our betty yu was there when the dust settled to see how the demonstrations impacted tonight's festivities. >> we're closed until further notice. >> reporter: on the saturday before christmas, the holiday glow that usually lights up union square was missing. wrecked ornaments lay on the ground and officers investigated the broken tree after pro-palestinian protesters climbed and damaged it. like hundreds of others, this oakland resident who came to take holiday photos was greeted by a dark tree. >> i'm so disappointed. yeah. i thought it was a joke. i asked the security guard are the lights coming on at 6 tim, and he's like no, the tree is broken. >> it feels weird. >> reporter: protesters took to the ice skating rink with flags, prompting it to be shut down for hours at a time when union square was packed with visitors. we were there as san francisco police arrested several protesters for crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism. one officer was struck in the head with an object. protesters called for a ceasefire in gaza. >> i understand the anger, you know, that their feeling. but

betty yu was on the carpet with more on why some of the night's biggest honorees have a special connection to the bay area. >> hi, barbie. >> hi, ken. >> the brains behind this years megahit barbie is oscar-nominated filmmaker, greta gerwig . >> i can't believe anyone let us make this movie. i'm so grateful that they did. >> and on monday, she was honored for film direction at a fundraising dinner to support the next generation of artists. ryan gosling, who played ken, presented her with the award, named in honor of the film festival's founder. >> you wrote ryan's name directly into the manuscript. you manifested the kenergy. >> i really did. >> how does that feel, ken? >> it is kind of like that movie, big. my experience was little. but greta wrote me and the next day i woke up and suddenly, i was ken. and i just kenned as hard as i could. >> you were out of the box. how has life been after the actors strike and to be here at this major event tonight? >> i'm excited to be here because i'm so glad that they are honoring greta. >> among the awardees, nicholas cage received the lifetime achi

but first let's get out to betty yu in santa clara. rs faithful feeling pretty good at this hour, right, betty? >> reporter: and you can tell how good they felt just by seeing all the smiles. in fact, with minutes left on the clock, andrea, there were many celebrations breaking out all around levi's stadium. and tonight's win really strengthened the niner's position in the race for the no. 1 in the nfc.

the event was emceed by our very own betty yu. >>> that is it for the afternoon edition.re streaming 24/7. next newscast is at 3:00. i will see you it's just so inspiring to do research that impacts human lives stand up to cancer has been a critical partner in advancing research for cancer. so please help us fight in this battle against cancer. [ relaxing music ] >> eric: oh, donna, i have so much to do and so little time, >> donna: eric, i-- i really wish you wouldn't think of it that way. >> eric: i have to. i-- i can't-- i can't waste a minute. i can't, i mean, i-- i don't even really know how many minutes i have left. oh, stop it you two. i don't want this. i don't want these-- these long faces. i don't want sadness in here, okay? i've had this wonderful life and it's-- it's not over yet

as betty yu shows us, the challenge is getting people used to it. >> reporter: in the shadow of a pickleball court, four designated spaces for people who live in their cars to spend the night. palo alto invited churches to open their parking lots to people living in their cars about three years ago. the safe parking pilot program was meant to help tackle the homeless problem. on this night, we visited the four participating locations and only found one person taking advantage of the space. >> some of it may be awareness. i think some people just want the freedom. sometimes people, because there are some requirements. you have to have a case worker. >> reporter: the councilmember said the program helped 25 households from january 2021 to this summer. people in cars are welcome to park after 7:00 p.m. and must leave in the morning. monday the council will discuss expanding and permanently establishing the program. >> the bigger challenge is because we don't have parking enforcement coupled together with the safe parking program. so we don't have the carrot stick thing going on that other citie

but the mother of a young man was shot and killed by a stray bullet told betty yu, what price did to her family or rather did not do for them is indefensible. >> this is my kid. i am speaking out about my situation. >> reporter: an emotional florence mccrary spoke during the q&a portion of a town hall hosted by the campaign to recall pamela price. no save alameda for everyone. her 22-year-old son terrence from berkeley was killed by a stray bullet inside and oakland art gallery in 2016. mccrary said the intended target was shot multiple times and killed nearby. the suspect was charged for both murders under the previous da in alameda county. but last week at a sentencing hearing, price's office made a deal with the shooter. for voluntary manslaughter of the intended target. the murder charge against mccrary son was dropped altogether. >> we would expect more empathy and more concern for mothers who have had to put their children in the ground at 22 years of age . >> reporter: trenta was told that price's office did not think they could win if they went to trial. mccrary shared her st

but as betty yu shows us, the big challenge is getting people to use the service at all. >> reporter: in the shadow of a pickle ball court, four designated spaces for people who live in their cars to spend the night . the city of palo alto invited churches to open their parking lots to people living in their cars about three years ago. the safe parking pilot program was meant to help tackle the city's homeless problem. on this night we visited the four participating locations and only found one person taking advantage of the space. >> some of it may be awareness. i think some people want to have the freedom. sometimes people, there is actually , some requirements, you have to have a caseworker. >> council member greg tanaka's said that it helped 25 households from january of 2021 to this summer. and people are welcome to park after 7:00 pm and must leave in the morning. on monday council will discuss expanding and permanently establishing the program. >> the bigger challenge really is that we don't have the parking enforcement coupled together with the safe parking program. so we don'

tonight businesses tell our betty yu those bike lanes have left them spinning their wheels. >> reporter been about six months since the city installed the new center like bike lanes here on velancia street, and many business owners say it's driven people away. >> it's just less people. >> reporter: just look at this nearly empty dining room friday night at yasmin, a mediterranean cafe in the mission. the owner said business is done at least 30 to 40% i since the city installed the valencia street bike lane from 15th to 23rd streets. he says the unusual design meant to improve safety limited parking in the area, changed traffic patterns, and caused a downturn in sales. >> it tooks me about sometimes an hour, hour and a half to find parking. there is no parking on valencia street. the enforcement has been really tough on people, even businesses. they don't allow you to unload your food. >> reporter: several long time businesses in the area have closed this year. he says a huge factor has been the controversial yearlong pilot program for the center bike lane. >> a lot of my other neighbors

betty yu was on the red carpet. >> reporter: the brains behind this year's record-breaking megahit, barbiecar-nominated film maker greta gerwig she was born and raised in sacramento. she is the first female to overload directory billion dollar movie. highest grossing movie of the year. you have said i cannot believe anyone would let me do this. has not sunk in yet? >> i still cannot believe that anybody would ever let us make this movie but i am so grateful that they did. >> reporter: on monday, sf film honored greta for film direction at its annual star-studded awards and fundraising dinner to support the next generation of artists. ryan gosling who played can presented her with the award and named in order of the film festivals founder. you broke ryan's name directly into the manuscript and you manifested the "kenergy". >> i know. some people say it is hyperbole that i have written this part for you but i really did. >> reporter: how does that feel? >> it is kind of like that movie, big. my experience was little. greta wrote me in the next day i woke up and suddenly i was ken. and i did

betty yu explains why some stores are returning to the past. >> reporter: as soon as you walk into the safeway in the fillmore, you are greeted by gates designed to deter shoplifting. andy checked out i was also have gates and the exit doors are permanently closed on the other side of the store. a security guard told me the story recently added more guards to deal with thieves. and, safeway completely removed its self checkout kiosks. shortly after that installed these high-tech gates over the summer, mike reddick is a regular customer who says it is not unusual to witness blatant shoplifting. >> like i said my two guys stuffing bags of chicken, packages of chicken into their backpacks . when i came and told the security people about it, they said, well, there's nothing we can do. we have to see them in action. >> reporter: on this night he came to pick up baking ingredients. he remembers when he had to scan his receipt to exit the self checkout area. >> i thought maybe that would stop some of the gopher ridge. i used to use the self checkout myself and i would see people come with stu

betty yu has been following the story. interesting. we kind of paused when we heard this. what do we know about the decision and what they're being charged with? >> tonight we learned that in all, 80 protesters have been charged. they're now facing five misdemeanors. that includes false imprisonment, refusing the comply with a peace officer, and unlawful public assembly. this happened as san francisco was hosting the apec summit in november. traffic on the upper deck was at a stand still for hours. during the protest, some demonstrators chained themselves together on the roadway. others held a die in and covered their bodies with white sheets. at the time the group said they wanted to highlight what it called a genocide happening in gaza while president biden was hosting cocktail parties in san francisco. in a statement to kpix, da brooke jenkins said in part while we must protect avenues for free speech, it can't compromise public safety. meanwhile, in southern california, protesters there demanding a ceasefire in gaza blocking traffic near lax around 5:00 p.m. tonight. a

betty yu has more on how some of the biggest honorees have a special connection to the bay area. >> reporter. ♪. >> reporter: the brains behind this year's record-breaking megahit "barbie" is filmmaker who was born and raised in sacramento. she is the first female to solo direct a billion dollar movie. >> highest grossing movie of the year. you said i can not believe anyone ever let me do this. has that sunk in yet? >> no, i still sort of can not believe it i am, i am so grateful that they did [music] >> and on monday. honoring her for film direction at the star studded awards and fundraising to support the film. >> ryan gossling presented her the award. >> you wrote ryan's name into the manuscript. you manifested the "kennergy." >> how does that feel, ken? >> it is like that movie "big" like my experience was little. but like greta wrote me and then i woke up and then i was ken. i "kenned" it as hard as i could you >> are out of the box. >> yeah. >> how has ken-life been after the actor strike and then to be here at this major event tonight? >> i am so excited to be here. i am so glad they

betty yu had to talk to people who had to get out fast. >> reporter: they are boarding up the home that went up in flames. it displaced neighbors living nearby. >> reporter: it took 100 firefighters 3-1/2 hours to bring this fire under control on monday morning. a woman jumped from the third floor to escape the burning home and landed in the backyard, sustaining serious injuries. another was rescued by firefighters and also hospitalized. they were sleeping when the fire broke out after 3:00 a.m. between grove and hay streets >> we were asleep. my dog barked and woke us up. and, when we got up to see what she was barking at we thought at first it must be an intruder of some kind, it just sounded like crashing and things breaking but when you looked outside it was clear that the, there was a fire. >> charlotte said she had no time to grab anything but her dogs. >> there was so much fire there we could not go out. we had to go the other way and climb over the neighbor's fence. >> the fire caused extensive damage to homes next door and displaced several residents including charlotte. >> it

the man who was beaten talked exclusively to our betty yu back in april, allegedly before he ever gaveolice a statement. >> when you have animals on the street saying they're going to rape your daughter and kill your mother, and you have nothing to do or help. and when you call for help, 911, and that's your savior, and they don't show up? >> tonight betty has more on the big twist in the case, and a neighbor is reacting to you words not guilty. >> reporter: part of the attack against don carmenani happened at this gas station in the marina. it fueled the debate about crime and homelessness in san francisco. friday's not guilty verdict came as a surprise to many in the community. first, there were several videos of a brutal attack that left don with a broken jaw, dozens of stitches, and a traumatic brain injury in april. witnesses is ed the attacker, a homeless man was a known and menacing presence in the marina. >> when i was running away, the impact in the back of my head went through my skull. >> reporter: i sat down with the former fire commissioner and long time resident in an exc

as betty yu shows us, the big challenge is getting people used to it. >> reporter: in the shadow of a pickleball court, four designated spaces for people who live in their cars to spend the night. the city of palo alto invited churches to open their parking lots to people living in their cars about three years ago. the safe parking pilot program was meant to help tackle the city's homeless problem. on this night we visited the four participating locations and only found one person taking advantage of the space. >> some of it may be awareness. i think some people just want to have the freedom. sometimes people because there's actually some requirements. you have to have a caseworker. >> reporter: council worker greg tanaka said the problem helped 25 households from january 2021 to this summer. people in cars are welcome to park after 7:00 p.m. and must leave in the morning. on monday the council will discuss expanding and permanently establishing the program. >> the bigger challenge is because we don't have the parking enforcement coupled together with the safe parking program. so we d

an event mceed by our very own betty yu. >>> lots to talk about when it comes to sports and the warriors. not the kind of headlines you want to see. when you think about injuries you assume it is what happens on the hardwood? >> yes, it seems like a baseball pitcher thing. i will explain. things gone from bad to worse. then they lost andrew wig ins how? he missed the game because he smashed his finger in a car door earlier today. brutal. golden state needed young guys to step up. oh, did they. jonathan, scoring 17. moody had 13. just three of the seven warriors in double figures. doves made 10 threes. they led by as much as 18. but, l.a. cut the deficit down to 7 early in the 4th and then klay thompson took over. finally, doves fans wanted this. thompson scored 10 points in the span of 90 seconds to build the lead back to 13. klay scored 22. he now has 20 or more in four of the last five games. and, of course. steph curry closing the door on the clippers, a couple of drives, in the final minutes, he scored the 11 of his 26 in the final quarter. the warriors bounce back from tuesday's hea

but as betty yu shows us, the big challenge is getting people to use it. >> reporter: in the shadow of a pickle ball court, four designated spaces for people who live in their cars. the city of palo alto invited churches to open their parking lots to people living in their cars about three years ago. the safe, paing pilot program was meant to help tackle the city's homeless problem. on this night, we visited the four participating locations and only found one person, taking advantage of the space. >> and some of the awareness, that i think some people just want to have the freedom. sometimes people know there are some requirements that you need to have a caseworker. >> reporter: the program helped fund 25 households from january, 2021 to this summer. people in cars are welcomed to park after 7:00 p.m. and must leave in the morning. on monday, the council will discuss expanding and personally accomplishing the program. >> and we don't have the parking enforcement couples to go with the safe parking program, so we don't have the current sting as other peoples do. >> reporter: and the cit

as he told betty yu he was in the right place in the right time with the right people. >> all began herein amidel school after 5:00 p.m. a good samaritan witnessed a struggle between the victim and a would be car theft armed with a knife. >> starting to figure it out. going to tackle the guy? no, i am just going to knock him down. like a crow hop, just like a kick. >> reporter: san francisco native, jesse hunt, who works at zoom, was walking home with a friend in the marina when he jumped into action. >> i hear somebody yelling out, i need help. i am being robbed, i have been stabbed. the guy is trying to take my car. i looked at my friend madison and there is a guy in a scuffle with another guy. >> the victim, 74-year-old man seen in this photo. jesse yelled at the suspect to drop the knife that prompted the attacker to take off on chestnut street so he chased him. >> as i was running up to him he jumped off and pulled a knife out at me. i backed off and then he started zig-zagging at the street and went towards people at the bus stop. i was kind of like this is my one chance to take hi

betty yu was at a bar in sunnyvale flooded with 49er fans for a game they weren't playing in. >> reporter: after the niners beat the seahawks earlier in the day, faithful fans celebrated yet another win of sorts inside this sunnyvale bar. life long 49ers fan and sunnyvale resident jason found an unlikely alliance with cowboys fans sunday evening. 49er fans needed dallas to beat the philadelphia eagles for the team to move to the top spot in the nfc. you need to root for the cowboys? what's that like? >> it's tough. but in the long run, when it comes down to it, we want home field advantage throughout the playoffs. so sometimes you have to bite the bullet and root for a team you really don't want to. >> reporter: if just for one night, the two rival fan bases were friendly at the stadium sports bar. the cowboys cruised to a 33-13 victory. >> everything is starting to fill in. like tetrisful everything is filling in the way you want it to. >> reporter: how do you feel about rooting for the cowboys? >> we didn't really root for them, but it was positive for us. >> reporter: and cowboys fans

but first let's get out to betty yu in santa clara. betty, the 49ers faithful feeling pretty good at this hour, right, betty? >> reporter: and you can tell how good they felt just by seeing all the smiles. in fact, with minutes left on the clock, andrea, there were many celebrations breaking out all around levi's stadium. and tonight's win really strengthened the niner's position in the race for the no. 1 in the nfc. [ cheering ] >> reporter: eric crawford flew from hawaii to witness the niners take on the seahawks for the second time since thanksgiving night. and once again the 49ers crushed their division rival. sunday's 28-16 victory set the sea of red and gold into another frenzy. >> it feels really good that the 49ers are on top. >> reporter: today's win only strengthened the niners' push for the top seed in the nfc. the seahawks couldn't hang on to their second quarter lead. we also saw many niners and seahawks fans making nice as they were tailgating in the levi's stadium parking lot. >> i met her and we became friends, so that h

betty yu is about to show you the big challenge is getting people to know they can use the service. >er: in the shadow of a pickleball court, four designated spaces for people who live in their cars to spend the night. palo alto invited churches to open their parking lots to people living in their cars about three years ago. safe parking pilot program was known help tackle the homeless problem. we visited the four locations and only found one person taking advantage. >> some of it may be awareness. i think some people want the freedom. there is actually some requirements. you have to have a case worker. >> reporter: a councilmember said the program helped 25 households from january 2021 to the summer. people in cars welcome to park after 7:00 p.m. and must leave in the morning. monday council will discuss expanding and permanently establishing the program. >> the bigger challenge is because we don't have parking enforcement coupled with the safe parking program. we don't have the carrot stick thing going on that other cities do. >> for example greg says the city will not force rvs to

the man beaten don carmignani talked to betty yu. >> when you have animals in the street saying they're going to rape your daughter and kill your mother, you have nothing to do for help, and when you call for help, 911, and that's your savior, and they don't show up. >> betty has more on the big twist in the case and how a neighbor of the man beaten is reacting to friday's verdict. >> reporter: part of the attack against don carmignani happened at this gas station in the marina. it fueled debate about crime and homelessness in san francisco. friday's not guilty verdict came as a surprise to many in this community. first, there were several videos of a brutal attack that left don carmignani with a broken jaw, dozens of stitches, a traumatic brain injury in april. witnesses said the attacker, a homeless man garrett doty was a known and menacing parens in the marina. >> when i was running away, the impact in the back of my head went through my skull. >> reporter: i sat with the former fire commissioner and long time resident in an exclusive interview. >> i didn't go out there to fight anyo

betty yu was down when the dust settled to see how the demonstrations affected the holiday activity. >> reporter: on the saturday before christmas, the holiday glow that usually lights up union square was missing. wrecked ornaments lay on the ground and officers investigated the broken tree, after pro-palestinian protesters climbed and damaged it. they put flags and a sign that read, no xmas as usual in a genocide. like hundreds of others, and oakland resident who came to take holiday photos was greeted by a dark tree. >> i feel disappointed. i thought it was a joke. i asked the security guard if the lights are coming on . and he said no, the tree is broken. >> reporter: protesters took to the ice skating rink with flags which prompted it to be shut down for hours, at a time when union square was packed with visitors. we were there a san francisco police arrested several protesters for alleged crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism. at least one officer says he was a hit in the head with an object. protesters called for a cease-fire in gaza. >> i understand the anger. that t

betty yu with how officials saipov crowds boosted bigger businesses than they expected. >> reporter: sounds of christmas and hold ups sights brought hundreds to winter walk in union square sunday evening designated patients evening despite rain moving through earlier in the day. there were entertainers, food trucks, pretty photo ops. shoppers browsed indoor holiday marketplace with several vendors. >> really nice. >> amazing and fantastic. i would recommend it to anyone who visits. >> reporter: the city brought back the winter walk holiday tradition for first time since 2018. europe i don't know square alliance said it last drew 2.2 million. this year the mayor's office says san francisco is seeing a stronger holiday season than years passed and public safety patrols are resulting in lower incidents of crime. >> we saw a lot of cops around, and we feel safe. we can walk around without feeling scared. knowing san francisco it's like the first thing like oh gosh, somebody is breaking in or maybe steal or rob, you know. for now, it's like oh it's fun with all the decorations. you feel t

the man who was beaten talked exclusively to our betty yu in april allegedly before he ever gave a statementpolice. >> when you have animals in the street saying they're going to rape your daughter and kill your mother, you have nothing to do for help, and when you call for help, 911, and that's your savior and they don't show up. >> betty has more on the big twist in the case and how a neighbor of the man beaten is reacting to friday's verdict. >> reporter: part of the attack happened at this gas station in the marina. it fueled debate about crime and homelessness in san francisco. friday's not guilty verdict came as a surprise to many in this community. first, there were several videos of a brutal attack that left a broken jaw, dozens of stitches, tram attic brain injury in april. witnesses said the attacker, a homeless man, was a known and menacing presence in the marina. >> when i was running away, the impact in the back of my head went through my skull. >> reporter: i sat with the former fire commissioner and long time resident in an exclusive interview after he was released from the ho

betty yu with how officials say the crowds boosted bigger for businesses than they even expected. >>sounds of christmas at holiday sights brought hundreds of people to winter walk in union square sunday evening despite rain moving through earlier in the day. there were entertainers, food trucks, plenty photo ops on the two block stretch of stockton street. shoppers browsed indoor holiday marketplace showcasing local vendors. that's where we met jackie and luna who drove from napa and hercules. >> really nice. >> amazing and fantastic. i would recommend it to anyone who visits. >> reporter: the city brought back the winter walk holiday tradition for the first time since 2018. it lasts through 2.2 million people. the mayor's office said san francisco is seeing stronger holiday season than in years past and public safety patrols are rutting in lower incidents of crime. >> we saw a lot of cops. we feel safe. we can walk around without feeling scared. knowing san francisco, the first thing is like oh gosh somebody is breaking in or will maybe steal or rob, you know. we are kind of like, f

but the mother of a young man who was shot and killed by a stray bullet told our betty yu what price didn't do to her family is indefensible. listen. >> this is my kid. i'm sorry, i'm speaking out my -- my truth about my situation. and you are going to hear it. >> reporter: an emotional florence mccrary spoke during the q&a portion of a town hall hosted by the campaign to recall tap pam la price, known as save alameda for everyone. her 22-year-old son terrence from berkeley was killed by a stray bullet inside an oakland art gallery in 2016. mccrary said the intended target was shot multiple times and killed nearby. the suspect was charged for both murders under the previous da in alameda county but just last week at a sentencing hearing price's office maid a deal with the shooter for voluntary manslaughter of the intended target. the murder charge against mccrary's son was dropped altogether. >> we would expect more empathy and more concern for mothers who have had to put their children in the ground in 22 years of age an innocent victim. >> reporter: mccrary said she was told price'

and event emceed by our very own betty yu. >>> it is ten minutes before 6:00. and taking a live look from christmas in the park in san jose. that will get you into the holiday spirit. it is alive and well in the south bay. these are some of the best holiday displays you will see. if you have ever checked that out. if you haven't, you should. >>> we want to see your holiday decorations as we. you can email your pictures or your videos to newstips@kpix.com. we call it bay area bright spots or use the #kpix on social media. [narrator] covered california is a free service from the state that's already helped millions of people like you get and pay for health insurance. with financial health to lower the cost of health coverage, you could get a quality health plan for less than $10 a month. every plan covers preventive care, doctor visits, emergency care, and more. if you have questions, we're here to help every step of the way. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31 at coveredca.com. >>> volunteers are working around the clock at ba

betty yu was on the red carpet last night with more on why some of the evening's biggest honorees haveto right here in the bay. >> hi barbie. >> hi ken. >> reporter: the brains behind this year's record-breaking mega-hit "barbie" is oscar nominated filmmaker greta gerwig who was born and raised in sacramento. she's the first female to solo direct a billion dollar movie. highest grossing movie of the year. you have said, i can't believe anyone ever let me do this. has that sunk in yet? >> you know, i still sort of can't believe that anybody ever let -- let us make this movie. but i'm -- i'm so grateful that they did. >> reporter: and on monday, sf film honored greta for film direction at its annual star-studded awards and fundraising dinner to support the next generation of artists. >> thought i might stay over tonight. >> why? >> reporter: ryan gosling, who played ken, presented her with the award. named in honor of the film festival's founder. you wrote ryan's name directly into the manuscript and you manifested the kenergy. >> yes, i did. i know. i think some of the people say that's

but the mother of a young man shot and killed by a stray bullet told our betty yu what price did to herather didn't do for them, is indefensible. >> this is my kid. i'm sorry, i'm speaking out my my truth about my situation. and you're going to hear it. >> reporter: an emotional florence mccrary spoke during the q&a portion of a town hall hosted by the campaign to recall da pamela price, known as save alameda for everyone, or s.a.f.e. her 22-year-old son, terrence from berkeley, was killed by a stray bullet inside an oakland art gallery in 2016. mccrary said the intended target was shot multiple times and killed nearby. the suspect was charged for both murders under the previous da in alameda county, but just last week at a sentencing hearing, price's office made a deal with the shooter for voluntary manslaughter of the intended target. the murder charge against mccrary's son was dropped altogether. >> we would expect more empathy and more concern for mothers who have had to put their children in the ground at 22 years of age. an innocent victim. >> reporter: mccrary said she was told p

betty yu was on the red carpet last night with more on why some of the evening's biggest honorees havehere in the bay area. >> hi barbie. >> hi ken. >> reporter: the brains behind this year's record-breaking megahit "barbie" is oscar nominated filmmaker greta gerwig who was born and raised in sacramento. she's the first female to solo direct a billion dollar movie. >> highest grossing movie of the jeer. you have said i can't believe anyone ever let me do this. has that sunk in yet? >> you know, i still sort of can't believe that anybody ever let -- let us make this movie. but i'm -- i'm so grateful that they did. >> reporter: and on monday, sf film honored greta for film direction at its annual star-studded awards and fundraising dinner to support the next generation of artists. >> thought i might stay over tonight. >> reporter: ryan gosling who played ken presented her with the award. named in honor of the film festival's founder. you wrote ryan's name directly into the manuscript and you manifested the kenner joy. >> yes, i did. i know. i think some of the people say that's hyperbole