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Oakland Originals Shines a Light on the Greatness and Soul of Our City
By David Higgins, Founder & Realtor at Cush Real Estate | October 13, 2026
A Full Circle Night at the Grand Lake Theatre
This past Wednesday night, October 7th, I had the privilege of sitting in a packed house at our historic Grand Lake Theatre alongside more than 300 fellow Oaklanders (and a good number of Oakland fans) for the premiere of three new short documentaries from Oakland Originals. I walked out of that theatre with a full heart, and I have been thinking about these films since.
What Is Oakland Originals?
For those who may not know, Oakland Originals creates short documentaries about extraordinary people here in Oakland who are doing grassroots work that has had a huge and positive impact on our communities. The series is the brainchild of my friend Jim McSilver. Back in 2014, after the first four films premiered at the Grand Lake Theatre, Jim shared with me what he hoped to do with the next round. He wanted the new films to be even more personal in their portraits of these hometown heroes, and to dig deeper into the work they are doing to tackle our community’s biggest challenges. I believed in that vision, and when Jim launched a crowdfunding campaign in 2016, I was excited to make a contribution. So being back in that same beautiful theatre twelve years after that first premiere, watching the completed next chapter, felt like coming full circle.
Meet This Year’s Oakland Originals
This year’s films tell the stories of three Oakland natives: John Jones III, Gilbert Gong and RyanNicole. The three films, RyanNicole: Grit & Forgiveness, Gilbert Gong: The Heart of Lincoln Square and John Jones III: One Place in America, follow these local heroes as they take on some of our city’s biggest challenges, fight to hold on to the core of Oakland culture, and work to build community and opportunity for all of us who call this place home.
I’ll be honest. These films touched me deeply. Watching them, I was reminded of why I am so proud to live here, raise my family here, and do business here. These are people who are making a real difference through sheer will, grit and belief. Nobody handed them a playbook or a budget. They simply saw something in their community that needed to be done and they did it, day after day, year after year. Simply put, they are the soul of Oakland, and their selfless commitment to community service is something every one of us can learn from.
An Evening in True Oakland Fashion
The evening kicked off in true Oakland fashion. In the spirit and tradition of Oakland Chinatown, the Lincoln Explorers Lion Dance Team performed a ceremonial lion dance right beneath the famous Grand Lake marquee. It was a fantastic way to start the night. City council members, county supervisors and other elected officials and their staff also turned out to celebrate these Originals, which says a lot about how much this work matters to our city.
Jim produces the series with a small and dedicated team of Oakland filmmakers, including J.P. Dobrin, who directed the Gilbert Gong film. When they put out the call to the community for worthy subjects, they received dozens of names. Jim told me the hardest part was narrowing that list down to just three. I love that problem. It tells you how many Originals we truly have living among us.
Where the Films Are Screening
These films are already traveling. The October 7 screening marked the world premiere of the John Jones III film. The RyanNicole film has screened at the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, and the Gilbert Gong film premiered at CAAMfest in San Francisco and will soon screen at the Boston Asian American Film Festival and the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Festival. Both of those films also screened at the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema Festival, where the Gilbert Gong film earned the festival’s “Heart of Bernal” award.
Bringing These Stories to Oakland Schools
What excites me most is where Jim and his team want to take these films next. Their goal is to get them into the mainstream and, most importantly, into our local schools so kids can see them. They plan to offer free screenings for schools and community groups, paired with conversations about the issues raised in each film. Imagine a classroom of Oakland kids watching someone who grew up on the same streets they did make this kind of impact. That is how you grow civic pride and inspire the next generation of artists, thinkers and doers. Jim would also love to bring these films to cities beyond the Bay Area, so people everywhere can see that Oakland is so much more than its reputation, and that in many ways we are leading the country in what real community looks like.
How to Support Oakland Originals
Of course, this kind of work takes support, both financially and through partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and individuals. Tax-deductible contributions can be made through their fiscal sponsor, Filmmakers Collaborative SF, and every dollar goes a long way. If you are a business owner, nonprofit or community partner who would like to get involved, please reach out to Jim McSilver directly. I can tell you from personal experience that it is one of the most rewarding things I have ever supported.
To stay in the loop on future screenings and Oakland events, you can join the Oakland Originals newsletter mailing list. And if you’d like to watch the first four films in the series of seven, head over to oaklandoriginals.com. I promise you will come away feeling a little prouder to be an Oaklander.
With gratitude,
David Higgins
David Higgins is the founder of Cush Real Estate and a 20-year Crocker Highlands resident who raised his family in the neighborhood. He is a longtime supporter of Oakland Originals and an annual sponsor of Crocker Highlands Elementary.