It’s almost midnight. I’m quickly cleaning up the bar I work at and putting everything away as fast as possible. Every once in a while, I glance at my phone for the time in some half-baked attempt at either slowing it down or speeding myself up. I rush out the door and into a line formed outside the Del Mar Theater in Downtown Santa Cruz. Hundreds of people of all ages, some with blankets and pillows, many dressed in their comfiest pajamas, head towards the main room. Some stop to grab a Nutella sandwich or croissant. Personally, I go for the chocolate-covered espresso beans and a nice, hot cup of coffee. Later I’ll go back for another cup and maybe some cereal, after all it’s going to be a 12-hour haul.
Nutella sandwiches? Coffee after midnight? Cereal? Blankets? Staying up way longer than any normal, sane person should? These are just some of the things one experiences at the annual Del Mar Secret Film Festival happening at 11:59pm on Saturday, May 16th to noon on Sunday, May 17th.
“It’s a completely different tone than a regular shift,” says Del Mar employee Mikka Luke. Born and raised in Santa Cruz, Luke has worked at the theater for the past two years.
“I like the audience and the crowds that come,” he continues. “It’s a lot of familiar faces.”
So what is the Secret Film Festival?
Founded in 2005, it’s an annual (with the exception of 2020-2022), 12-hour movie marathon–showing mostly pictures from indie film companies like A24, IFC Films, and Magnolia Pictures, to name a few–not for the faint of heart. What makes it secret? First, every movie shown is making its Santa Cruz debut. These are all films that will later play at the Del Mar throughout the year but have not been shown commercially in town.
Second–and this is the fun part–audience members don’t know what the movies they’re about to watch are going to be. Instead, a Del Mar employee (usually festival curator Scott Griffin) will give a vague synopsis of the movie before it’s screened, but that’s it. No names, no full descriptions. A purely blind adventure in the age of being able to look up anything.
In the spirit of cinephile camaraderie, everyone piles into the main theater for the first film. After the brief introduction, the movie begins, usually around 90 minutes long.
Once the initial showing is over, the host returns and gives a brief synopsis of the next main theater movie, along with a synopsis of what’s playing in the upstairs theater. Not only does this make the festival a fun, Choose-Your-Own-Adventure for movie nerds, it also adds in a much-needed stretch and/or bathroom break. Trust me, this becomes a godsend somewhere around 4 to 6am.
The movies are then staggered in this manner until the final showing. By that point, the weak have been culled from the strong, and those remaining movie warriors meet back up in the main room for the final film.
Over the years, I’ve seen a number of excellent films I’ve loved and later recommended to friends. Blackberry–a biopic on the rise and fall of the smartphone precursor and the people who created it– American Animals–a docudrama about the 2004 book heist at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky–and In Fabric–the 2018 British horror comedy about a possessed dress that kills its owners filmed in the style of 1960s and 1970s Italian giallo films– come to mind.
“The curation of the films is always incredible, even if they weren’t something that was in my wheelhouse,” says Jordan Fickel, a Secret Film Fest pro with five (“maybe more”) under his belt. He’s also the first person to introduce me to the festival.
“I get stuck in the kind of movies I watch–like sci-fi or really specific types of art movies,” he continues, “But I saw some there that I never would’ve watched otherwise, and I’m pretty happy I did, like American Animals.”
Which brings us to a key point when attending the Secret Film Festival: don’t judge a book by its cover. Or, in this case, by its vague synopsis. For example, in 2023, the description given for one film was along the lines of “It’s about a girl who deals with the death of her brother.” Ok, normally that isn’t a theme I’d be into, but something told me I should check it out.
People–always trust the gut instinct because it ended up being The Angry Black Girl And Her Monster, a modern take on Frankenstein with themes of social inequality, systematic racism, and survival on the streets mixed with gory effects and suspenseful horror. Since then, I’ve watched it multiple times and still recommend it to friends.
For Stu Adamson, the discovery of new movies mixed with another way for him to support one of his favorite downtown landmarks is what keeps bringing him back.
“I love me a big ‘ol fashioned 1920’s and 30’s flat floored, classic cinema,” he says. “I go to the Del Mar almost once a week if they’re playing something good. I’ve got a regular habit there.”
Adamson is a veteran of four different Secret Film Festivals, two of which he has made it through the entire 12 hours. When asked about his survival tips, this cinematic commando whipped out an entire list.
◼ Del Mar Secret Film Festival, begins at 11:59pm on Saturday, May 16th, continuous until 12 noon on Sunday, May 17th.
STU ADAMSON’S HANDY DANDY GUIDE TO SURVIVING 12 STRAIGHT HOURS OF CINEMA MAYHEM
- Take a nap. “A power nap on Saturday is the only way you’re going to get through it,” he says.
- Reapply deodorant before you go into the theater. “Whatever you apply on Saturday is going to fail you on Sunday and those theaters get ripe.”
- Thermos it! For people like Adamson, sometimes the lobby coffee isn’t enough, so he brings his own espresso. “I do buy their chocolate-covered coffee beans, but I need espresso-strength coffee.”
- Along with buying from the concession stand, Adamson says to bring non-sugary snacks like rice crackers or a banana to avoid the crash-out halfway through the night.
- Sit close to the aisle. This should probably be the fourth tip because once you drink the coffee from tip number three, bathroom breaks are inevitable and “climbing over 15 people is super inconvenient,” as Adamson says.
- Bring a neck pillow! Why bother lugging around your clunky bedroom pillow when you can have the convenience of having it around your neck from the start? Plus, let’s be real, bringing your home pillow around hundreds of your new best friends for the night then putting it back on your bed sounds. . .questionable.
- Comfy clothes! This one is just a no-brainer. Like Adamson, I love the Del Mar’s beautifully vintage aesthetic, but the seats are not the comfiest. So, be smarter than the chair and dress appropriately.
- It’s ok to leave and come back. “I’ve got one secret weapon to add to the survival,” Adamson says. “The selections at 6am tend to be the most dire. Zachary’s opens at 7am. So retain your ticket, go get an omelette, a short stack and some diner coffee. That’s powered me to the end [of the festival] both times.”
Also, I’m going to add one of my own to the mix: it’s ok to tap out and go home. Just be prepared for time dysmorphia, walking out of a dark theater into a brightly lit, busy Sunday morning on Pacific Ave.
After all, even the employees sometimes have a hard time doing the 12-hour gauntlet.
“I usually don’t watch the movies because I’m scared I’m going to fall asleep,” laughs Luke.
However, Fickel might just have the best tip of all.
“It’s always better if you have a buddy,” he says. “That’s what makes the theater a better experience in general. It’s not just about the movies you see, it’s the story of this fun, weird event.”
