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10th Annual Sacramento Film & Music Festival

Presented by Sacramento Film & Music Festival and Crest Theatre at Crest Theatre

July 24-August 2, 2009

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A centerpiece for the arts in Sacramento and a celebration of both visual and musical works from around the world, this festival is held annually at the historic Crest Theatre.

Throughout the 10 days of the Festival, if you mention us when placing any food or drink order at Cosmo Café, the Festival will receive a portion of your payment!

Here are some highlights for Festival #10:

Friday, July 24: Opening night starts with a ticketed reception, catered by long-time sponsor Rubios. Opening remarks and the presentation of the 2009 Film Arts Service Award are followed by a special screening of the locally produced “Sensored” starring Robert Picardo. Cast and crew will be in attendance for both the film and the exclusive after-party at the Cosmo Café!

Saturday, July 25: 12 hours of Festival programming start with another locally produced film, the wonderful documentary Rivers of a Lost Coast, narrated by Tom Skerritt, about the all but lost steelhead fishing culture of Northern California. The first Student Days program (family friendly) is followed by a gala, encore screening of Running the Sahara, and a biographical documentary about blues musician Floyd Lee. The evening sees the 6th annual Sac Music Seen music video program and then all-festival pass holders can join our colleagues at the 9th annual Trash Film orgy for Chopping Mall complete with a director Q&A.

Sunday, July 26: 2 more student programs lead into an international afternoon, with an epic feature from India and a collection of world shorts. The evening feature, Friends (With Benefits), is wonderful love story set amongst the romantic rules and sexual misadventures of six close friends.

Monday, July 27: A unique evening starts with a documentary, Inlaws and Outlaws, about relationships and marriages. Both straight and gay, with a hilarious short that addresses the gender gap. The film program is followed by a live musical review of songs produced for the Festival and performed on the Crest’s main stage.

Tuesday, July 28: In association with a program of films focusing on stories of justice and injustice in California, we welcome an extraordinary woman who was one of many driven to kill their husbands after years of extreme abuse but before such domestic histories were allowed to be entered into defense testimony. Another locally produced documentary, Do As I Say, completes the evening by citing examples of politicians who preach one perspective but apparently practice another.

Wednesday, July 29: As we did last year, we reserved an evening for films from Northern California, with both a shorts program and the feature Nightbeats. And, in conjunction with the Parlare Eurolounge, the evening acts as a fundraiser for the Capitol Film Arts Alliance.

Thursday, July 30: A showcase evening for film students from the Art Institute of California, Sacramento.

Friday, July 31: An exclusive sneak preview screening of Paper Heart stars Charlene Yi and Michael Cera, as Charlene travels in search of a love so elusive that she questions its very existence. The features continue with Boppin’ at the Glue Factory about a young man’s search for stimulation of another kind, and a program of late night short films.

Saturday, August 1: Our 2nd weekend opens with another opportunity to catch the fishing (!) documentary, followed by dedicated programs of both documentary and animated shorts. Another comedic feature, Route 30, has an interesting three chapter format with interrelated characters and themes. Saturday evening’s festival programming ends with the screening of the 6th 10x10 Filmmaker Challenge projects, in which filmmaking teams are given 10 days to make a 10 minute movie on a specific theme. But again, pass holders can join the Trash Film Orgy for a midnight screening of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in which audience participation isn’t just allowed, it’s encouraged.

Sunday, August 2: The Power of the Powerless is a documentary about the rise and fall of communism in eastern Europe, as witnessed through the experience of what was then Czechoslovakia. An extended program of live-action narrative short film is followed by highlight and favorite moments from the last 10 years of the Sacramento Film & Music Festival. The Festival after-party and awards evening finishes off the 10-days, with another evening of fun, great food, and music at Parlare.