Girls Rock...and so will Bayview July 24th and 26th

Community spirit trumped fear in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood once again as residents and community groups came together on July 24th at Bayview’s award-winning urban garden to inaugurate the 2nd annual Quesada Gardens Outdoor Film Festival. Bayview Footprints, a collaboration of neighborhood community-building groups, supported the event by hosting a social gathering at the garden as part of an ongoing series of events called “Just for Us…and YOU TOO!”

On July 26th, filmmaker and Quesada Gardens Initiative co-founder, Shane King, presented the inspiring film “Girls Rock!” “Girls Rock!” is a wide-release documentary about a rock music camp for girls co-directed King and filmmaking partner Arne Johnson. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called it a “…funny, wise and inspiring ode to spirits set free.” www.GirlsRockMovie.com

The outdoor film festivals at the Quesada Gardens are always free events. However, as there is no seating, promotional materials included the line: YOUR CHAIR IS YOUR TICKET! Youth interested in video gaming were encouraged to contact the organizers about informal gaming competitions that utilized the outdoor projection system before and after the films.

Most Bayview residents would never leave the safety of home at night, and take to their neighborhood’s notorious streets. Last year, over several weekends, 150 residents ventured out to watch films projected onto a screen hung on Quesada Gardens’ stunning community mural, creating what must be one of the most unique events anywhere.

This year, Bayview Footprints “Just for Us…and YOU TOO!” event at garden added a neighborhood-wide show of community unity. In addition to films and video gaming for youth, the event featured live music, food, expert gardening advice and more.

Bayview Footprints is a collaboration of 21 community-based groups working together to tell a positive story about Bayview Hunters Point. The Quesada Gardens Initiative is the 100% resident-led community-building group generating gardens, art, and events in the heart of Bayview.