films that rarely get seen, as converting them to standard film format is too expensive.

The second reason, as Doban points out, is very simple. "The future of film presentation and production is in the digital arena. It is the projection system of the future." Currently there is a great deal of experimentation in digital and high definition filming. Ultimately a new standard will be created and San Francisco could be the hub of this development.

Once completed the theaters will not only be capable of screening films that can't be seen anywhere else, but will also be gathering places for the film community, offering a host of special events such as film lectures and festivals.

Theater preservation is the starting point. Save Our Theaters is on a mission to rebuild the film community in San Francisco by awarding a portion of its funding to film projects that dedicate 1/3 of their budget to local production resources. From hiring local film crews to shooting on location to using local production facilities such as the new George Lucas complex in the Presidio that opens in 2005, the incentive program seeks to restore the 350 – 400 million that was once spent by the film industry in the local economy.

Jeffrey Hardy President of Big Horse Inc., a consulting firm that offers guidance and business planning, particularly in the areas of risk avoidance and reward enhancement for independent producers, will be bringing his expertise to the incentive program of Save Our Theaters. He and Stevens stress that the allocation of funds is based on a democratic process of first come first served. All projects will be eligible for funds providing they are legitimate and demonstrate the required percentage of spending in San Francisco.

This aspect of Save Our Theaters drove the decision to raise public funds rather than private. Private funding may be subjective based on the influence of the larger contributors. It reflects what Stevens refers to as the "dark side" of filmmaking resembling the politics of the studio system that can hamper creativity and the evolution of technological developments. His long-term goal is to create a film community that is a haven for filmmakers. Or as Doban puts it "to create an independent Hollywood." Their hope is that this concept will inspire a network of similar programs to eventually be developed in other cities.

To learn more about Save Our Theaters visit www.saveourtheaters.org.