Bay city rolling: talent bountiful, but area's potential has yet to be met. (shooting films on location in the San Francisco Bay Area)(Showbiz City: San Francisco)

As a filmmaking center, San Francisco grapples with a dual image: On the one hand, many of its denizens view their city as a cultural haven away from Hollywood, where talk of movies, TV and the biz is a one-note preoccupation from which San Franciscans are all too glad to be separated. On the other hand, the city's burgeoning entertainment community seeks more self-containment, the better to stay close to home during the time-consuming demands of production.

Whenever Bay Area entertainment power players can pull strings to bring the mechanics of Hollywood to them, they do. Marin County resident Sean Penn convinced the producers of Fine Line's upcoming adaptation of David Rabe's "Hurlyburly" that Oakland could double for L.A.

And it appears that shooting in the neighborhood is virtually a prerequisite for one of the area's biggest boosters, Robin Williams, whose last several films -- including "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Jack" and "Flubber"--were shot at least partially in the Bay Area. Williams' latest pics, Universars "Patch Adams" and ATL Prods.' "What Dreams May Come," have followed suit.

One of the city's nouvelle citizens, Sharon Stone, like most transplants, took an instant shine to the area. Her latest project, "Crimes" for Lions Gate Prods., will mark longtime S.F. inhabitant Peter …