Living in the 831: The 25th Santa Cruz Film Festival lights up the silver screen

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The Santa Cruz Film Festival is back this year after an almost four-year hiatus, now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Festival director and filmmaker Paul Kmiec took KION behind the scenes for a look at this year's event.

Originally from New York, Paul says that he learned about Santa Cruz while a film student in college, and wanted an excuse to move out west. So, after searching various film festivals throughout the state, he submitted to — and was chosen for — the Santa Cruz Film Festival.

"I submitted my film and it got in," said Kmiec. "The school flew me out to Santa Cruz and I fell in love with Santa Cruz. To be part of the thing that introduced me to Santa Cruz to begin with — was the festival — and now years later I'm directing it and feel very grateful that I can revive the festival and bring it back to something it was before its hiatus."

Paul says that right before the pandemic, he left Santa Cruz to pursue his master's degree in film in Greece. Then, a few years later, when he returned to the area, he found the festival had become defunct.

"They were looking for new leadership and someone to pick it up and help revive the festival," said Paul. "So, that's how I got involved with reviving this year's festival."

Paul says that, in addition to Santa Cruz being scenically beautiful, he particularly enjoys the vivid arts culture, which is why he thinks it serves as a great backdrop for the revamped festival.

"How can we, in Santa Cruz — which is a mecca of artists, to say the least — how can we safeguard the arts during this existential time, this disruptive time for the filmmaking industry and bring more filmmaking here to the Central Coast? Be it in Carmel, Monterey, Watsonville, Salinas and Santa Cruz... and can Santa Cruz lead that way?" Kmiec asks.

He says that, historically, Santa Cruz has suffered within the film industry because of a lack of crucial resources. A problem that Kmiec says is a thing of the past.

"We all want to do here with film production is getting Santa Cruz on screen and get people more jobs in the film economy here and in the greater Monterey Bay area," said Kmiec.

Santa Cruz now has a new 25,000 square-foot film and television soundstage called Highway 17 Studios.

This — as well as Griffin Electric Company, based in San Francisco — is helping provide film resources to local filmmakers.

A cause that the festival wants to continue supporting beyond its five-day film run.

"The Santa Cruz festival will be a year-round educational foundation. We're rolling out the first ever school of cinematic arts through the nonprofit," said Kmeic
"We really want to bring a tenacious filmmaking scene to Santa Cruz."

People interested in attending the festival this year can expect a jam-packed lineup with filmmakers from all over the world…

The festival opens on Oct. 8 with a raunchy movie called "F***toys" directed by Annapurna Sriram. The festival will close with the film "Outerlands," directed by Elena Oxman.

Those interested in attending the Santa Cruz Film Festival can purchase their passes on the film festival's website.

The full film schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Oct. 8th - Opening Night

• F***toys plus Q&A with Director, Writer, Star Annapurna Siram
  Del Mar Theatre
  7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 9th

• Satisfication
  Colligan Theater
  4 p.m.
  
• LGBTQ+ Shorts: Spin Cycle
  The 418 Project
  5:30 p.m.
  
• International Arthouse Shorts: Parallel Shores
  Indexical
  5:30 p.m.
  
• Out of Plain Sight + short film: When the Storm Hits
  Colligan Theater
  6:30 p.m.
  
• Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips + short film: Love Letters: A Love Note to Skateboarding
  Del Mar
  7 p.m.
  
• Encore: F***toys + short film Heaven is Nobody's
  Santa Cruz Cinema
  7 p.m.
  
• Avant-Garde & Expanded Shorts: Inhabiting the Interval
  Indexical
  7 p.m.
  
• Childish Things
  The 418 Project
  7:30 p.m.
  
• Animated Shorts: Painting With Time
  Indexical
  8:30 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 10

• Documentary Shorts: Well Being and the Arts
  Colligan Theater
  12:15 p.m.
  
• Berman's March + short film Waiting for the End of the World
  Colligan Theater
  2:15 p.m.
  
• Arcadia
  Colligan Theater
  4:30 p.m.
  
• The Cigarette Surfboard + short film: Shape of Hope
  The 418 Project
  5 p.m.
  
• International Arthouse shorts: Edge of Innocence
  Indexical
  5:30 p.m.
  
• Join the Club
  Colligan Theater
  7 p.m.
  
• Animated Shorts: Painting with Time
  Indexical
  7 p.m.
  
• Third Act
  Santa Cruz Cinema
  7 p.m.
  
• A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint + short film: Don't Cry for Me All You Drag Queens
  The 418 Project
  7:30 p.m.
  
• Avant-Garde & Expanded Shorts: Inhabiting the Interval
  Indexical
  8:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025

• A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot + short film: Lesbian Custody
  Colligan Theater
  12 p.m.
  
• Call Me Mule + short film: Late-Diagnosed
  The 418 Project
  1 p.m.
  
• The Invisible Mammal
  Santa Cruz Cinema
  2 p.m.
  
• STREET SMART: Lessons from a TV Icon
  Colligan Theater
  2:15 p.m.
  
• Narrative Shorts: Roots & Reveries
  The 418 Project
  3 p.m.
  
• Central Coast Shorts: Crossroads of Longing and Belonging
  Colligan Theater
  4:30 p.m.
  
• Where in the Hell + short film: Budget Paradise
  The 418 Project
  5:15 p.m.
  
• Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story of Ellen McIlwaine
  Santa Cruz Cinema
  7 p.m.
  
• Narrative Shorts: The Long Way Home
  Colligan Theater
  7 p.m.
  
• Shorts After Dark: Twisted Oddities
  Colligan Theater
  7 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025 - Closing Night

• Medusa
  Colligan Theater
  12 p.m.
  
• EarthVision Environmental Shorts & Cocktail Hour: We Are All Connected
  Hotel Paradox
  2 p.m.
  
• It's Dorothy!
  Santa Cruz Cinema
  2 p.m.
  
• A Little Fellow: The Legacy of A.P. Giannini
  Colligan Theater
  2:15 p.m.
  
• Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency
  Colligan Theater
  4:30 p.m.
  
• Outerlands
  Colligan Theater
  6:30 p.m.