A movie about local filmmakers wrangling with local politicians? We are so there!
The SF Int'l premiered the documentary Thursday night in one of the big newly-renovated theaters in the Kabuki Sundance. Audience of One is about the Voice of Pentecost church, based in the Sunset on Ocean Avenue, and their charismatic pastor Richard Gazowsky, who saw his first movie at the age of 40 and then, in 1995, says he received a message from God to form a film company.
The film company, Christian WYSIWYG (pronounced "Wizziwig" and standing for "What You See Is What You Get") Filmworks, promptly went into production on a biblically-inspired movie called Gravity: The Shadow of Joseph, written and directed by Gazowsky, described as "Star Wars Meets The Ten Commandments," and exactly as Tek Janson: Alpha Squad 7 as you'd imagine it would be.
Gazowsky wanted it to be a no-holds-barred multimillion dollar epic film, with sci-fi battles and costumes and crazy space creatures. The core film crew had no film experience and was working for free. The congregation chipped in money and the pastor mortgaged his house. Then the fun begins!
After the jump: delusions of grandeur, some mockably-bad film scenes, and San Francisco politicians get involved. Also -- awkward moments at the Q&A!
