The Santa Fe Film Festival’s beginnings started to grow organically over forty years ago with an off-shoot from a festival in the region creating a “New Directors/New Film” program in partnership with MOMA (NYC) which attracted many notable Hollywood directors and film stars. From this start as a hub for celebrating filmmakers, the Santa Fe Film Festival was officially created in 1999 as a nonprofit and awarded “The Cider House Rules” as the first Best Feature.
Watch this interview with co-founder and current board member, Kurt Young, as he talks about the festival from 20+ years ago.
Over the years, the festival has grown and continued to connect filmmakers here in New Mexico, which is also the top place to live and work as a filmmaker according to MovieMaker Magazine.
“Four times at No. 1 is astonishing, and it’s a testament to how much
Albuquerque has exploded as a production hub,” MovieMaker Editor-in-Chief Tim Molloy says. “Big investments from Netflix and NBCUniversal have helped dramatically, and so have state and local officials who are proud ambassadors of Albuquerque and other gorgeous New Mexico locales from Santa Fe to Taos. Work opportunities abound in New Mexico, and the state is doing an impressive job of helping to train up more locals to join its highly professional crews. Albuquerque is a lovely, friendly, affordable, very livable city that offers a terrific work-life balance. Santa Fe is very commutable to Albuquerque and feels like a resort town that somehow also offers endless creative opportunities, while constantly refilling your sense of wonder. Together they form a film corridor unmatched anywhere. Both are accessible to mountains that can double as New Hampshire’s and desert landscapes that can double for Mars. The region has heart and beauty and a spirit of exploration you can’t find anywhere else on earth. And yes, Los Angeles is a short flight away, but maybe you can just convince that L.A. producer you’re meeting to move to New Mexico.”
This year’s festival was different, however, as it was held in person, during the 2nd year of the COVID pandemic and well, with attendees that were concerned with safety protocols. The Festival organizers recognized that the requirements for most filmmakers, cast and crew needed to be vaxxed and so the decision was made that attendees needed to be vaxxed. This was communicated out to filmmakers in advance of the festival and opened the door to over 90 filmmakers from 4 countries to confirm they were coming to the festival. The team had a COVID compliance organization, VIP StarNetwork, provide testing, PPE, and the team on-site to support this decision and be a valuable resource to the festival staff.
Programming the festival this year, was first time programmer, JD Piche, who as most people who know him, will refer to him as a walking IMDb, not only has he produced over 13K video interviews with above and below the line entertainment professionals from Oscars to Film Festivals, but he is also a graduate of the London Academy of Film and TV and that coupled with his college education from TV studio to film and acting (getting his SAG-AFTRA card in 2007) proved to be an invaluable resource, not only for his knowledge but his ability to be the trusted support filmmakers are hoping to get at a festival, where their work is being evaluated.
The festival screening venues included the Jean Cocteau Cinema, which locals know, is owned by George R.R. Martin, the Center for Contemporary Art (CCA), and the historic Scottish Rite Masonic Temple where they held their gala screenings and two casting events.
The festival also coordinated with the filmmakers for Q&As after their screenings which further enriched the experience for the filmmakers who attended along with the audience at the screenings.
New friendships with local New Mexicans and filmmakers, producers, actors and others in attendance from out of state were made from the screening, to the Q&A and then the after parties and luncheons giving attendees time to forge these relationships.
The awards were given out over the two weekends to filmmakers in attendance including the first weekend where Anthony Edwards received the Lifetime Achievement Award while the film he was a producer on “The Tricky Part” was represented by both director, Raphael Sbarge and Martin Moran at a Gala Screenings.
This was also the first year that Casting Society presented two awards for best casting director for two films in the festival.
In addition to the luncheons, there was karaoke, and the venues included the La Fonda on the Plaza’s La Terraza room for two weekends, the Santa Fe Brewery and Santa Fe Spirits.
Workshops were also a big hit with the filmmakers and attendees and the festival worked to get some powerhouse resources to come out to support the festival and have more events planned for future events:
- Master Class in Casting from Sony Pictures Television Executive
- Casting Society of America Executive presentation
- Producing Partners: How these filmmakers get it done – even remotely!
- Learn how narrative, music, poetry, graphics, and other devices make movies based in fact into works of art inspiring viewers AKA Documentaries
- Film Financing Q&A: director/producer of 18 independently financed motion pictures, shares how to get funds to make your film
- Learn how to package your project for promotion, what apps & tech tools to use that will help you excel
Want to see more? Watch our video interviews from the red carpet:
We’ve also captured over 800 images to share from the 10-day festival here on Flickr:
Overall, the festival was well-received by all and everyone was happy to get out there and network, see their film on the big screen and well, come to Santa Fe, it’s not only a destination but it’s a great place for filmmakers.
The SFFF awards ceremony winners were selected from 25 feature narratives, 35 feature documentaries, and over 100 short films from more than 500 submissions and are showcased online via the Santa Fe Film Festival’s online streaming platform by local tech company, Xerb.TV.
For the complete list of films, synopses, and other special events happening during the SFFF 2022, please visit http://santafefilmfestival.com. For further information about the Santa Fe Film Festival, or for press inquiries, contact Stephanie Piche, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Film Festival at director@santafefilmfestival.com.
