These last months leading up to the Oscars mark the official beginning of film season. The newly dubbed Sonoma International Film Festival will keep the season going through the Oscar parties until April, when the 12th annual film festival begins, with its popular Second Tuesday Cinemas Series at the Sonoma Community Center.
On Tuesday, Dec. 9, the Sonoma International Film Festival and the Sonoma International Film Society will present “Crash Artist: Beyond The Red Carpet.” Director David Keith will be on hand following the screening to answer questions about his first film, which offers an up-close and personal portrait of Michale Minutoli, a self-proclaimed Hollywood party crasher who stops at nothing, including armed security, to hobnob with his favorite stars. The film documents Minutoli’s destructive obsession, which has left him homeless and alone. Louisa Percudani, executive director of the film fest, said she isn’t concerned about the film’s potential to inspire would-be film festival party crashers. “Anyone who tries to crash, well, we always have a list at the door. But it doesn’t seem to stop the true crash artist.”
Percudani says one of the goals for next year’s film festival is to “root into the community. We really want locals at the festival.” The Second Tuesday Cinema Series has thus far been a huge success with close to 150 attendees at the screenings. She is particularly excited about the return of 2006 Film Festival program director, Cevin Cathell. “She really took the festival to a whole new level. We get about 600 to 1,000 films to screen.” Cathell scouts film festivals such as Toronto, Santa Barbara and even Sundance to bring the best films possible to Sonoma and also organizes community screenings, the ever-popular film festival panels and Film Society events.
Percudani says following the October decisions about the film festival’s new direction, the festival will continue to “build on the tradition of fusing artistic innovation with sumptuous epicurean delights in and around the historic Sonoma Plaza.” The new direction will be towards a “celebration of the senses.”
A limited number of 2009 festival passes are still available for local residents at the price of $125. Tickets for the Second Tuesday Cinemas Series are $10; for Film Sonoma members, the price is $8. Film Society members attend for free.
The Sonoma International Film Festival is currently accepting film submissions. For more information on submission guidelines, passes and upcoming events, visit Sonomafilmfest.org.
