"Consequences," the third film produced by up-and-coming director Mario Bobino, will premiere at SF State on May 9 at 9 p.m. in Jack Adams Hall. The film, set in Oakland, is about "individual choices and the consequences that accompany those choices," said Bobino.
No one has ever done a movie that centers around Oakland, he said.
The film's story is told through the eyes of the main character, Shomie Haqq.
Shomie goes away to the University of Washington on a football scholarship. After his graduation, he returns to his hometown of Oakland with the intention of making positive changes for the young people in his community.
He realizes quickly, however, that things have changed at home, and not all of the changes are positive.
Eventually Shomie is forced to make some choices -- the consequences impacting his life as well as the lives of others.
Bobino said that the melodrama is not completely fictional.
"Through my eyes there is a touch of realism," said Bobino who, like his main character, went away to college on a football scholarship and returned home to help his community.
Contrary to the many negative stereotypes often associated with Oakland, the movie is a positive portrayal of someone who can beat the system, he said.
Not only was "Consequences" filmed exclusively in Oakland, but everyone involved in the project lived there as well.
"You have to use your resources," he said.
Although new to the screen, Anthony Jones, who played the role of Shomie, was no newcomer to Bobino. Like many cast and crew members, Jones attended Oakland High School with Bobino.
Bobino also recruited people to work on the film who just wanted to learn about the process of making a movie.
"Everyone worked for free. They worked for the learning experience," he said.
Bobino did not use professional actors for his film because they required payment.
As a result, the number of people auditioning for roles in the film dropped from 500 to about 300 people.
Bobino's friendly nature and strive for a family-oriented atmosphere contributed to an organized and willing cast and crew, he said.
They never "flaked," which most actors do when they are not getting paid, he said.
According to Bobino, people should use their environment to their advantage, because not everyone has a big budget when making a movie.
It took the African-American producer $70,000, two-and-one-half years and the use of 44 Oakland locations to produce "Consequences."
Bobino used money he made from producing music videos and, toward the end of the production, $20,000 he received from investors Sean Billups and Ken Robinson.
In 1988, Bobino created his own production company, "Debonair Productions."
Since then he has produced several public service announcements, music videos and a talk show entitled "A Debonair Affair."
The screening of "Consequences" is being sponsored by the Associate Students' Performing Arts Center.
The Center's director, Muata Kenyatta and Kevin Allen, Bobino's publicist and friend, have recently gotten him involved in The Black Media Line, a group of young independent film makers who have been brought together and given financial aid, said Kenyatta.
According to Kenyatta, Bobino was brought into the group because he is a successful film maker who is accessible.
"I'm pretty down to earth; fame would never change me... when we wake-up in the morning we all put our pants on feet first," Bobino said.