Candid Camera, by Vera H-C Chan
Oakland Magazine, May/June 2005

Escape from New York: “Harry Potter” director and SF-er Chris Columbus helms the big-screen version of the Broadway musical Rent, featuring most of the original cast, filmed on Treasure Island. Now, looks like Oakland’s old 16th Street Amtrak gets to have a cameo. With the likes of Taye Diggs (“Kevin Hill”) and Jesse L. Martin (“Law and Order”), that’s just way too much handsome for SF to hog.

Spicing Up Old Oakland: Oakland subs for England in Chitra Divakaruni’s novel Mistress of Spices. Husband-and-wife team Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha- they of “Bend It Like Beckham” and “Bride and Prejudice” – direct the 1997 tale of Tilo.

Oakland will get to have a few establishing location shots, even though the British-funded project will film mainly in the mother country. That might explain the brief biz makeover in early spring, when the Candyman doubled as a taqueria, Director’s Cut specialized in corn rows and braids and variety store Legogo subbed as the spice shop.

Feeling Festive:

Get thee to a post office by June 3 to meet the Oakland International Film Festival deadline. Winning works will be showcased at the Grand Lake Theater Sept.15-22. Info at www.oaklandfilmfestival.org.

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