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Peter Zerzan’s ‘The Tourist’ Begins Its Festival Journey at the 20th San Francisco Short Film Festival

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Peter Zerzan’s ‘The Tourist’ Begins Its Festival Journey at the 20th San Francisco Short Film Festival


In the realm of independent cinema, few narratives resonate as deeply as the journey of self-discovery. Peter Zerzan’s film, The Tourist, is one such piece of fiction that encapsulates the reality, discomfort and liberation that exist in soul-searching. Now, the film embarks on its festival journey, presenting at the 20th San Francisco Short Film Festival, marking a significant milestone in its cinematic voyage.

The debut screening is intended to introduce the audience to the film’s rich cultural and creative tapestry while setting the stage for its anticipated presence in future festivals worldwide. “I’m excited for the screening,” Zerzan shares. “I think the film looks best on the big screen. We shot it specifically for that, on location. It’s meant to feel big.”

Set against the lush coastlines of Goa, India, The Tourist follows the journey of Akiko, a Japanese businesswoman who travels to Goa to attend a crypto convention and finds herself at the crossroads between following her heart and following the path she thought was right. Her journey unfolds as she encounters a local man, leading to a transformative experience that challenges her perceptions of success and fulfillment.

Zerzan’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in every frame. The film was intentionally created for the big screen, employing anamorphic lenses and a carefully curated color wheel inspired by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s Theory of Colors. “Colors can hold many emotions and narratives within themselves; they’re pivotal to storytelling,” Zerzan shares. “As Akiko’s journey progresses, her wardrobe transitions with the color wheel too, symbolizing her emotional and personal evolution.” That kind of meticulous attention is emblematic of Zerzan’s approach, striking a balance of cinematic craft and human resonance.

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With co-writer Melissa Pennel, Zerzan has brought to life a narrative that delves into themes of authenticity and inner peace. With the upcoming film festival screening debut, Pennel takes pride in her words materializing on the screen. “As a longtime writer, I’ve always trusted that my words would find a way to someone; that necessary belief is what keeps me pounding away alone at the keyboard,” she reflects. “But as a writer that’s new to film, this isn’t something I get to witness often. It’s a thrill to hear the words I typed alone at my desk come to life through talented actors.”

Collaborating with Zerzan, Pennel adds, was a lesson in both creativity and generosity. “Peter was a dream collaborator. He welcomed feedback and new ideas with such openness that it made the process feel fluid and creative. His experience helped us make decisions about when a scene’s cost might outweigh its impact, laying a solid foundation for the story.”

Melissa Pennel

Image Courtesy of Melissa Pennel

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The San Francisco Short Film Festival has been a platform for independent filmmakers and films like The Tourist to be celebrated. “It’s nice that we’re still having festivals and events where independent films have a place,” he says, noting the post-COVID challenges that have reshaped the theatrical landscape. “Film festivals give new work a moment to be seen and valued, which is essential when the industry is so focused on the same things over and over again.”

Zerzan’s reflections touch on broader industry concerns as well. Amid a climate increasingly dominated by franchise filmmaking and AI-assisted content, he sees film festivals as a crucial equalizer, a space for originality, creativity and human perspective to persist. “AI is inherently backward-looking,” he says. “It works with what’s already been done. Festivals let fresh voices exist, and they remind audiences what the medium can do when creativity comes first.”

As The Tourist embarks on its festival journey, the team looks forward to sharing Akiko’s story with a broader audience, hoping to inspire reflections on personal fulfillment and the pursuit of authenticity. “I hope people leave with the reminder that we don’t have to chase anyone else’s idea of success,” Zerzan shares. “True satisfaction comes from being real, from living in a way that feels true, and from noticing the beauty and awe around us.”

The film’s debut marks the first stop on what Zerzan hopes will be a longer festival journey. “This is the start of sharing it with as many eyes as possible,” he says.

Those viewing the screening will encounter a narrative that is visually deliberate and emotionally expansive. In the cinematic landscape often dominated by franchise-driven narratives, The Tourist stands as a testament to the power of original storytelling and the enduring impact of film festivals in nurturing creative voices, all while paying it forward for the industry.

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Court document details attack on SF mayor’s bodyguard as Lurie responds to incident

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Court document details attack on SF mayor’s bodyguard as Lurie responds to incident


SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — For the first time since the attack on San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s bodyguard, one of the suspects was in court on Tuesday afternoon.

On Monday, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins filed charges against the man. Those charges include:

  • Resisting an executive officer


  • Assault with force to cause bodily injury


  • Willful disobedience of a court order


  • Unlawful lodging at the same location from a previous citation

Mayor Daniel Lurie said the incident won’t deter him from walking the streets of the city doing what he was doing moments before his bodyguard was attacked last week.

PREVIOUS STORY: SF mayor was ‘worried’ about 2 men on street, checked on them before bodyguard attack

Multiple angles covered a dramatic altercation between one of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie’s security detail and individuals on the street.

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“I think I need to be able to see it myself and not just stay cloistered up and not be out of the streets. I walked the streets this morning and had some great interactions and was able to help some people,” said Mayor Lurie.

We obtained the detention motion, which revealed specific details about the incident.

The document said Mayor Lurie was riding in a car northbound on Larking Street with two of his security detail. The mayor asked the driver to stop and got out of the car with one of the officers to approach four people who were blocking the road; “two were sitting on the sidewalk… one was actually sitting in the street.” The document says one of the individuals “was aggressive” and “stepped towards the mayor,” after he asked them to move out of the road a few times. This led the bodyguard to position himself between the mayor and the individual. The document states the individual “got very close” to the officer and threatened him and said, “Bruce Lee I’ll kick your a**!”

The officer, according to the document, proceeded to shove the individual away from him “with both hands to defend himself and to create distance,” causing the individual to fall backwards on the sidewalk.

The individual quickly stood up and “rushed at the officer.”

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Multiple people in the area captured the altercation on video.

We asked the mayor if he would do anything different in the future.

INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker

“I’m not going to stop doing it. I will consult with our detail and our chief and make sure we can do this safely,” said Mayor Lurie.

San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said he is glad the mayor sees the crisis on the streets up close.

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“A lot of people will cross the street to get away from it hide from it. We don’t want our city hiding from this problem,” said Supervisor Mandelman.

Kevin Benedicto, vice president of the San Francisco police commission, said they will be looking into the incident.

“A number of commissioners are going to want to ask the chief about updates about the incident just to make sure we have all the policies and procedures in place,” said Benedicto.

The Individual who attacked the mayor’s bodyguard has been charged in the past for criminal threats in 2019 and 2020.

One of the arraignments is set for Wednesday at 9 a.m.

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Where the wild things dine: Inside Wolfsbane, San Francisco’s most exciting new restaurant

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Where the wild things dine: Inside Wolfsbane, San Francisco’s most exciting new restaurant


SAN FRANCISCO — There’s a new kind of magic happening in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood; the kind that arrives quietly, in nine courses, with a glass of rare Kentucky bourbon in hand.

Wolfsbane, named for the ancient plant of folklore said to keep werewolves at bay, opened its doors last Fall as a collaboration between Tommy Halvorson, a Kentucky-born chef and catering veteran, and the husband-and-wife duo behind the beloved Michelin-starred Lord Stanley, chef Rupert Blease and general manager Carrie Blease. Together, the three have transformed the former space of Serpentine, Halvorson’s previous restaurant, into one of the city’s most anticipated fine dining destinations.

The idea, Halvorson says, had been brewing for years. “I always kind of had in the back of my mind, I was like, we should have Rupert and Carrie,” he recalls. The opportunity came last year as both camps closed up their respective restaurants. “I texted Rupert and I was like, dude, it’s time. We need to open a restaurant.” Once the decision was made, there was no looking back. “We pretty much stepped on the gas and started rolling.”

The Bleases are no strangers to commitment. Carrie first met Rupert while interning at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in England, a storied Michelin two-starred property helmed by Raymond Blanc. “We worked at a lot of places together, probably more so than apart,” Carrie says. After years in London, New York, and the English countryside, San Francisco became home and eventually their life’s work. Lord Stanley ran for a decade before the couple channeled everything into this new chapter.

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The nine-course tasting menu is rooted in Northern California’s rich bounty. “We go to the farmer’s markets several times a week,” says Rupert. “We buy directly from farms. We use all of the local produce that we can possibly find when it’s in season.” Standouts include an edible sunflower fashioned from artichoke heart with toasted seed butter and poppy seeds, and the return of favorites from Lord Stanley, including its buttermilk cabbage dish and delicate onion petal appetizer.

But for all its refinement, Wolfsbane is deliberately unpretentious. “We don’t want to create a space where people feel uncomfortable because they think they’re going to be looked down upon because they don’t know which fork to use,” Halvorson says. The bar program reflects his personal obsession; rare bourbons sourced over years, including a barrel named after his family’s Kentucky farm. “When you get into really well-made bourbon, really high-proof, and it doesn’t feel like they are, that’s when you know you’ve got something special there.” What Halvorson says about bourbon also sums up Wolfsbane-high-concept dining that doesn’t feel like it, making for a special and unforgettable experience.

For more information, visit https://wolfsbanesf.com/

Copyright © 2026 KGO-TV. All Rights Reserved.



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Daniel Lurie sparked confrontation that injured security team: Police report

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Daniel Lurie sparked confrontation that injured security team: Police report


Mayor Daniel Lurie sparked the altercation that led to a fight and injuries to two San Francisco police officers in his security detail, according to a police report of the incident obtained by the Standard.

On Thursday evening at 5:38 p.m., Lurie, an aide, and two members of his security team were driving north on Larkin St. when they spotted several people sitting on the sidewalk on the corner of Cedar St., an alley in the Tenderloin. 

The mayor ordered the driver of his Rivian SUV, Officer Nicholas Boccio, to pull over. Lurie hopped out of the SUV. His second bodyguard, Officer Joel Aguayo, followed.

What happened next would result in two injured officers, a gun aimed at a man’s chest, two arrests, and renewed questions about the public safety under the mayor’s leadership. 

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While footage of the incident after the officer pushed one of the men has been published by Mission Local (opens in new tab), details about what led up to the fight have not been previously revealed. 

After leaving the safety of his vehicle, the mayor took matters into his own hands, the report says. Lurie attempted to get the group hanging out on Cedar St. to move, but one of the men refused. 

“On whose behalf do I need to move?” asked one of the men named Tony Phillips, according to Aguayo’s statement.

According to the narrative of the combined witness statements, “Mayor Lurie addressed the group and requested that they move along, as they were standing in the roadway. Phillips became immediately argumentative, stating that he did not have to move.” 

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Lurie told Phillips that Aguayo was an SFPD officer. Aguayo repeated that and requested that Phillips comply and move out of the way. Phillips again refused.

The police report said the mayor and Aguayo asked Phillips to move at least four times, at one point saying they would call uniformed officers to remove him. 

Still, Phillips refused, as the mayor paced a few feet away from Aguayo, video of the incident shows. 

While most of the group of four men appeared to stay put, according to footage of the incident, Phillips stepped toward Aguayo, who was standing in front of the mayor. 

According to the police report, Phillips then said, “I’ll Bruce Lee kick your ass.” Aguayo then swiftly pushed Phillips to the ground. Phillips got up and was pushed again before rushing the officer. The pair grappled and then fell to the ground, and Aguayo struck the back of his head. 

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During the fight, Lurie ran to the parked SUV to tell the driver, Boccio, that his partner was in trouble. When Boccio rushed to help, another man in the alley — Abraham Simon — grabbed the officer and reached for his waistband. Simon backed off after Boccio pulled his service weapon. 

Boccio then helped Aguayo but was unable to restrain Phillips. It wasn’t until several uniformed officers arrived that Phillips was taken into custody. 

Aguayo, who suffered cuts to the back of his head, facial bruising, and a back injury, said to investigating officers that he had to use force on Phillips because he was threatened verbally and got within inches of him. The officer also said he tried to de-escalate to no avail. Boccio’s hand was cut during the confrontation. 

No body camera footage was captured of the incident because officers in the mayor’s security detail did not wear them. 

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The incident, about which Lurie has made brief statements, has raised questions about whether Lurie’s freewheeling approach to walking the streets could put him into danger. The mayor told reporters last week after the incident that he asked the people to move because he was concerned for their safety and that of other pedestrians and drivers. 

“I’m out here walking the streets of San Francisco like I do every day. I believe that you can’t solve what you can’t see,” Lurie said in an Instagram post Monday, seemingly doubling down on his approach to interacting with San Franciscans. 

When asked for comment, the mayor’s spokesman Charles Lutvak referred to the Instagram post and a story Lurie shared in his State of the City speech about approaching a man who appeared to be an addict, who told the mayor to mind his own business. 

The mayor’s reply: “You are my business.”

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Lurie’s own account of the incident was not included in the police report, although the document says he later would be contacted for a statement. 

Phillips is set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of threatening an officer, inflicting great bodily injury, and contempt of court for violating a stay-away order from the alley. District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said her office will request that Phillips remain in custody as he is a threat to the public. 

Simon is also set to be arraigned Tuesday on charges of interfering with an officer. 

The incident is also being investigated by the Department of Police Accountability, according to The Chronicle.



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