Letter from the Director! Dear SFFF, As I return home from Washington DC, I am reminded of the reason why I became a filmmaker, and why I do what I do at the festival. Films do so much in this world. My professor Brent Kliewer for History of World Cinema at CSF (and curator for SFFF in 2011 & 2012) used to tell my class mates and I of all the ways filmmakers have made a difference throughout history with film. I was so inspired in his classes and whole heartedly believed that I too could some day make a positive difference through the art of film. I thought I would produce films that improve the world through messages that display human rights, social justice, religious freedom, informative material for self empowerment, informational art for life, solutions to domestic abuse and ways to improve gay rights, labor justice, end world hunger, promote peace, love, unity, family, and touch on environmental issues - just to start with. Let’s not forget that sometimes it’s great to watch a film that just makes you feel good. I will watch one of those films any day because lets face it… We all want to feel good some times. As the festivals director, I am always looking for one of those feel good films for my attendees. (Like the film I saw last night with my brothers and sisters “Pride”) A good horror flick can be a fun thrill too. Any quality film is good for me! Today, I have an opportunity to empower filmmakers by shedding light on their work through the Santa Fe Film Festival. This is a unique opportunity and something I take very seriously. I am working with my awards committee to discuss ways that we can empower our filmmakers selected for our programs, by awarding them the notoriety they deserve. I will continue to look for ways to lift up quality filmmakers in any way that I can. I am so excited to be able to share with you our competition through the “Shoot Santa Fe Pilot Project” which will help a filmmaker take their vision and make it reel in Santa Fe, my beautiful home town. Please keep up with what we are doing through this program. This is one of the many ways the Santa Fe Film Festival works to shed light on (in my own words) “good stuff!” Now I think about all the filmmakers and film festivals around the world, working hard to bring joy and nourishment to their communities through their medium - the motion picture! As I sit on this plane and look out the window, I can see the faces of those who I just met in DC at the Global Labor Film Festival Organizers Conference. How amazed am I to have met such impressive film festival programmers doing some amazing things! Here in America I now know people doing similar things to what I am trying to do in their cities and home towns. I also met some amazing festival Directors from places like Pakistan, Taiwan, and England. I am so inspirited now and can’t wait to collaborate with these festival organizers in some kind of medium. We are now searching for a way to create and acquire a common goal together. Improved quality of life through media, for us... that means film. As I continue to work as regional coordinator for Labor 2014 (the unions campaign for political candidates who support labor rights) I am preparing for Santa Fe Film Festivals 2nd Annual New Mexico Film Industry Tune Up, which will be December 5-7, 2014. This is our vision for empowering New Mexico’s filmmakers through film at the festival. After this, my new team and I (who you will be able to meet at the 2014 Tune Up) will be working together to prepare for Santa Fe Film Festival’s 2015 program. In the meantime, for those of you in the USA... Don’t forget to vote November 4th so YOUR voice can be heard too! And for those of you who love film, I am really looking forward to sharing with all of you what we have in store for our future! I have recently made a commitment to focus my attention on the festival as my first priority starting 2015. I have shared this agenda with my team and partners as well as many of the festivals sponsors. Please, come to Tune Up, and follow what we are doing with our Shoot Santa Fe Pilot Project! I will shortly be releasing an article with an update to last years winners written my Anne Maclachlan. During Tune Up, we will release our new identity and reveal our new web site as well as our new teams agenda! Make sure to follow us through the progress of our festival in 2015. See what SFFF programmer Aaron Leventman and I create together with our programming committee, as well as my new vision with my friends from the Labor movement. It is also refreshing that the festival’s new board of directors empowers me with a high quality of support and provides creative solutions to growth and improvement! I also urge you to follow and support some of our favorite festival’s from Santa Fe and New Mexico who are doing some really “good stuff’ with their programming! South West Gay & Lesbian Film Festival - October 10-19, 2014 Santa Fe Independent Film Festival - October 15-19, 2014 New Mexico Fright Fest Santa Fe Comic Con - October 24-26, 2014 Taos Shortz - March 19-22, 2015 Albuquerque Film and Media Experience - June 1-7, 2015 Roswell Film Festival - June 2015 White Sands Film Festival - September 2015 AHA Festival - September 2015 Any festival who wishes to collaborate with us, please reach out to me. Let’s discuss and share ideas on what we can do together! I am so grateful to IATSE480 and AFL-CIO for this burst of inspiration, thank you Jon Hendry and Chris Garlock. Join me and my team - and support what we are doing by being fans of film and the Santa Fe Film Festival! Sincerely, Nani Rivera The Santa Fe Film Festival Director nani@santafefilmfestival
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 04:27:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015