Press Release 3/27/07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Abby Ginzberg (510) 367-3499 or Rick Tejada-Flores (510) 910-1875

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2007

INDY FILMMAKERS TO ASK MAYOR & COUNCIL TO STOP EVICTIONS AT
22 YEAR OLD BERKELEY ARTS CENTER

Bay Area Arts Community Supports Plea to Preserve
Famous Home for Award-Winning Documentaries

A request to intervene to preserve Berkeley’s well-regarded, two decades-old independent film making community will be made Tuesday night to the city’s Mayor and Council.

Forty filmmakers at the former Saul Zaentz Media Center on 10th Street, many of whom have made award-winning, socially-conscious documentaries there for over two decades, will be forced to leave the building with no new location in hand unless their new landlord, Wareham Properties, can be persuaded to negotiate manageable terms for new leases or to allow enough time for the film makers to find new space in the city or nearby.

The dispute at the former Saul Zaentz Media Center on 10th Street, Berkeley, was discussed briefly at last week’s Council session and has been scheduled for a special hearing immediately following this evening’s Council meeting.

The filmmakers want the Mayor and Council to persuade the building’s new owner, commercial developer Wareham Properties, to negotiate collectively with the artists over rents or allow the group enough time to find new space elsewhere in Berkeley.

“Contrary to what the Wareham group is telling the press, the filmmakers are already paying substantially above market rates for their offices at the Zaentz Center. Market rate is about $2 per square foot and the tenants are ALREADY paying $3 and $3.25 per square foot, 50-65% ABOVE today’s market rates. Now Wareham has come in and is setting new rents that will go up to $4 to $6 per square foot, which is double or triple market rate,” said Rick Goldsmith, documentary filmmaker and long-term tenant.

“This rent increase will inflate the rents for the whole area and could be a disaster for small businesses in Berkeley”, says 20 year resident, Jed Riffe.

Eric Hayashi, Executive Director of the Film Arts Foundation will speak in support of the filmmakers. “Berkeley has a priceless community asset that it should not allow anyone to destroy. The film makers at the Zaentz Center have produced some of the most important documentaries of the past two decades. Their requests are reasonable and should be accommodated.” he said.
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