Richmond filmmaker to debut 'The Full Picture' at film fest

by Karen Kinney

Award-winning playwright and filmmaker Jon Bowden says if it wasn't for the generosity of the Richmond District business community the film might not have been made. Bowden debuts his latest film, "The Full Picture," at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival Feb. 5 - 21 and the Sonoma International Film Festival April 1 - 5.

Winner of the grand prize for "best feature" at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, "The Full Picture" is about how keeping a secret becomes a bigger problem than actually revealing the secret. The dramatic comedy revolves around Mark Foster, a relatively normal guy, who wants to keep the secrets of his dysfunctional family from his long-time girlfriend. But his troublesome brother has other plans.

For Bowden, this was a homecoming of sorts since most of his film was shot in San Francisco.

"It's finally nice for people to see the work they help put out," said Bowden.

Being an independent film maker is not an inexpensive venture. Bowden's production company, One Big Head, is his one-man show where he wrote, directed and produced "The Full Picture." Shot entirely in San Francisco and Oakland, the feature film used only the Bay Area's talent pool as cast and crew members.

Bowden, who has lived in the Richmond District for 15 years, shot many of the film's scenes at and near his previous apartment, located at Fifth Avenue and Clement Street.

"The outpouring of support shown by the neighbors and business was what shooting in the Richmond was all about," said Bowden. "The only way we stayed in production was because businesses and residences opened their doors and offered to help."

Bowden specifically was grateful to Tanuki, a sushi restaurant at Sixth Avenue and California Street. He asked the restaurant's owners if they would be willing to shut down and let him shoot scenes for the movie.

"They let us shoot, fed the cast and crew, and continually offered their help for the whole production," Bowden said. "It was businesses like this that helped us make the cost feasible."

Bowden, 35, is originally from New Province, N.J., and graduated college in 1996 from Colby College in Maine with a degree in sociology. He was a competitive skier and found his way to Squaw Valley after graduation. He quickly saw the bruised and battered future of a competitive skier and decided that that life wasn't for him. So he turned to the thing that truly interests him - filmmaking.

"A sucker for moving images," Bowden has always been passionate about film and immediately started volunteering on film sets. Independent filmmaking suited Bowden, but he still felt he had to make a name for himself. Being a production assistant and watching others make films left him frustrated. He had to take charge of his career.

"I had the motivation," said Bowden. "I didn't feel the need to claw my way up."

Even though Bowden had early success at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival with a short film called "Downtown," he was not confident as a director and needed a new perspective.

"What I was missing was working directly with actors and speaking their language," Bowden said.

So, he took acting lessons at the Jean Shelton Actors Theater in San Francisco. He also studied other playwrights to improve his writing and be able to better guide actors. Bowden is proud of his journey so far and feels his life experience is a key to his success. His father, a scientist, instilled in him a diligent work ethic and his mother, who is an artist, sold one of her paintings to be able to invest in Bowden's production company. Even though his parents did not consider filmmaking a career, they still encouraged him to pursue his dreams.

Bowden is thankful for his skiing opportunities and for not getting into the business world at an early age. He feels he is now in a better position to direct, having a deeper perspective.

"I didn't have the ability to have empathy at 22 years old," said Bowden. "Now, I feel like I can make accurate and true portrayals of real people."

Even getting a degree in sociology instead of film has been a surprising benefit. Bowden says sociology allowed him to look beyond the surface level and ask more than the obvious questions - not just what meets the eye.

"I'm not looking to write to get to a certain place or make something happen, but to embody the characters and let them tell the story organically," Bowden said.

His wife Denise, who he met in college, is expecting the couple's first child. He feels fatherhood will add balance to his life and give him another perspective for filmmaking. Bowden is currently working on two screen plays and a television pilot.