8th Annual Santa Fe Film Festival: Nov. 28-Dec. 2, 2007

From the Santa Fe Film Festival:
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.

Programming Partners
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. 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 7 PM.

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 27th and Wednesday the 28th at the Film Center and then again later in the week. This event is sponsored by Lee and Susan Berk.

Festival Founder and Executive Director 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. Our mission to showcase films and present filmmakers to our audiences expands each year with success.”

Honorees
Luminaria Tributees include documentary filmmakers Marina Goldovskaya 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. A Maverick Award will be given to actor/writer/director Alan Cumming of THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY who will be here with his new film SUFFERING MAN'S CHARITY.

Major Distributor Galas
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.

Venues
We are pleased to return to the Lensic this year with programming Wedneday - Sunday, 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 Kathryn Okeeffe Theater at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

Educational Programs
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.

Milagro Awards Ceremony
Veteran actress and Santa Fe local, Ali MacGraw and New Mexican native actor, dancer, and choreographer Raoul Trujillo will host the Santa Fe Film Festival’s Milagro Awards ceremony on Saturday, December 1st at 4 PM 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.

Happy Hour
Expanding the social opportunities of the Festival, CBS and Heineken will co-sponsor a Happy Hour Wednesday-Friday 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.

Tickets are on sale now 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 Films Only 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.

Editor's Notes: Two films that deal with aspects of the Iraq occupation will be shown during the festival:

REDACTED
www.redactedmovie.com/
Brian DePalma’s much-discussed montage of stories about U.S. soldiers fighting in the Iraq conflict, focusing on the modern forms of media covering the war. Silver Lion Winner, Venice Film Festival. Running Time: 90 min. Gala Presentation: FRI 11/30 SCREEN 7:45 PM.

GRACE IS GONE
www.graceisgone-themovie.com/
Upon hearing his wife has been killed in the Iraq war, a father takes his two daughters on a road trip. With John Cusack. Audience Award Winner, Best Drama, Sundance FF. Running Time: 92 min. Closing Night Gala: SUN 12/2 LENSIC 7:15 PM.

There's also a film dealing with the aftermath of Iran's revolution:

PERSEPOLIS
www.sonyclassics.com/persepolis
Animated film based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel describing the arc of her life in Iran following the Revolution. Prize of the Jury Winner at Cannes, with vocals by Catherine Deneuve. Running Time: 95 min. Gala Presentation: SUN 12/2 DeVARGAS I 7:45 PM.

There are many other related events going on in Santa Fe during the Festival, including this one:

IN THE BLOOD
www.mirabal.com/
Robert Mirabal’s first major music video presentation since his 2002 MUSIC FROM A PAINTED CAVE special on PBS. The featured songs all come from his latest CD. Robert Mirabal and his band will play live. Plays with the short THE END. Tickets for this special event are: $20. Art Matters, SUN 12/2 ARMORY FOR THE ARTS 7:00 PM.

Be sure to check the Festival website for complete listings: www.santafefilmfestival.com