Innovative. Diverse. Cutting-edge. These are often used to describe our city. But how about — passionate, hustlers, and grit?

Mike Cabaña, San Jose native and director of “San José Is Not For Sale,” prefers these words to encompass what our community is all about.

“San José Is Not For Sale” (SJNFS) is a current documentary project by and for local creatives who want to highlight underrepresented communities, small businesses, and talents in our city.

“I know that any other major city that’s experiencing [rapid change], has movers and shakers doing dope things for their community and their stories are being left untold,” Mike said. “What we’re trying to do is inspire community engagement.”

While the documentary may not have a release date just yet, it’s still making waves in the small business community.

The SJNFS team interviews the sisters of Nirvana Soul. | Photo via @sjnotforsale

🎥 Background

In 2020, Mike started a podcast called “The FIRM,” which stands for “Forever In the Right Mind,” where he sits down with San Jose entrepreneurs + creatives to talk about their inspirations and come-up stories.

From talking about the vulnerability of opening a coffee shop with Nirvana Soul owners Be’Anka + Jeronica, to the process of making a mural with the women of Local Color, Mike was inspired to create the film based on the same firm values.

“Our tagline is ‘entrepreneurship, art, and community is the soul of San Jose,’” said Mike. “And that can’t be bought.” He hopes the film encourages locals to shop small + give back to their community.

Director Mike Cabaña and Jason Hoang capture shots in Japantown. | Photo via Mike Cabaña

🎥 Who is a part of the team?

Mike notes that this super talented set of creatives came together very organically for him, whether it was from his immediate circle or industry professionals looking to help.

“John [Uribe] has been in the film industry for almost 15 years [...] we went to James Lick [high school] together,” Mike said, “And then from there, my best friend Cisco Cortez, he’s a sound engineer and music producer [...] he did the music on the teaser actually.”

Patricia Stokes, who also teaches biology at Evergreen Valley College, initially came on to the team as a behind-the-scenes photographer, but Mike said that she is now “co-producing this documentary with [him].”

His family friend Blake Cardoza, who is their camera + drone operator, originally comes from real estate videography, and photographer Alejandro Berber (aka Alex Knowbody) was a featured guest in the early episodes of the FIRM podcast.

“You know, this is kind of a way for all of us to just step outside of our comfort zones and try to make [it] happen,” Mike said.

Throughout the process, seasoned cinematographers + filmmakers have reached out and provided guidance to the SJNFS team. Mike says the team is always encouraging more people to hop on board to the project as it is a community effort, and all of them are learning as they go.

🎥 How can I help?

Mike and his team are still shooting SJNFS, which means there is still time to be part of it in some way, if you're interested.

If you’d like to be featured in the documentary — you can contact their SJ Storytellers hotline at (408) 831-2893 and speak on any of their community questions.
If you prefer to offer monetary support — their Indiegogo campaign is running for four more days. The website outlines their mission, project timeline, and donation allocation details.

You can also follow the journey through their Instagram, Twitter, and website.