The Animator

Jeff Harms submitted his short The Bite to the Santa Fe Film Festival because he thought it would be a warm place to visit, but luckily it’s been snowing.

2007 World Press Photo Award

Akintunde Akinleye is the winner of the 2007 World Press Award. His winning photograph captures the devastation of a broken oil pipeline that killed 260 people in Lagos, Nigeria. He traveled to Santa Fe, Washington DC and Los Angeles with National Geographic’s All Roads Film Project.

Miller's Web

Found Stephen Miller, dreamer of websites, at a pre-screening of one the festival's documentaries, Rumi Returning. 

Being Navajo Just Is

Tony Estrada was bred on the Rez, ran off to LA to work in production, only to return home to produce and direct his own documentaries focused on Native American themes. You can find him at Wild Horse Films.

He likes 'The Princess Bride' and fairytale endings.

505 Por Vida!

Caught up with New Mexican actress Aviva and her friend Graciera. Aviva garnered recognition for her role in last summer's teen comedy hit Superbad and her recent work Forgiving the Franklins was featured at the festival. Not bad for somebody who started off in commercials selling fabric softener at the age of six.

And she really is just Supernice. Viva Aviva!

Who's Who...

Some of the people we met at the festival...



Know anyone?

Press Pass - All Films Access

A John Alvin design - he does film posters - like Blazing Saddles, E.T., Blade Runner, The Princess Bride, The Lion King, Jurassic Park and plenty more.

Favorites films so far seem to have a Middle Eastern component...the documentary Operation Filmmaker charts the strange and tumultuous journeys of an Iraqi film student who works on surreal Hollywood sets in Europe. The camera turns back on the woman making the film, Nina Davenport, as she questions her subject's motivations and her true, somewhat disparaging feelings for him.

Persepolis is an awesome dreamscape and reality bite of the life of an Iranian child-to-woman. Animated, personal, historical, political, lovelorn, new wave feministic and absolutely hilarious. Marjane is my hero!

Any favorite films?

Natural American Spirit

Meet Mr. Eric Davis, a member of the board.

Cigarettes and John Cusack...

Jump on the New Media Bandwagon - Manifest Destiny or Crash and Burn

What are we trying to do?

Experiment with new media.

What is new media?

I haven't a tuned-in response but I think it's associated with trying to think out of the traditional filmmaking box.

So we are not here to make a flashy, meaningful, comprehensive film or documentary.

We are not here to report on festival events.

But we are here to help build community.

So if you see us walking around with our little easy-to-use throw away cameras, our new media tools, and you want to tell us who you are and why you are here at the festival, well then we are happy to make a short video portrait of you, as part of the festival community.

In due time, we will do our best to post you on our website. No promises but the best of intentions.

And when you run out of business cards.........we'll have you covered.

Kelly Kowalski
Documentary/New Media
KNME-PBS

The Festival inFOCUS

Last week KNME's New Mexico inFOCUS sat down with a few filmmakers for a preview of what to expect at the festival...

2007 Santa Fe Film Festival

We're in Santa Fe for the 8th annual SF Film Festival...



...and wondering if we SAVE THE FILM, can we SAVE THE WORLD? Or if the world could even be bothered with another media tagline?