The Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFiFF), formerly known as the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, is an American

film festival A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theater, cinemas or screening venues, usually annually and in a single city or region. Some film festivals show films outdoors or online. Films may be of recent ...

held annually in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, Violet Crown Cinema, Center for Contemporary Arts, The Screen, and George R.R. Martin's

Jean Cocteau Cinema The Jean Cocteau Cinema is a historic movie theater (formerly the Collective Fantasy Cinema) located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States. It is currently owned by American author George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born Geo ...

History

The SFiFF was founded in 2009. Honorees at SFiFF 2012 included

Chris Eyre Chris Eyre (born 1968), an enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, is a Native American film director and producer. Early life and education Chris Eyre was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Klamath Falls by his adoptive ...

Rudolfo Anaya Rudolfo Anaya (October 30, 1937June 28, 2020) was an American author. Noted for his 1972 novel '' Bless Me, Ultima'', Anaya was considered one of the founders of the canon of contemporary Chicano and New Mexican literature. The themes and cult ...

, and

Judy Blume Judith Blume (née Sussman; born February 12, 1938) is an American writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 26 novels. Among her best-known works are '' Are You There God? It's ...

. In 2013, SFiFF was included in ''

MovieMaker ''MovieMaker'' is a magazine, website and podcast network focused on the art and business of filmmaking with a special emphasis on independent film and film festivals. The magazine is published on a quarterly basis, and is known for the annual l ...

'' magazine's list of "25 Coolest General Film Festivals on the Planet". 2013 Santa Fe Independent Film Festival awarded

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

& actor

Wes Studi Wesley Studi (; born December 17, 1947) is a Native American (Cherokee Nation) actor and film producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and awards throughout his career, particularly for his portrayal of Native Americans in film. In 2019, he ...

. John Waters performed his live one-man show This Filthy World at the Lensic Performing Arts Center. For SFiFF 2014 there were over 10,000 attendees for the first time, and presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty; April 24, 1934) is an American actress and author. With a career spanning over 70 years, she has received List of awards and nominations received by Shirley MacLaine, numerous accolades, including a ...

and

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...

. In 2015, Santa Fe Independent Film Festival honored

Ted Hope Ted Hope (born 1962) is an American independent film producer based in New York City. He is best known for co-founding the production/sales company Good Machine, where he produced the first films of such filmmakers as Ang Lee, Nicole Holofcene ...

, Imogene Hughes, and Hampton Sides. SFiFF 2015 honored

Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (; June 19, 1930 – August 14, 2024) was an American actress, whose career in film, stage, and television spanned nearly seven decades. She was a four-time Emmy, Emmy Award and two-time Golden Globe winner, and ...

with a lifetime achievement award. SFiFF 2016 presented

Jacqueline Bisset Winifred Jacqueline Fraser Bisset ( ; born 13 September 1944) is a British actress. She began her film career in 1965 and first came to prominence in 1968 with roles in ''The Detective (1968 film), The Detective'', ''Bullitt'', and ''The Sweet ...

with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and

Jay Roach Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Austin Powers (film series), ''Austin Powers'' film series, ''Meet the Parents'', ''Dinner for Schmucks'', ''The Campaign (film), The Campaign'', ...

with the American filmmaker award. SFiFF 2017 presented

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films '' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984), '' Matewan'' (1987), ...

and

Maggie Renzi Maggie Renzi (born November 30, 1951) is an American film producer and actress. Personal life Renzi attended Williams College, where she met her life partner John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American indepen ...

with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

N. Scott Momaday Navarre Scotte Momaday (February 27, 1934–January 24, 2024) was a Kiowa and American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and poet. His novel ''House Made of Dawn'' was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1969 in literature, 1969, and ...

was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

and

. Chris Eyre, George R.R. Martin, and

returned as guests. SFiFF presented a Q&A with

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...

at Center for Contemporary Arts. SFiFF 2018 presented

Bill Plympton Bill Plympton (born April 30, 1946) is an American animator, graphic designer, cartoonist, and filmmaker best known for his 1987 Academy Award–nominated animated short '' Your Face'' and his series of shorts featuring a dog character starting ...

with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Alexandria Bombach received the festival's Visionary Award for Santa Fe Independent Film Festival's 10th Annual Festival. In 2019, SFiFF was included in ''Moviemaker'' magazine's list of "50 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee". SFiFF also presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to

Tantoo Cardinal Tantoo Cardinal CM (born July 20, 1950) is a Canadian actress. Of Cree and Métis heritage, in 2009 she was made a member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing arts in Canada, as a s ...

and

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...

. In 2021, SFiFF presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Director

Oliver Stone William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...

. In 2022, SFiFF presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to

Godfrey Reggio Godfrey Reggio (born 1940) is an American director of experimental documentary films. Life Reggio was born in New Orleans in 1940 to a Catholic family. He left home at age 14 to join the Catholic Christian Brotherhood. He became a monk, and spe ...

and presented the world premiere of his newest film ''Once Within A Time''. The festival also presented Director

Catherine Hardwicke Catherine Hardwicke is an American film director, production designer, and screenwriter. Her directorial work includes '' Thirteen'' (2003), which she co-wrote with Nikki Reed, the film's co-star, '' Lords of Dogtown'' (2005), '' The Nativity ...

with the Visionary Award. In July 2022, the festival was rebranded as the Santa Fe International Film Festival. In 2023, SFiFF honored film director

Sterlin Harjo Sterlin Harjo (born November 14, 1979)Sam Lewin, , ''Native Times News'', reprinted in ''Canku Ota'', May 24, 2004 (article gives his age as 24 in 2004). is a Native Americans in the United States, Native American filmmaker from Oklahoma. He is ...

with the Visionary Award. In 2024, the festival recognized actor

Bryan Cranston Bryan Lee Cranston (born March 7, 1956) is an American actor. After taking minor roles in television, he established himself as a leading actor in both comedic and dramatic Bryan Cranston filmography, works on stage and screen. He has received ...

with the Lifetime Achievement Award before a screening of '' Trumbo''. The 2024 edition opened with Malcolm Washington’s ''The Piano Lesson'' and closed with Amber Sealey’s ''Out of My Mind''. Over five days, the festival showed a selection of 184 films, including 42 narrative features, 24 documentaries, and 118 short films.

Notable films

* ''Salt of the Earth'''', (2010) *'' Hostiles'' *'' Only The Brave'' * ''Fire at Sea'' *'' Shoplifters'' *''

Burning Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combust ...

'' *'' The Square'' *'' On Her Shoulders'' *''

Bless Me, Ultima ''Bless Me, Ultima'' is a coming-of-age novel by Rudolfo Anaya centering on Antonio Márez y Luna and his mentorship under his '' curandera'' and protector, Ultima. It has become the most widely read and critically acclaimed novel in the New Mexi ...

'' * ''The Broken Circle Breakdown'' * ''The Homesman'' *'' Taped'' * ''Girlhood'' * ''The Front Runner'' * ''Women Talking'' * '' Flow'' * '' Nickel Boys'' * ''

A Real Pain ''A Real Pain'' is a 2024 comedy drama, comedy-drama film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg. An Co-production (media), international co-production between Poland and the United States, the film stars Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin as mismat ...

'' * ''

Anatomy of a Fall ''Anatomy of a Fall'' () is a 2023 French psychological legal drama film, directed by Justine Triet from a screenplay she co-wrote with Arthur Harari. It stars Sandra Hüller as a writer trying to prove her innocence in her husband's death. A ...

References

External links

*{{official website, https://santafe.film Culture of Santa Fe, New Mexico Film festivals in New Mexico