Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema coming to Mission St. this year

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema is celebrating its 21st season with a fresh twist: for the first time, attendees will be invited to participate in a film crawl along Mission and 29th Streets. This new addition aims to revitalize the area's commercial corridors, moving the festival's focus from its traditional locations on Cortland Street and Precita Avenue.

“This is our response to the doom loop,” said Valerie Reichert, media manager for Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema. “As people come to the neighborhood for the festival, we hope they’ll visit local businesses.” Reichert added, “No to doom, no to negativity. Let’s bring some joy to the situation.”

The festival, rooted in Bernal Heights' rich history of local filmmaking, brings together Bay Area filmmakers and community members. Reichert recalls a memorable evening in 1997 when she joined her neighbors at the Bernal Heights Recreation Center Playground to watch “Bernaltown,” a film about kids saving their neighborhood from an evil developer. “It was a love letter to the neighborhood,” Reichert said.

In 2018, the festival celebrated the film’s 20th anniversary with a special screening of a remastered version at the Bernal Branch Library. The Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema, the Bay Area’s oldest outdoor film festival, will unfold over three days this year. The festivities start with a film crawl on Mission Street on Thursday, Sept. 5, followed by another crawl on Cortland Street the next day. The season concludes on Saturday, Sept. 7, with “Under the Stars,” an outdoor screening at Precita Park.

Reichert notes that despite the cold or foggy weather, Precita Park attracts between 200 and 500 attendees each year. “People bring their blankets, kids, and picnics, and fill up the park,” she said. “Even if it’s chilly, the kids are out there in their sleeping bags.”

All events are free, thanks to the support of volunteers, donations, and grants. Local merchants appreciate the boost in business the festival brings, and Avenue Greenlight SF, which supports revitalization projects in San Francisco, is a major supporter.

Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema collaborates with Bay Area filmmakers and film festivals, such as the San Francisco Dance Film Festival and Cine + Mas SF Latino Film Festival, to feature diverse films. The festival accepts films from Bay Area connections, including children. Reichert recalls a submission from two young girls acting out cowboy adventures, as well as a polished 2022 film called “Game Hawker” about a falconer from Los Angeles.

A jury of local film enthusiasts reviews submissions and awards various prizes, including the “Best of Bernal Award,” “Spirit of Bernal Award,” and “Bright Star, Emerging Filmmaker Award.” The audience also votes for an award, with winners announced at the festival’s Season Finale on Thursday, Sept. 26, at the Bernal Branch Library, followed by a neighborhood afterparty.