Santa Fe – New Mexico – At the end of this month, the Santa Fe Film Festival launches its 8th season amidst the backdrop of snowy mountains and a historical city. Over 150 filmmakers plus thousands of festival attendees will flood the streets and fill theatres, panels and workshops for the five-day event. Filmmakers and film buffs alike enjoy the diversity presented with special emphasis placed on Independent, Documentary, Creative Spirit, South West and International filmmaking. It is a broadminded festival and reflects the town’s interest in socio political stories with global reach.
New Mexico’s thriving film industry coupled with the artistic lore of Santa Fe is helping this festival to become one of the most desirable destination festivals in the country. Many successful actors and filmmakers raised in New Mexico show their dedication by returning to introduce films and play roles in the social events slated for the week. Santa Fe actress Aviva will enjoy a special homecoming when her indie feature, FORGIVING THE FRANKLINS, a satirical story about conservative, God-fearing Southerners dealing with change, officially opens the festival at 7PM on Wednesday night at the Armory. Aviva’s career has gained considerable momentum after starring in SUPERBAD, a comedy released in 2007.
Actor and choreographer, Raoul Trujillo, contributes his warmth and wisdom to the festival in more ways than one this season. He appears in two short films, THE LIVES OF ANGELS and THE END, and hosts the Thursday evening event at El Meson which is intended to give New Mexico filmmakers, VIPs, sponsors and festival filmmakers a real taste of Santa Fe’s music and performers. He also joins Ali MacGraw as co-host of the Milagro Awards Ceremony at the Lensic on Saturday, Dec 1st.
“This year’s festival brings together films from all around the world”, says Raoul Trujillo, “but especially important are the films which illuminate the realities of social and cultural change.”
Gala films with buzz titles from major distributors are queued for 8th season of the Santa Fe Film Festival. JUNO, SON OF RAMBOW, DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, MARGOT AT THE WEDDING and CONTROL are just a few to have rippled across screens at the 2007 Cannes, Telluride and Sundance film festivals. The word on the street is that JUNO, a film by Jason Reitman of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, is packed with fantastic dialogue and a mixture of emotions that will leave your eyes misty and your ribs aching. CONTROL, a story about the tragic demise of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis is liable to pack the house with Generation X, Y and Baby Boomers reminiscing about the 80’s music movement. SON OF RAMBOW, a comedy also set in the 80s about two young English boys is burning up festivals everywhere. 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS, 2 DAYS, the winner of the Palme D’Or at Cannes, is short-listed for the Oscar’s Best Foreign Language Film.
In addition to the many wonderful independent features and short films presented at the festival, retrospective screenings of works by Luminaria Tributees: Alanis Obomsawin, Marina Goldovskaya, John Bailey, and Carol Littleton plus Maverick Award Winner Alan Cumming are also planned for the week.
Every year the film slate becomes bigger and the stakes get higher. The expanding relationships with National Geographic and the New York Jewish Film Festival plus exciting new sponsorships with CBS and Heineken, proves the Santa Fe Film Festival is growing in every direction. This season’s Box Office is enjoying the comforts of a downtown location much closer to the heart of Santa Fe, at 519 Cerrillos Road, across the street from festival host, The Hotel Santa Fe.
“The growth of the festival over the last several years is a direct result of high attendance and serious encouragement from sponsors with vast international audiences”, says Deputy Director Stephen Rubin. “This combination has enhanced the quality of film presentations and social events tenfold.”
For more information about the films, venues, show times and social events, please visit the official website at www.santafefilmfestival.com or the Box Office at 519 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico #505-989-1495.
