February 2nd was a big date in San Andreas’ entertainment calendar. Film-goers gathered at the historic Sisyphus Theater for the premier of Run, a horror movie cast and filmed entirely within the state of San Andreas. Run is produced by STARGAZE, a studio owned by Vinewood entrepreneur Michael Andino.

Run centers around an unnamed heroine (Quinn Freeman-Martino), pursued by a masked killer (portrayed by Bunnie Kandisky, voiced by Eddie Euckland). This film also features Josive Dacul in a supporting role.

The film depicts a chaotic night in San Andreas, with a masked killer wearing a construction vest stalking a terrified woman through the streets and subways. The pursuit escalates with the sudden murder of an intervening security guard, and the killer’s target must flee her attacker through an increasingly industrial environment. Run culminates in an unexpected twist that drew laughter and cheers from the crowd. 

The movie features the music of Virtual Heart Society, Mykie Romance and Lulu Moon, and Brick Colt. Run’s premier also served as a showcase for live music from Dante “TEO” Gravina and Nicholai “Pax” Solemko.

The premier itself was a social event of its own, with a lively crowd gathering to watch the homegrown creative content. Weazel helped with streaming the premier, allowing for a wider distribution of movie. Andino also took time to credit Erin Murphy for helping facilitate the viewing at the Sisphyus.Theatre. Run’s premier follows on the heels of efforts from other production companies in the state, and it was host to an exclusive ArCola launch, Rawlin N Run.

“The thing about movies, if you know anything about investments, they are risky ventures,” says Andino in conversation with Shout News. “It’s very difficult to make this kind of money back. So we figured, why not try to go with a different model, why not try to make movies for people?”

By working with local businesses and soliciting community support, STARGAZE hopes to sustain itself. “We want to be able to keep making these movies that aren’t driven by an arbitrary profit incentive,” says Andino.

The premier was a lively event, with curious crowds gathering to watch the homegrown creative content. Run‘s premier follows on the heels of efforts from other production companies in the states to promote live showings. ArCola had an exclusive launch, Rawlin n’ Run available through the event’s concessions. Opening event night was free to the public, with polite signage requesting donations from patrons who wanted to support independent media.

Run‘s successful premier marks another success for producer Michael Andino, who celebrated a recent success in civil courts with 2023-CV-84. The case tested H.R. 266 – The Intellectual Property Protection Act (editorial disclosure: the Intellectual Property Protection Act was authored by Becks Lawson) with Andino ultimately keeping control of the intellectual properties  SuperHero Intervention Team (better known as SHIT) and The Aftermath.

Andino’s hopeful for the feature of STARGAZE, looking to revisit the superhero genre. During the Q&A period of the premier, he also mentioned the potential for episodic and reality content. Andino also confirmed a second greenlit project in development inspired by classic Westerns. Run is available on streaming.