FAQ

Press coverage?

CBS 8 4/6/2018
Union Tribune 3/1/2018
ABC 10 News
Stu News Newport
The Storytelling Consultant 12/11/17
San Diego City Beat 11/21/17
Voice of San Diego Podcast 10/27/17 (we start 21 minutes in)
San Diego Union Tribune 10/22/17
San Diego Uptown News 10/20/17
Voice of San Diego Op-Ed 10/11/2017
KPBS Midday Edition 10/3/2017
Real Talk San Diego 9/13/17
I Might Go To The Beach Podcast
Independent Voter Network podcast and article
Yoga Chat Podcast in Los Angeles (Start at 59:20)

Who made this film?

My name is Dennis Stein and I own 6 UPS Stores in San Diego. Here are their addresses.

I’ve been making skateboard videos since I was 12 years old. Video production technology got better and less expensive, so I made some videos for my business and for things I’m interested in like the fishing harbor, my brother’s CoCalc math software, North Park, rain, food, and bike lanes.

Why did you decide to make a film about homelessness instead of another topic?

I wanted to find a topic that was important and that allowed me to make a difference. Although there are others issues that I’m interested in, this one would allow me to make the biggest impact. It’s very misunderstood in terms of the causes and the solutions.

How did the concept of the film come about?

The film was at first going to document life on the streets. But as we filmed more, we both wanted to understand solutions to homelessness. Once we decided that this would be the focus of the film, the challenge became removing hours of fascinating footage that wasn’t specifically about the focus of the film. Some of this footage can be found under Deleted Scenes.

What is the purpose of the film?

The film exists primarily to help people in San Diego understand the issue of homelessness so that we can advocate for full funding and implementation of those efforts lead by the Regional Task Force on the Homeless.

How did you find Tony?

On July 25th, 2016, I went to 17th Street with the Alpha Project outreach team to do short interviews with homeless folks. I had hoped to find someone who was good on camera and who would be willing to let me video their daily life. Tony was one of the people I interviewed, but as with most homeless people, contacting or finding him afterwards was difficult.

Serendipitously, on November 4th, 2016, I bumped into him on 15th Street while we were both riding bikes. I met up with him the next morning and started filming.

When was the film made?

Tony and I filmed and edited this documentary between November 2016 and August 2017.

How many people did you interview?

We interviewed 30+ people, mostly on camera. Full versions of these interviews are posted on this website. These interviews took place in San Diego, L.A., San Jose, Sacramento, Seattle, and Houston. Tony was there for all the on camera interviews.

How long is the movie?

The documentary is one hour thirteen minutes in length. I encourage those who are interested in this topic to watch the many hours of additional vidoes at tony-themovie.com.

Is Tony really homeless?

Tony became homeless sometime around 2013 and has been homeless in East Village, San Diego ever since. He was homeless and sleeping on the streets during the entire filming of the documentary except while traveling to other cities. As of the writing of this on April 8th, 2018, he is still homeless.

What is Tony’s status in terms of getting housing?

Tony did the housing assessment in late 2016 and has been assigned a housing navigator through the Regional Task Force on the Homeless. There are several things that lower his chances of getting housing.

• He has a girlfriend and a dog, so housing must be for all of them at the same time to be acceptable. Neither will leave the other on the street.
• They want to be near each other, so in the same unit, building, or within a few blocks at the most.
• The dog is not classified as a service animal.
• The dog is medium to large sized and barks occasionally.
• Neither has mental or physical illness.
• Neither is a veteran.
• Neither is 62 years old, so they are not seniors.
• Neither has any income through the state or federal government, such as SSI.
• Tony does not believe he is capable of steady work, although he would like to do work that provides flexibility in his schedule.
• After years of being on the streets, he feels beaten down. This causes a lack of motivation for him to take steps that could lead to getting off the streets, such as pursuing friendships and flexible work situations.

How can I contact Dennis or Tony?

You can contact me at:
Dennis Stein
Cell: 858-663-7752
dsteinsd@gmail.com
facebook.com/dsteinsd
Twitter: @dsteinsd

I can put you in touch with Tony.

How can I keep up on Tony – The Movie related things?

Click on the social media links on this page and subscribe to the email list.