There’s no telling how much popcorn and soda or how many Red Vines, Junior Mints or M&Ms will be consumed during the Santa Cruz Film Festival, but it will be a LOT.
Starting on Oct. 8, 90-plus films will screen over five days at six venues. After many of the films, visiting filmmakers, directors and producers will participate in Q&A sessions with the audiences.
Intermixed with all that will be parties, celebrities-about-town, industry panels, craft talks, an awards ceremony, musical performances, community engagement, discussion, debate and more.
And all this comes after a three-year hiatus that seems to have brought out a burst of furious energy, because the Santa Cruz Film Festival has come roaring back to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
Of the nearly 100 films, there are features, documentaries and shorts in a variety of genres, with both international standouts and essential local stories. Given the size, scope and scale of this ambitious festival, there’s no way to capture it all in one article, so we’ve turned our attention particularly to films with a local angle or connection—those that are for or from our community.
Everything kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 7pm with a red-carpet premiere at the Landmark Del Mar Theater downtown with F*ckToys, the South by Southwest Grand Jury award-winning feature narrative film. Writer, director and star Annapurna Sirium will be in attendance.
Following that screening, the Festival’s Opening Night Gala takes place at 9pm at the Museum of Art and History (MAH) with music, drinks, art, filmmakers and lots of community engagement. DJ sets from Tide Swing will keep the dance floor popping. All are welcome and it’s free (with an RSVP ticket).
Be sure not to get too hungover after the Gala, because on Thurs., Oct. 9 there are daytime screenings leading up to the 7pm showing of Art & Life: The Story of Jim Philips, also at the Del Mar. Director John Makens and the film’s star, Jim Phillips, will be on hand.
Phillips, as we all know, is the genius behind skateboarding and rock culture’s electrifying art. According to the teaser, the documentary focuses on Phillips’ life in Santa Cruz, where he helped shape the golden era of skateboarding. The Film Festival summarizes it this way: “Jim’s story is a profound narrative of resilience, passion and enduring artistic vision. The documentary explores his life and career, showcasing his iconic work that has defined an era and secured his place in modern art history.”
The theme for the day is “Discoveries and Dialogues,” and there will be filmmaker Q&As all day, along with the screenings.
The Festival’s Spotlight Documentary, Out of Plain Sight, from Academy Award-winning L.A. Times Studios, will show on Oct. 9 at 6:30pm (The Colligan). There will be a Q&A with directors Daniel Straub and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rosanna Xia, along with Dr. David Valentine and wildlife biologist Joe Burnett.
The film explores the story behind how, in the years after World War II, as many as a half million barrels of toxic waste were quietly dumped into the ocean off the coast of Southern California—and the consequences continue to haunt the world today. The voiceover in the trailer is chilling: “It was one of those ‘holy crap’ moments. Somebody just filled this up with industrial waste, kicked it off a ship and it’s just been sitting here on the sea floor ever since.”
On Friday, Oct. 10 the theme is “Industry & Impact” with screenings all day throughout all six venues. Get ready to party again that evening, when HWY 17 studioshosts filmmakers, press and partners at its huge (22,500 sq. ft.) new (as of July) event and production space on the Westside.
But before that comes a full day of screenings, including the Spotlight Film: “Arcadia,” by Yogos Zois (4:30pm at the Colligan Theater; in Greek with English subtitles). One of the characters is called to identify the victim of a tragic accident. As the story unfolds, the characters put the pieces of the puzzle together, revealing a haunting story of love, loss, acceptance and letting go.
Also on Oct. 10, UCSC alum Tadashi Nakamura premieres his new film Third Act (7pm Friday Santa Cruz Cinema)
Nakamura, who holds an MFA in Social Documentationfrom UCSC, is the son of Robert A. Nakamura, considered the godfather of Asian American film. As the filmmaking son of a filmmaking legend, Nakamura uses the lessons his dad taught him to decipher the legacy of an aging man who was a child survivor of the WWII incarceration of Japanese Americans, a successful photographer who gave it up to tell his own story, an activist at the dawn of a social movement—and a father whose struggles have won his son freedoms that eluded Japanese Americans of his generation.
As Parkinson’s disease clouds his father’s memory, Tadashi Nakamura sets out to retrieve his story—and in the process discovers his own. The two have made films together for years, but Third Act is most likely their last. Stay after the screening for a Q&A with Tadashi Nakamura.
The Industry Panel at the Paradox Hotel on “Community Day” (Sat., Oct. 11 at 11am) is expected to be a highlight. The conversation will center on a few important questions: “How can Santa Cruz lead the way in creating a thriving indie film scene?” “What partnerships, policies, and community support are needed to incentivize filmmaking across the Central Coast?” And “How can we ensure access for diverse voices, local storytellers, and the next generation of creators?”
The following industry guests are lined up to tackle this conversation:
• Marc Smolowitz—producer/filmmaker, Outerlands; founder, 13th Gen
• Kerri Wood Einertson—executive director of Government Affairs & Public Policy, SAG-AFTRA NorCal Local
• Sam Bempong—#MakeItBay/East Bay Film Collective
• Consuelo Alba—executive director and cofounder, Watsonville Film Festival
• Mattie Scariot—executive director, Poppy Jasper International Film Festival
• Christina Glynn—Santa Cruz Film Commission
• Ryan “RJ” Allen—founder, HWY 17 Studios
• Paul Kmiec—filmmaker/executive director of Santa Cruz Film Festival
Later on Saturday, catch “Central Coast Shorts: Crossroads of Longing and Belonging” (4:30pm, The Colligan), which will include a screening of the 20-minute short HomeTown Homeless by Santa Cruz native Maleah Rose Welsh, 26, who also received her MFA in Social Documentationfrom UCSC.
The project began as an interview and portrait project, initially focusing on the city-sanctioned Benchlands homeless encampment. Over time, as Welsh pursued her degree, it evolved into a short documentary exploring the meaning of home. At the core is Welsh’s relationship with Mama Shannon, a poet, writer and member of the unhoused community.
Welsh says Mama Shannon’s “participation was intrinsic” to making the film. “It was a total collaboration. She was involved in every step of the filmmaking. Every cut. She wanted to focus on the women, so we emphasized those stories. We earned each other’s trust as artists and friends.”
This collaboration, which deepened over the two years it took to make the film, was key, Welsh says, to “delivering a film that the unhoused community respects, is proud of and feels connected to. What’s most important is they gave me a lot of time, thought, energy and care,” Welsh says.
Everything culminates on Oct. 12 with more screenings, the audience awards and closing ceremonies. At 4:30pm at the Colligan Theater, the festival hosts a Local Spotlight featuring the film Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency, followed by a Q&A with directors Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle.
The closing feature, showing at 6:30pm, is Outerlands, with director Elena Oxman on hand to field Q&As. Outerlands is already attracting of attention, with Variety calling it “a film of great cinematic sleight of hand.” The film’s star, Asia Kate Dillon—one of the first non-binary lead actors—is known from roles in Billions, Orange is the New Black or John Wick: Chapter Three.
The producer for Outerlands, Marc Smolowitz, is an award-winning independent filmmaker who is a UCSC Theater Arts alum and former Santa Cruz local.
“Festivals are where we connect with other people in a communal setting,” Smolowitz says. “People need to come down. Let’s get out, get together, watch stories together. It’s hugely important.”
Why is it important?
“Because the audience completes the story,” he answers.
Smolowitz has another film in the Festival: A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint (Oct. 10, 7:30pm at The 418 Project), which tells the story of Peppermint, the first openly transgender woman to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race. She also originated the role of Pythio in Head Over Heels, becoming Broadway’s first openly trans woman to originate a principal role. This highly personal documentary film follows her life as a performer, singer, actress and activist over a nine-year journey.
The awards ceremony on Oct. 12 takes place at Woodhouse Blending & Brewing at 8:45pm. The ceremony will feature the presentation of 18 awards, recognizing outstanding achievement among this year’s filmmakers. Music starts at 10pm with J.A.M. and the Buttered Biscuits ready to rock the house. Admission is free, and all are welcome.
Viewers are advised to start their pre-game by visiting the Film Festival’s website and buying tickets. Several films are generating big buzz and will probably sell out.
Tickets for all screenings, panels and events can be purchased at santacruzfilmfestivals.org. While all-access VIP passes and themed packages are available, tickets to most of the individual films are $12.
MORE Santa Cruz Film Festival
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