San Francisco-born rapper and Cookies cannabis entrepreneur Berner can add one more job description to his extensive résumé: filmmaker.
“Splash City,” shot entirely in San Francisco, is a gritty crime film set in the world of “bipping” — the practice of smash-and-grab theft gangs that specialize in breaking into vehicles. It focuses on two brothers (Reed Shannon and Zach Sowers) on opposite paths.
Berner is cowriter, along with David Mansanalez, and codirected the project with Alex Ferrufino. His first feature-length movie, Berner self-funded it for $2 million.
“We only see one side of the city when we see films, whether it be ‘Dirty Harry’ or ‘Mrs. Doubtfire,’ the ‘Full House’ TV series,” Berner told the Chronicle in a video interview. “I grew up in a very, very different side of the city. There’s still people there that have been through a lot, and I want them to see that…