Portal A Spotlights Steph Curry, Joe Montana, Francis Ford Coppola in Love Letter to SF
Bay Area-founded content company Portal A has partnered with Sundance-winning filmmaker Joe Talbot (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) to create Comeback City, an original short film that reimagines what a city-brand campaign can look like.
Rather than relying on tourism messaging, economic statistics, or civic talking points, the film follows a coyote as it leaves the Marin Headlands and journeys through San Francisco, encountering the people, culture, institutions, and unexpected moments that make the city feel alive. Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film features appearances from Stephen Curry, Joe Montana, Francis Ford Coppola, Dominique Crenn, Dave Eggers, Larry June, Mayor Daniel Lurie, and dozens of other artists, athletes, chefs, musicians, creators, and community leaders.
The project was created and produced by Portal A for Believe in SF, a nonprofit dedicated to championing San Francisco's future. Directed by Talbot, a fifth-generation San Franciscan whose work has long explored identity and belonging in the city, the film intentionally asks a different question than whether San Francisco is “back." Instead, it explores why people continue to find community, inspiration, and a sense of home there.
“What makes the work particularly interesting from a creative perspective is the decision to use a narrative short film and a coyote as the central character, instead of a traditional campaign structure,” says Portal A Co-Founder Nate Houghteling, who was the writer and Executive Producer on the project. “The result feels closer to a piece of cinema than destination marketing.”
The film launched on June 10 and has already generated significant local attention, including coverage from the San Francisco Chronicle, which called it a celebrity-filled love letter to the city's resurgence.
CREDITS
Producer - Jesse Rogala
Creative Producer - Meaghan Mitchell
Director of Photography - Sarah Jaffe
Co-EPs: Zach Blume, Kai Hasson
Animal Trainers - Tamara Brock, Guin Dill, Stephanie Taunton
1st Assistant Camera - Jonathan Bowerbank
Steadicam - Peggy Peralta
1st Assistant Director - Jesse Rogala
Key Production Assistant - Robert De Leon
Sound Mixer - Brian Baker, Ian Van Keuren
Online Editor - Jonas Smensgard
Color and Sound - Roast n Post
Head of Post - Arturo Morales
Design - Zack Kutos, Grace Tellers
Strategy - Aditi Rajvanshi, Bailey Carlin, Karen Janssen
