Variety - Santa Fe International Film Festival 2024 to Honor Bryan Cranston With Lifetime Achievement Award
Bryan Cranston will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Santa Fe International Film Festival.
The festival runs from Oct. 16-20 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe, N.M.
“Bryan Cranston’s work has inspired generations of actors and captivated audiences worldwide, cementing his place as one of the most respected and accomplished figures in the industry,” said SFiFF executive director Liesette Bailey.
Variety - AMC Networks Celebrates Native American Heritage Month With Launch of ‘Indigenous Rising Stars’ Short Films Series
AMC Networks is celebrating Native American Heritage Month with the launch of its Indigenous Stories collection and short films series.
Variety - At The Santa Fe International Film Festival, Variety’s Screenwriters To Watch Reveal How They Use Personal Inspiration to Tell Powerful Stories
On Friday, Oct. 19, Variety partnered with the Santa Fe International Film festival to celebrate its 10 Screenwriters to Watch. All 10 recipients gathered at Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing Arts Center for a lively conversation about their path to screenwriting and the work that earned them their place on Variety’s annual list of the most promising up-and-coming scribes in the entertainment industry.
MovieMaker - Santa Fe International Film Festival Wins Oscar-Qualifying Status
The Santa Fe International Film Festival is marking its 16th year with one of the biggest achievements for any film festival: It is now recognized by the Academy of the Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as Oscar- qualifying.
MovieMaker - 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2024
Located in the No. 1 town on our list of the Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker, SFIFF has a best-of-both worlds appeal: It feels far from the pressure of the coasts, but New Mexico is fast becoming one of the world’s great film hubs.
MovieMaker - Santa Fe International Film Festival 2024 Winners Include Waltzing Matilda and The Strike
The Santa Fe International Film Festival has announced the winners of this year’s juried awards, including Petr Slavík’s Waltzing Matilda for best narrative feature and JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey’s The Strike for best documentary feature.
This year marks the first time the winners of best animated short, best narrative short, and best documentary short categories are eligible for Oscar submission. The winners of those categories were LUKi and the Lights directed by Toby Cochran, Camping in Paradise directed by Eirik Tveiten, and The Quilters directed by Jenifer McShane respectively.
Variety - Variety to Celebrate 10 Screenwriters to Watch at Santa Fe International Film Festival
Variety will publish its annual 10 Screenwriters to Watch list on Oct. 10 and recognize the honorees at this year’s Santa Fe International Film Festival. This year marks Variety’s inaugural partnership with SFIFF to present its annual Screenwriters to Watch list.
Variety - Santa Fe International Film Festival Puts Down Roots by Blending International Films, Local Talent
Over the last decade, companies like Netflix, NBCUniversal and Cinelease have committed an enormous amount of capital to filming in New Mexico. That development, along with attractive tax rebates from the state, has enabled Santa Fe to blossom into an enviable production hub.
The combination of that growth and a forward-thinking creative community has also helped generate a unique, on-the-rise energy to the Santa Fe International Film Festival, which in 2024 earned a place on Moviemaker Magazine’s list of “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” for the second year in a row.
Variety - Santa Fe International Film Fest to honor Bryan Cranston with Life Achievement Award
Actor Bryan Cranston will be honored with the Santa Fe International Film Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday, October 19, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe.
MovieMaker - In ‘All That Remains,’ Cassidy Freeman Shares Her Family’s Open Secret
“All That Remains” — a stellar new short film about two siblings played by Cassidy Freeman and her real-life brother, Clark Freeman — ends with them making a stark discovery about their dad. And talking with Cassidy Freeman about the film yields another shock: The surprise ending is true.
MovieMaker - In ‘Fire 'Fucking Fire,’ a One-Night Stand With a Rock Star Burns Too Bright
“Fire Fucking Fire,” a fast-burn comedy about a one-night stand that quickly blurs boundaries, has some of the strongest Santa Fe ties of any of the films playing the Santa Fe International Film Festival — co-writer/director Julia Eringer lives in the city, and debuted her first film at the festival in 2015.
MovieMaker - In ‘Princeton’s in the Mix,’ an Entitled Mom Tries to Victimize Her Son Into an Elite School
In the blisteringly funny Princeton’s in the Mix, playing this week at the Santa Fe International Film Festival, an entitled mom finds herself in a precarious situation. Her son, Teddy, is smart and talented, but not smart or talented enough to get into an elite school based on merits.
MovieMaker - In Resident Orca, Indigenous Women Fight to Save a Whale They Consider Family
The Lhaq’temish people of the Pacific Northwest, also known as the Lummi Nation, don’t think of orcas as animals. As we learn in Resident Orca, the hypnotic documentary now playing at the Santa Fe International Film Festival, they think of the whales as family, and call them Qwe ‘lhol mechen.
Deadline - Oscar-Contending Documentary ‘The Quilters’: Behind The Walls Of A Maximum-Security Prison, Beauty And Healing Emerges
For the men of The Quilters, the Oscar-contending short documentary directed by Jenifer McShane, there is no more rewarding place to be than the sewing room. From swatches of fabric and batches of batting, they stitch together birthday quilts that bring warmth to foster children who may not have felt a lot of comfort in their lives.
Cartoon Brew - 2025 Oscars Short Film Contenders: ‘Luki & The Lights’ Director Toby Cochran
Cartoon Brew is putting the spotlight on animated short films that have qualified for the 2025 Oscars.
In this installment, we’re looking at Luki & the Lights from American filmmaker Toby Cochran. The short earned its Oscars qualification by winning the best animated short award at the Santa Fe International Film Festival.
Albuquerque Journal - SFiFF named to MovieMaker's '50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee'
It’s a repeat.
For the second year in a row, the Santa Fe International Film Festival has received accolades from MovieMaker Magazine.
On Tuesday, the trade publication named SFiFF as one of the “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.”
The festival has made the list nine times and will be marking its 16th festival in Oct. 16-20.
Pasatiempo - Film festival honored by MovieMaker Magazine
MovieMaker Magazine today named the Santa Fe International Film Festival as one of its “50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2024.”
SFIFF is the only film festival in New Mexico to make the list, which will appear in the magazine's spring issue.
“As Santa Fe becomes a major hub for production, SFiFF remains consistent in its dedication to filmmakers and the art of making movies in this community," says Jacques Paisner, the festival's artistic director. "Coinciding with Santa Fe’s listing as MovieMaker’s number one small city, we feel it is apropos to be included again on this list of top regional festivals.”
Albuquerque Journal - Inside the (art) house: Santa Fe International Film Festival teams up with Violet Crown for monthly cinema series
The Santa Fe International Film Festival features some of the best independent film from around the world.
The festival screens plenty of movies that come out in the months after the initial festival in October.
SFiFF officials wanted to keep giving film lovers opportunities to see the screened films as they get worldwide release.
The festival has teamed up with Violet Crown Cinema in the Santa Fe Railyards to host a monthly Art House Cinema Series.
Pasatiempo - The lights go up on the Santa Fe International Film Festival
Movie lovers, it’s time to pop the corn and settle in. The 2024 Santa Fe International Film Festival presents 42 narrative feature films, 24 documentaries, and 118 short films, all presented across 98 screenings over five days.
KRQE - Absurdist comedy “Sunlight” premiering at Santa Fe International Film Festival
An absurdist romantic comedy co-staring a familiar face to New Mexico theater-goers and a woman in a monkey suit will premier Saturday as part of the Santa Fe International Film Festival.
Shenoah Allen, one half of the comedy duo “The Pajama Men” and award winning filmmaker and ventriloquist Nina Conte worked for five years writing “Sunlight” a film that was executive produced by Christopher Guest. The story follows a woman who refuses to come out of her life-sized monkey suit until she finds someone who can love her for who she truly is. The film is shot in New Mexico and as Allen says, it leaned on the absurdism of the script and the diversity of the backdrop. “New Mexico is a beautiful place and it’s also a complicated place, and it was great to rediscover it through Nina’s eyes,” Allen said.
KUNM - Pajama Men alum returns to NM with a film about a man, a woman and a monkey
The Santa Fe International Film Festival is underway and among the films is one featuring Albuquerque native Shenoah Allen, formerly of the improv group The Pajama Men. He and comedian Nina Conti wrote and star in “Sunlight” which they describe as a nihilistic comedy love story between a man and a woman who doesn’t want to come out of a monkey suit until she is truly loved.
Santa Fe Reporter - 3 Questions with Santa Fe International Film Festival Executive Director Liesette Bailey
This week heralds the 16th iteration of the Santa Fe International Film Festival (Various times and locations, Wednesday, Oct. 16-Sunday, Oct. 20, santafe.film), that sprawling week-long conglomeration of movies, talks, parties, panels, gatherings, awards and events that takes over Santa Fe’s theater spaces each October. Likely, you’ve heard it before—each year at the festival gets a little bigger and better; though something about 2024 feels new and urgent, like SFIFF has fully come into its own as a competitive festival alongside the likes of Tribeca and Sundance. And speaking of Sundance, news from earlier this year that the long-running event will not move to Santa Fe if and when it leaves its longtime Park City, Utah, home emphasizes the importance of our homegrown festival. New Mexico is, after all, a film-loving state—why shouldn’t we have a festival to match our fervor? Between the massive slate of movies dropping this week, plus the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony for actor Bryan Cranston and all the usual goings-on, we checked in with SFIFF Executive Director Liesette Bailey. This interview has been edited for clarity and concision. (Alex De Vore)
Santa Fe Reporter - Santa Fe International Film Festival Named An Oscar-Qualifying Fest
Winners of various short film categories can soon submit for the Academy Award.
New Mexico Magazine - Five Things to Do This Weekend
The renowned Santa Fe International Film Festival explores identity with global, independent, and Indigenous films. Photograph courtesy of the Santa Fe International Film Festival.
Albuquerque Journal - Wrap party: Santa Fe International Film Festival to screen more than 150 films, honor Bryan Cranston
What began as a relatively small event in its first few years, has blossomed into one of the biggest events of its kind in the Southwest region and draws thousands to Santa Fe for a celebration of film.
Redfin Blog - The Ultimate Santa Fe, NM Bucket List: 8 Ideas for Exploring the City
With exhilarating hiking trails and a vibrant artistic community, Santa Fe is a beacon of creativity and adventure, promising memorable experiences and opportunities for enriching self-reflection. When exploring and learning more about living in Santa Fe, It’s hard not to be captivated by the rich culture of this town and start to explore renting an apartment in Santa Fe or even buying a home in the city.
From taking a stroll down Canyon Road to look at the art galleries to visiting one of Santa Fe’s famous festivals, here’s Redfin’s ultimate bucket list for uncovering all that this Southwestern city has to offer.
