Emeryville film show latest event shut down after Oakland fire

The Emeryville warehouse known as Midsummer Studios has long hosted weddings and concerts, children’s camps and fundraisers, mostly without city-required permits.

A Saturday night film screening expected to draw about 200 people to the 3,000-square-foot studio space was called off, organizers say, because the city said events like it need approval.

“This isn’t some shack, and it’s not the Ghost Ship, either,” said Rebekah Fergusson, a co-founder of Backyard Films, the Bay Area film collective that had planned Saturday’s screening.

The problems for the warehouse started when Midsummer Studios scheduled a fundraiser for the family members of the Ghost Ship victims.

The warehouse had been inspected by the city and found to be compliant with code, said Ben Fee, a co-founder of Midsummer Studios, adding that city officials even once inquired whether they could host an event there.

[...] to city officials, that’s not the issue, because even buildings up to code need a permit for special events.

A video producer based in Emeryville who had planned to attend the screening, Winnie Wong, said she was “obviously bummed out” but added that it may show that “Emeryville is trying to get a head start on accountability” after the Oakland fire.

Another filmmaker, Sean Wells, who lives in Oakland close enough to the Ghost Ship fire that he smelled the smoke, said artists have started to hold back on hosting events because now is not a good time to be in the limelight.