POCO LOCO

Working title was “Rancho Fandango,” romantic comedy, modern version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” about two sisters who argue over whether a ranch they have inherited should be turned into an organic farm or a tennis resort; First feature film for Koons of Mill Valley, who produced a series of educational films on early child development in the 1980s; Koons on Valentine’s Day in 1994 married rock music legend Jerry Garcia, the lead guitarist and spiritual leader of The Grateful Dead; Two cousins, co-producer and co-writer Ellen Osborne of Oakland and Production Manager Ellen Devine of San Francisco, both graduated from Peninsula High School and are related to Samuel Morse, founder of Pebble Beach, Osbrone as a granddaughter and Devine as a great-niece, Osborne graduated from Santa Clara School in 1971 and Devine from York School in 1981; Production dominated by women in an attempt to give women an avenue of opportunity in a largely male-dominated industry; Cast drawn from San Francisco Bay Area Theatrical Circles; Low-budget production (under $ 1 million) released to film festivals and universities; Premiere at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch in Marin County; Scenes filmed in Carmel Vallet (for six weeks in September and October 1992), primarily at the Holman Ranch and also at Rancho San Carlos, The Hastings Natural History Reservation and River Ranch.

Susan Brecht, Sandra Chapin and Meeka Schmalle

Directed by Deborah Koons (also co-producer); Mill Valley-based Signs of Life Films