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Albuquerque Journal – Screening the Best
Imagine poring through thousands of film submissions and then having to pick out the gems.
Sounds stressful, even for a cinephile.
This is a familiar routine for Liesette Paisner Bailey.
As the executive director of the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, Paisner Bailey knows the stresses that come with planning the festival.
Leafy Page – "Zappa" Directed By Alex Winter Opens The Twelfth Annual Santa Fe Independent Film Festival (SFiFF)
The twelfth annual Santa Fe Independent Film Festival (SFiFF) will open with Zappa, an in-depth documentary directed by Alex Winter, which centers on the life, work, and politics of musician Frank Zappa.
Albuquerque Journal – Film fest puts safety first with drive-in theater
Like many other organizations, the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival is pivoting in order to present its festival in October. “Once the governor extended her order through August, we started thinking that it would be unlikely that movie theaters would be open in October,” says Jacques Paisner, SFIFF artistic director. “We knew we had to move forward with making the festival happen.”
When the 12th iteration of the festival takes place Oct. 14-18, it will offer a different experience.
Southwest Contemporary – The 12th Annual Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
On October 14, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival opens its twelfth annual event, with Zappa. For the very first time, SFiFF’s opening night is being held at Santa Fe’s new drive-in movie theater. With almost forty films and nine different shorts programs being shown at the drive-in or virtually, the continued closure of indoor theaters hasn’t dampened the multitude of independent films being shown at the festival this year.
Santa Fe Reporter – 2020 Santa Fe Independent Film Festival Reviews
Albuquerque Journal – Documentary an ‘awakening’ to Margaret Atwood’s genius
Margaret Atwood travels the world.
Since the TV adaptation of her book, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” became a success, the legendary author/poet has been catapulted into popular culture.
For two years, Atwood granted permission to filmmakers Nancy Lang and Peter Raymont as they worked on a documentary about her life.
Santa Fe New Mexican – Motorama: More than a drive-in
In a pandemic era, a movie theater can be so much more than a place to watch rom-coms and action-packed films.
“It lets you know [life’s] not over — that everything’s going to be OK,” said Liam Nohr-Forrester, co-founder and investor of Santa Fe’s new drive-in theater, Motorama at the Downs.
Amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has caused countless businesses to temporarily — even permanently — shut down, the pop-up venue at The Downs is one of the few entertainment options in the Santa Fe area that can allow people to safely gather and practice social distancing, Nohr-Forrester said.
Albuquerque Journal – Into the future: Documentary ‘Truth or Consequences’ weaves past, present with what may lie ahead
New Mexico has made an impression on Hannah Jayanti.
She was educated at St. John’s College in Santa Fe. Spent a couple of summers building Earthships near Taos.
It’s no wonder the gravitational pull was so strong it brought the filmmaker back to New Mexico to film – specifically in Truth or Consequences, for an artist residency.
Albuquerque Journal – ‘Raw and gritty’: ‘Puppy Love’ tells story of prophetic young dishwasher with brain damage
Hopper Penn looks for challenges when looking for roles.
It took him less than two dozen pages of reading the script for “Puppy Love” to want to play Morgan.
“A few days before getting the script, I was talking to my friends and my sister,” he says. “The only role I really wanted to play is something different from who I am. I wanted it to be far off of that. I met with the director Michael Maxxis, and I told him that I was interested.”
Albuquerque Journal – Long journey pays off: Navajo filmmaker’s ‘Fukry,’ eight years in the making, to screen as part of festival
It took Blackhorse Lowe nearly eight years to get his production from script to screen. The journey had many ups and downs, yet he persevered. The Navajo filmmaker’s feature film “Fukry” will screen at the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival beginning on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
With state health orders still in effect, the festival will be mostly virtual this year.
But that doesn’t dampen Lowe’s spirits.
“Getting eyes on the film is what it’s all about,” he says. “The film is proof that we were able to overcome the many challenges along the way.”