KUNG FU GHOST: THE CINEMATIC JOURNEY OF A SAN DIEGO INDEPENDENT FILM

By Michael Howard

Photo: San Diego independent film producer Jennifer Linch (R), stands with actor Eddie Lane during last year's Comic-Con. Photo by Michael Howard

March 17, 2024 (San Diego) -- San Diego’s own Jennifer Linch, the creative force behind the acclaimed comedy action martial arts film "Kung Fu Ghost," has navigated the complex landscape of independent filmmaking in San Diego with determination and passion, overcoming numerous obstacles along the way to end up with a successful title streaming on Peacock, Prime Video, and Apple TV. 

“It’s actually about a love story between two people, a human and a ghost,” Linch explained in an interview with East County Magazine.

The story follows Daisy who inherits an estate from her late grandfather, a martial arts master. She discovers the house is haunted by her grandfather and a mysterious man, William. And an unlikely love affair soon follows.

Linch shares the origin of the story stems from her teenage years when she came across a love story between a human and a ghost. “In Asia there’s a saying that you have to be connected for 3 lifetimes to be married in one,” she reflected. “And that love story stayed with me forever.”

The martial arts element of the story also sprouted from her upbringing when as a teenager she had an altercation that affected her profoundly. “I got beat up by three girls at one time,” she exclaimed. 

But Linch didn’t take it lying down, she did something about it. She began learning martial arts.  “So instead of getting beat up by three at one time, I got beat up by one girl professionally three times a week,” Linch joked.

And it’s a good thing Linch is a fighter, for it certainly prepared her for the challenges, roadblocks, and punches of being an independent filmmaker. 

The journey begins with Linch having the story, but she needed a script. She reached out to a writer she trusted, but he was busy managing a company and wasn’t a full-time writer. Over time, the script was eventually written, but it took a year in the making and was then rushed in the end when she finally secured funding and production needed to begin.

Funding was not easy either. She had most of the funding using her own money but was still short. She tells the story of the late El Cajon native Joe D’Amato reaching out to her on social media asking if he can “buy,” or fund the director’s chair, meaning finance the cost.

“I told him, you know, Joe, if you invest in that, you may not see, like, a penny back,” she relates. She tells how D’Amato said he really liked the production. “And the next day, he gave me the check,” she reports. 

With funding squared away for the time being, location was the next up on the to-do list, and it wasn’t exactly the easiest aspect, given budgetary constraints. “So, because of the constraint of the budget, we just need one big house to shoot the story,” Linch shared, “And then the pandemic hit, and my director of photography got stuck in Paris,” she relates.  So, she and the writer shot on location on her iPhone.

Photo: Independent film producer Jennifer Linch poses in front of the film location and reported haunted Christian House in San Diego's Heritage Park, Old Town. Photo by Michael Howard

For outside scenes, Linch shot at Heritage Park in Old Town, where according to Linch she thought the Christian House gave off a certain vibe.

“The people on the Travel Channel said this is one of the most haunted places in America, so that house to me seemed really haunted,” she related. 

Once production was completed, Linch faced the daunting and often insurmountable task of distribution, how to get her film into theaters and on streaming channels.

“I did lots of research and had a list of distributions in the industry, I got it from Sundance.com,” she relates. “I reached out to them and two got back to me and two other independent distributors made an offer.” 

Linch ended up selecting a distributor that she felt was the best fit. “I think we had three or four, but I went with Vision Films because for me, at that time, they were the most legitimate,” Linch reports. “They would be able to take my film to market, and the Hong Kong market, market everywhere, and they offered a good percentage and good minimum guarantee.”

Despite being offered a minimum guarantee, where a distributor gives a producer money upfront based on an estimate of sales, Linch decided to invest in herself, so she negotiated a lower minimum guarantee to get a higher percentage of sales.

“I wanted to give Kung Fu Ghost, my ‘baby girl,’ the best chance she could have,” Linch explains. 

But the film’s chances took a hit when it was pirated online. “The movie got pirated in the first three days,” Linch reports. “In China, South Africa, and Russia.”

Not one to stress, Linch took it in stride. “It was kind of fun because even though it got pirated, the people in South Africa got in touch with me on Facebook and said hey I just bought your DVD.”  Linch shared her reaction. “I’m like what!? But they said everyone was watching it at the cinema, so I’m actually happy.”

Despite the piracy, the distributor ended up selling the film in Taiwan and India and began working on distributing the film on streaming channels, eventually landing Peacock, Prime Video and Apple TV to name a few.

With her first major film project under her belt, Linch says she more than likely wouldn’t produce another film in San Diego, or California, for that matter.  Linch says one of the major incentives a producer looks at when deciding where to shoot a film is tax credits and California’s not the best option.

“The tax credit in California is, like a maximum, I think 25%, but you have to hit certain budget amount and the permit is really expensive,” Linch explained. “I love San Diego, I will always live here, but when you run a production company, you have a responsibility to your investors,” she says.  “You can go to a different state, like Georgia, they have a tax credit that is more generous.”

“California is the birthplace of Hollywood. I don’t understand why we don’t offer a higher tax credit and make the permit easier,” she retorts. 

Asked about her next project, Linch was eager to share the storyline. “It’s about two friends who grow up together, but drift apart, one becomes a cop, the other a thief. They both end up being framed for murder, so they reconnect to discover what happened.  The message of the movie is about friendship and family.” 

For anyone considering going into independent filmmaking, Linch has a message.

“Do it because it adds meaning to your life, don’t do it for any other reason,” she says. “You shouldn’t do it for money, fortune, and fame. You can be more famous on TikTok or like Only Fans,” she says.

“You should do it because it makes you happy,” she adds.

SOURCES

IMDb. (n.d.). Joe D’Amato—Biography. IMDb. Retrieved March 10, 2024, from https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7182400/bio/

Linch, J. N. (Director). (2022, August 2). Kung Fu Ghost [Action, Comedy]. Nameless Productions.

Linch, J. N. (2023, September 16). Producer, Kung Fu Ghost [Personal communication].

Roku. (n.d.). How to watch and stream Kung Fu Ghost—2022 on Roku. Roku. Retrieved March 10, 2024, from https://www.roku.com/whats-on/movies/kung-fu-ghost?id=e8544150e6c75ebda348190b191b549a

San Diego Haunted Locations. (n.d.). Ghosts at Victorian Village in Heritage Park. San Diego Haunted Locations. Retrieved March 13, 2024, from https://www.sandiegohaunted.com/san-diego-haunted-locations-places-homes/old-town/ghosts-at-victorian-village-in-heritage-park/

Yennie, B. (n.d.). 22 Indiefilm Distribution Definitions Filmmakers NEED to know. Guerrilla Rep Media. Retrieved March 16, 2024, from https://www.theguerrillarep.com/blog/filmmakers-glossary-of-distribution-jargon