San Diego Film Festival Shines for 8th Year

A look back at the 2009 edition of the ever more popular film fest

No matter how a story goes, there’s always a beginning, an end and a middle falling somewhere in-between. While the San Diego Film Festival (SDFF) has showcased a multitude of accomplished stories illustrated through independent film, the event is a compelling story itself.

SDFF has gained momentum each year since its inception in 2001 — including this year, in which festival attendance and sales increased by 20 percent from a year ago. “We had sold-out screenings, full panels, and the parties were all pretty much standing room only,” says Jennifer Chidester, director of publicity for SDFF.

In today's film festival world, it’s nearly impossible for independent filmmakers to get their works into big fests like Sundance and Cannes — due, unfortunately, both to industry corruption and big names dipping into the indie market. (Director Kevin Smith said Clerks wouldn’t have a chance getting into Sundance nowadays.) But filmmakers still need to get their films on the festival circuit to gain recognition and, hopefully, get picked up for mass distribution.

This is where the San Diego Film Festival — which falls neatly between big, flashy, hard-to reach fests like Cannes, Sundance and Toronto and the lesser known, undesired, unorganized ones — has flourished since its debut.

September 23 marked the beginning of the eighth annual event. An excited opening-night crowd walked the red carpet to attend the tear-jerking Like Dandelion Dust. For the next four days, filmmakers, press and indie-film enthusiasts all gathered in the Gaslamp Theater daily to watch the narrowly seen 2009 festival selections. These included “buzzed about” features like The Job, Formosa Betrayed, and William Shatner's Gonzo Ballet along with equally anticipated documentaries such as American Harmony and Jesse’s Story. Scheduled appearances by stars like William Shatner, Richard Dreyfuss, James Van Der Beek and Barry Pepper added to the festival hype.

So, what cultivates SDFF’s growth and success? “This is a festival run by filmmakers, so they really know how to take care of us and make things run smoothly,” says Paul Osborne, director of Official Rejection. In addition, SDFF is widely recognized for its crew of helpful and considerate volunteers who ensure the festival goes off without a hitch. “We showed here back in 2006 and we were impressed then,” says Damon O’Steen, director of Deadland. “Now we’re back, and things have been even more organized.” And of course, San Diego’s close proximity to Tinseltown never hurts. More than 300 filmmakers participated in this year’s festival, and with a limited amount of screening slots, the quality of the film lineup never needs to be sacrificed.

SDFF might not have the widespread recognition of some of the bigger film festivals. But it’s a steadfast and growing part of San Diego independent film culture. Along the way, SDFF has picked up awards from the filmmaking industry and press including Best Beach Fest and Best Party Fest. Also, SDFF has climbed its way onto lists like Top 10 Best Vacation Film Fests, and Top 25 Film Festivals Worth Your Entry Fee.

Each year, festival goers flock to SDFF’s screenings, panels and parties, eager to get a glimpse into the film world, get their foot in the door, or to just be entertained. And let’s not forget about the parties. San Diego has a reputation on the film fest circuit for throwing some impressive parties and social-networking opportunities. This year, the Actor's Ball and Awards Ceremony was held on the rooftop of Hotel Solamar, where a swimming pool divided the crowd from the stage. When the award for Best Documentary was announced, the two winning filmmakers, Aengus James and Colin King Miller of American Harmony, took a running leap into the pool, then swam a victory lap over to the podium to receive their award.

“We're known for our parties and flashy celebrity premieres, but the sheer and honest joy on the filmmakers' faces when they accepted the honor — completely soaked — really summed up the heart of the San Diego Film Festival,” says Chidester.

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