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The Santa Fe Independent Film Festival is a nonprofit film festival placed in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Founding

The Santa Fe Independent Film Festival (also known as SFIFF and Santa Fe IFF) was created in 2009 by a duo collaboration between Jacques Paisner and David Moore, two local executive filmmakers who acknowledged the need for a terrace in which independent filmmakers and a distant, yet assorted audience can enjoy a unique type of cinema. Their goal was to create a pathway between community and filmmakers through experiencing New Mexico and therefore keeping film vibrant in the state. The festival comes alive in October each year in Santa Fe’s diverse theaters all across town.

2009

The inaugural of SFIFF in 2009 brought about 500 attendees and 25 screenings, making their mark on the community.

2010

The Second go around for the festival, it presented 80 films that spanned through 6 days along with several discussions and an after party every night of the festival in the most attractive sites in Santa Fe.

2011

Growing, Santa Fe IFF now screened 100 films spanning a 5 day event to an audience of 2,500 viewers. Special guests invited were Academy Award Winners Tony Mark, Kirby Dick and New Mexico’s Alton Walpole, a local filmmaker in Santa Fe. Aviva Farber, Jon Hendry, and Wes and Maura Studi presented the awards to the winners of certain awards.

2012

5,000 attendees graced SFIFF’s Fourth Annual Fest, selling out two screening at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe with a special Red Carpet Gala opening of “Bless Me Ultima”, the film adaptation of a beloved novel in the state of New Mexico.

A filmmaker’s brunch was organized to speak of film progression in New Mexico between local filmmakers and professionals throughout the festival. Special guests included Director Chris Eyre, Rudolfo Anaya, Judy Blume, along with the growing McManus Brothers, a duo that directed a crowd favorite “Funeral Kings”. Submission rates rose dramatically since their opening from 65 to the present 500.

Special Guests

In its initial four years the festival has brought Chris Eyre, Judy Blume, Rudolfo Anaya, McManus Brothers, Alton Walpole, Kirby Dick, Tony Mark, Aviva Farber, Jon Hendry, Wes Studi, and Maura Studi.

Notable Films

Bless Me, Ultima

Los Chidos, [Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's] sophomore effort.

Funeral Kings

Nancy, Please

Taped. An original by Diederik Van Rooijen, of whom Columbia Pictures just bought the rights for an American remake.

Tiger Eyes. An adaptation of Judy Blume's young adult novel.

The festival has no standards against any type of genre. Each year the program is shaped according to what films were made that year.