San Francisco bay area has a rich history of filmmaking. The tradition goes all the way to the early 20thc when Niles Canyon near Fremont was home to the Silent Film Industry. Many silent films were produced in the studios of Niles Canyon.

Fast forward to the late 1960s when Francis Ford Coppolo  and George Lucas established American Zoetrope studio in San Francisco. If you are ever in the North Beach area of San Francisco look for the American Zoetrope building that is located right beneath the TransAmerica Pyramid building. You cannot miss the green color building.

Both Coppola and Lucas went on to make some of the most iconic American films. Did you know parts of Coppola’s “Apocalpyse Now,” were shot on Napa River? Listen to Academy Award winning editor Lisa Fruchtman talk about it here. She worked on “Apocalypse Now.”

Coppola eventually  branched out into wines and hospitality business. Here is a terrific interview with Coppolo from The Financial Times that is studded with all sorts of wonderful “film” tidbits like actor Yul Brynner was a TV director and Sidney Lumet, the famous filmmaker was Brynner’s assistant.

Photo credit: Gerald Geronimo at http://www.flickr.com/people/25445109@N07