For about 20 years, big-budget Hollywood productions have been making their way to New Mexico. In 2006, “Breaking Bad” started a trend that others would follow, turning cities such as Sante Fe into a hub for film lovers who wish to celebrate and grow the community.
Sante Fe Film Festival is a result of that. The annual event honors those working both in front of and behind the camera. The celebration highlights feature films, feature documentaries, and shorts, making them available for the public to screen. This year, there were 505 submissions, with only 160 open slots. Each carefully selected piece of work has been scheduled to screen over the course of eight days. In addition, there will be a special screening of the documentary, “One Pint at a Time,” held at Nexus Brewery in Albuquerque. The location is one of the oldest Black-owned breweries in the country. The film chosen highlights several Black-owned breweries, which account for only one percent of breweries in the nation.
Among those included in the 2022 lineup is the feature documentary “Bill Mauldin: If It’s Big, Hit It.” The movie spotlights the work of WWII Infantryman turned political cartoonist Bill Mauldin. On the short documentary list, there’s Santa Fe’s own “Funeral Queen.” The film profiles the button-down professional day job of a Santa Fe funeral director, who processes residual grief as bon vivant Drag Queen, Marie Antoinette Du Barry. Shorts include “2 Timers,” “As de Trèfle,” “Big Touch,” “Breathe,” and “Crawl” – a look at how an unassuming teenager’s act leads to the capture of a prolific serial killer.
Joining the roster in the feature film department is the OBIE Award-winning, “The Tricky Part.” Martin Moran’s one-person show has made it to the big screen in collaboration with Emmy-nominated director Raphael Sbarge and producer Anthony Edwards. Edwards is well-known for his role as Dr. Mark Greene on the long-running TV series “ER.”
Edwards and Sbarge will be there at the 2022 SFFF on behalf of “The Tricky Part.” Other celebrity guests include Michael Lombardi [‘Rescue Me’] for “The Retaliators” and Dan Castellaneta, who is best known as the voice of Homer Simpson in “The Simpsons.” He and his wife, Deb Lacusta, will be there to celebrate their directorial debut for the Zoom Noir, “The Long Isolation.” The Santa Fe Film Festival will include 25 feature films, 30 feature documentaries, and over 100 shorts.
Sundance and Slamdance may have gone entirely virtual this year, but the Santa Fe Film Festival is offering an in-person experience provided that attendees show proof of up-to-date vaccination and boosters. Limited seating at venues including the Cinema at the Center for Contemporary Arts, George R.R. Martin’s Jean Cocteau Cinema, and Gala screenings each Saturday at the Scottish Rite is available to the public.
Fans can purchase tickets to attend or opt for virtual events. Click here for tickets and here to register to screen online. Please visit santefefilmfestival.com for more information about the complete lineup and schedule.
