The Santa Fe Film Festival is a Non-Profit Organization

We present important world cinema in a non-commercial context that represents aesthetic, critical and entertainment standards. We premier local New Mexican film, new American and foreign film including revivals, retrospectives, independent productions and mini-festivals. We partner with educational groups, schools and non profits and also provide a forum for filmmakers, critics, educators and historians.

The Eighth Annual Santa Fe Film Festival took place Wednesday November 28 - Sunday December 2, 2007.

The Ninth Annual Festival will take place Wednesday December 3 - Sunday December 7.

____________________

NEWS FOR THE 2008 Santa Fe Film Festival, December 3 -7.

More news will be added as new elements to the Festival are added and continuing elements are confirmed.

THE 2007 MILAGRO AWARD WINNERS ARE:

Best Documentary presented by Kirk Ellis : Kieran Fitzgerald’s BALLAD OF ESEQUIEL HERNANDEZ winner of $1,000 software bundle from Entertainment Partners

Best Short Presented by Gary Farmer: CROCODILE DREAMING by Australian filmmaker Darlene Johnson winner of $1,000 software bundle from Entertainment Partners

Best Animation presented by Maura Dhu Studi: : Jay Bolotin’s THE JACKLEG TESTAMENT: PART ONE, JACK AND EVE

Suzanne Pettit Memorial Award for Best Editing presented by Michael Pettit: Hans Vermy for THE REPLACEMENT CHILD.

 
Best Southwest presented by Alan Arkin: : OFF THE GRID: LIFE ON THE MESA, Jeremy and Randy Stulberg winner of $1,000 software bundle from Entertainment Partners

 
Best Latino presented by Wes Studi:Gabriela Bohm’s THE LONGING: FORGOTTEN JEWS OF SOUTH AMERICA winner of $1,000 software bundle from Entertainment Partners

 
Best Independent Spirit presented by Jon Bowman and Stephen Rubin: D.B. Sweeney’s raucous road movie TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE winner of $1,000 software bundle from Entertainment Partners

 
Audience Choice presented by Mayor David Coss: JUMP!, Helen Hood Scheer winner of $1,000 software bundle from Entertainment Partners

 
Best of Fest presented by Aviva: : PERSEPOLIS, co-directed by Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi 

 
Best Indigenous Film Presented by Francene Blythe: MISS NAVAJO, Billy Luther

Luminaria Awards for Lifetime Achievement in Film were given to:

John Bailey and Carol Littleton presented by Alan Cumming

Marina Goldavskaya presented by Francesca Ursone

Alanis Obomsawin presented by the Canadian Consulate

Tributee Maverick Award to Alan Cumming presented by Lynn Stalmaster

NM Film Office awarded its 3 Governor's Cup Films

NM Women in Film gave the Sage Award to Shirley MacLaine

The NM Film Expo was Friday, November 23rd - Monday November 26 at the Film Center with reprisal screenings during the mainbar at the Film Museum.

Our new partnership with the New York Jewish Film Festival started Tuesday, November 27- 28th at the Film Center with reprisal screenings during the mainbar at the Film Museum.

8th ANNUAL SANTA FE FILM FESTIVAL RAISES INTERNATIONAL DRAW WHILE EMPHASIZING NEW MEXICO AS WELL

Marina Goldavskaya, Alanis Obomsawin, CBS, and Heineken join this year’s festival.  NM Film Expo Expands

NOVEMBER 28 – DEC 2, 2007

(Santa Fe, New Mexico) The Santa Fe Film Festival announces its Eighth Season to take place Wednesday, November 28 – Sunday, December 2, 2007. The five-day extravaganza showcases more than 80 programs encompassing roughly 200 films, shorts and features of all genres, themes and topics. The festival is divided into seven series: Independent Spirits, Making it Reel, Eye on the World, Art Matters, Southwest Showcase and Gala films from the major distributors as well as retrospective titles drawn from the careers of our annual Luminaria Tributees.  Last year, over 7,000 attendees from around the world purchased nearly 21,000 tickets.

Deputy Director, Stephen Rubin says “Our patrons will find the quality of our presentations amidst the backdrop of our beautiful city makes this among the top destination film festivals in the country.  We’ve attracted many new national sponsors including Heineken and CBS and we will continue to attract more as we expand into the future. We are proud to say that this is our strongest slate yet, based on higher quality submissions, more interest from major and international distributors, and more interest in people attending. Thanks to Festivals like ours and the nearly 2,000 world-wide, a whole new quality of films can gain exposure and offer patrons a substantive and original alternative to mainstream theaters.”

National Geographic has emerged as a major programming partner with the Santa Fe Film Festival and brings the All Roads Film Project, presenting more than 20 films made by indigenous artists from around the globe, more than fifteen of whom will be in attendance at this year’s festival. All Roads will also host a photography exhibit featuring works by four artists, who will also be in attendance, at the CCA. There will be an opening on Wednesday the 18^th at 5:00pm at the CCA. National Geographic and the SFFF will stage a concert with the world-famous Toureg group Tiniwaren at the Lensic Performing Arts Center on Friday, November 30th, 2007, at 7pm.

"In support of the All Roads Film Project, we travel all over the world to seek out compelling new artists and films, but coming to Santa Fe is always one of the highlights of our year," said Francene Blythe, Director of the All Roads Film Project. "In our three years with the festival, Santa Fe has demonstrated a strong commitment to bringing a diverse range of films and filmmakers to the Santa Fe community -- from the first-time local filmmaker to the seasoned international documentarian. It's those desired alternate perspectives that makes our films interesting to Santa Fe audiences and keeps us returning year after year to showcase the All Roads film, photography and now music programs."

Also new this year, the Santa Fe Film Festival launches a series in partnership with the New York Jewish Film Festival, part of the Jewish Museum of New York. A quartet of features and documentaries, which were unveiled earlier this year at the NYJFF’s presentation at Lincoln Center in New York, will be shown at the Santa Fe Film Festival, on Tuesday the 27^th and Wednesday the 28 ^th at the Film Center and then again later in the week.  This event is sponsored by Lee and Susan Berk.

Festival Founder Jon Bowman says, “We are excited about our expanding and new partnerships with National Geographic All Roads, and the New York Jewish Film Festival and others.  These collaborations add new voices and dimensions to our programming.  We are also proud of the expansion of the NM Film Expo, which will feature over 90 films, mostly shorts, which will screen at the Film Center from Friday November 23- November 26 and then the majority of these films will show once again during the main Festival. Our mission to showcase films and present filmmakers to our audiences expands each year with success.”

 Luminaria Tributees include documentary filmmakers Marina Goldavskaya and Alanis Obomsawin as well as husband and wife filmmakers John Bailey and Carol Littleton.  John Bailey will be honored for his accomplished work as Director of Photography on such films as THE BIG CHILL, GROUNDHOG DAY and ORDINARY PEOPLE.  Carol Littleton will be recognized as a leading editor in the film industry with nearly 30 films on her resume including ET, SILVERADO, THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE and THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY, which she collaborated on with her husband, John Bailey. 

In addition to the films selected from submissions, the Santa Fe Film Festival showcases a collection of Galas from major distributors. In recent years, the festival has provided audiences with a sneak preview of such award-winning titles as BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, MISS POTTER, VOLVER and PANS LABRYNTH.   Galas this year will be at the Lensic, De Vargas, and The Screen.

We are pleased to return to the Lensic this year with programming Wed- Sun, including films, music, and the Milagro Awards Ceremony. We are also pleased to be returning to the CCA. Other venues which we use each year include: The Film Center, The Jean Cocteau Film Museum, De Vargas, and The Screen and Tipton at the College of Santa Fe. New this year will be the Armory for the Arts and the Okeeffe Theater at the MIAC.

The educational component of the Festival expands each year, with more panels and labs.  Industry professionals will be coming from across the country to participate in these, including representatives from Pixar, Lucasfilms, Panavision, Kodak, UNM, and Albuquerque Studios among others. Most panels will be at the Unitarian Church. The lab led by world famous poster artist John Alvin, who designed this year’s poster (his first festival poster ever), will be hosted by the Chuck Jones Gallery.

Veteran actress and Santa Fe local, Ali MacGraw will host the Santa Fe Film Festival’s Milagro Awards ceremony on Saturday, December 1st at 4PM at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.  Esteemed jurors and celebrity presenters will unveil winning films for the festival’s competitive awards.   Downtown restaurants will provide venues for nightly parties sponsored by the Santa Fe Film Festival and will feature music and entertainment from an impressive group of filmmakers, artists and musicians.

Expanding the social opportunities of the Festival, CBS and Heineken will co-sponsor a Happy Hour Wed-Fri from 5-7 PM, at Hotel Santa Fe.  CBS will be covering the festival and this year will be the official sponsor of the hospitality suite also at Hotel Santa Fe for filmmakers, sponsors, VIPs and film festival attendees.

"We are thrilled to be involved in this year's Santa Fe Film Festival," said Andy Glaser, Heineken Brand Director.  "Heineken takes great pride in supporting the creative journey of independent filmmakers; through our Happy Hours, we'll bring together filmmakers, cast members and movie lovers in a celebration of their creativity and vision."

Tickets go on sale on November 9 in our new box office at 519 Cerrillos Road, same phone number 505 989 1495 and are $10 for individual admission, $75 for a ten-pack. Festival passes are on sale now for $300 All Films and $450 All Festival.  All Festival includes Access to daily Heineken / CBS Happy Hour at Hotel Santa Fe, All Nightly Parties and the Reception for the Milagro Awards Ceremony.  For All Information:  www.santafefilmfestival.com