By K.I.M. The Sacramento International Film Festival is less than two weeks away. Come on out River City and enjoy the show! This year, festival highlights will include the screening of Model Minority by Japanese – American filmmaker and 13 year E.R. cast member Lily Mariye. Lily and Oscar winning actor Chris Tashima are attending the festival and will be available for meet and greets and interviews during the Cine Asia event on Sunday, April 28 at the Delta King in Old Sacramento. The SIFF screening will be the NorCal premiere for Model Minority. Lily is super excited to be coming to town and looks forward to connecting with the myriad of family members that she has in the area. Model

Aspiring filmmakers -- professionals and weekenders – should come out to the next "Third Tuesday" workshop from the Capital Film Arts Alliance. It's on April 16 at The Art Institute at 7p.m. and will feature director Chris King and sound engineer Jimmy Bell. These guys know what they're doing with camera and sound, they've won awards and accolades galore, and are more than willing to share their "best tips" with others. This particular workshop is part of The Poe Project, a creative filmmaking, writing and literature project from the Capital Film Arts Alliance, the Sacramento Public Library, and a host of other arts groups and businesses. "The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe" has been

Access Sacramento Community Media has joined the Capital Film Arts Alliance and the Sacramento Public Library as a major sponsor of The Poe Project, a local creative filmmaking and screenwriting community project involving discussion and exploration of the work of Edgar Allan Poe. Access Sacramento provides its members certificates of liability insurance, free use of high definition production equipment, and guaranteed cable and online distribution of the Access Sacramento member's completed project. Staff from Access Sacramento will provide more details at the CFAA workshop on Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at the Art Institute of Sacramento starting at 7:00 p.m. Ron Cooper, Executive Direc

Filmmakers and literature experts will explore and discuss the various works of Edgar Allan Poe, the acclaimed nineteenth century American writer best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, in anticipation of a creative film competition based on Poe's work, to prepare to partake in a local creative filmmaking endeavor The Poe Project. The workshop will take place at the Art Institute of Sacramento starting at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22, 2013. Jeff Knorr, Poet Laureate of Sacramento, will give insights into Poe’s poetry and literary work. The event is hosted by the Capital Film Arts Alliance, a local nonprofit dedicated to advancing film and video production, and the lead or

Historically, pursuing a film career was the same as chasing the rock star dream: only a few out of every several hundred thousand dreamers got to be stars. Local filmmaker Rick Gott recently told SacTV.com, "the film industry has been set up over the last fifty or sixty years so that there's Dad or Mom's camera and then there's Hollywood ... and there's no real in between." Well, that was the old paradigm. Now here we are in the second decade of the 21st century and Hollywood is falling into the shadows of YouTube.  As high quality video equipment keeps getting less expensive and YouTube continues to expand as an endless collection of home movies, at some point Hollywood, which is alread

It started as a young child’s dream on a small island in Scotland, as 9 year-old Cressida Cowell wrote down some of the stories her father shared, about Vikings, Dragons, and the adventures that ensued when they met. In 2002, she translated her memories into “How to Train Your Dragon”, the first of eight (soon to be nine) books about a brave young Viking and the dragon he befriended. From this small beginning, it’s grown to become a world-wide franchise, including 3 feature films (two in production), three short films, a television series, video games, an ice show, and the current area show. In 2010, DreamWorks Animation chose “How to Train Your Dragon” as the basis for their 3D computeri

Editor's note: The author of this piece, William Burg, will participate in a Sac Pres live chat on K Street this Wednesday at noon. Plan to watch? Please RSVP on our Goole+ page. You can also catch Burg live and in person at the California State Archives on Tuesday at 7 p.m. as he presents on his book, "Sacramento’s K Street: Where Our City Was Born". Event detials can be found here.  This week’s Sacramento Press scoop about Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s new “The Kay” marketing strategy was met with reactions ranging from grudging acceptance to outright ridicule. The marketing campaign was paid for by DSP, downtown Sacramento’s business association, funded by downtown property owners.

In their 21st year of presenting films that touch the hearts and minds of our local community, the Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (SIGLFF) opens Thursday, October 11, 2012 and runs through Saturday, October 13th at the Crest Theater. Opening night, Thursday, October 11th begins with quiet de luxe, a science fiction film short of two girls who communicate with each other across time on an antique typewriter. Cloudburst is a film by American-Canadian writer and director Thom Fitzgerald, is a must-see by everyone. The film stars Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker as Stella and Dotty, a lesbian couple from Maine who embark on a Thelma and Louise-style road trip to Nov

Rescue 3D is an new film at the Esquire IMAX Theatre that takes the viewer on a larger-than-life journey with brave men and women whose lives are often put at risk in the service of others. The film continues the IMAX’s tradition of enveloping the audience with sensory-loaded experience and is best seen in the full-sized setting, with the 60x80 foot screen and thunderous 24,000 watt digital sound system. Rescue 3D follows the lives of four characters: Canadian Navy Commander Peter Crain of HMCS Athabaskan; USAF Captain Lauren Ross, pilot of a C-17 military transport airplane, U.S. Army Major Matthew Jonkey, pilot of a CH-47 helicopter and; Steven Heicklen volunteer Emergency Manager. The f

The term "indie" has been around a long time and it certainly doesn't mean what it used to, kind of like the phone. The word  "cash" also used to mean something slightly different before the digital age, yet it still has the same general meaning. Most people know that indie is supposed to mean independent, but many people have their own independent definition for the word. My latest SacTV.com video explores the origin of the term.  If you ask a punk, indie strictly means underground punk and nothing else. If you ask someone who is into hip hop, indie means hip hop that doesn't conform to the same old school beats that still flood the pop charts. If you ask a rocker, indie means rock that

The Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (SIGLFF), is celebrating their 21st Anniversary, October 11-13, 2012. Before the red carpet is unfurled in October, festival organizers are hosting a “Launch Party” on Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at the ever-popular Il Fornaio Restaurant, 400 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, 95814 from 6:00 to 8:00pm. This event will be a premiere unveiling of the 2012 SIGLFF Program. Attendees will have the first opportunity to view full-length trailers and purchase tickets before they go on sale to the public. Sponsored by Wells Fargo, the Launch Party will include complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine. There is a requested donation of $10 or a VIP

Decades ago the biggest artist goal would have been to write the “great American novel.” But in today’s technology age, it might instead be to create the “great American web series.” Local actor, teacher and producer Rick Gott – the producer of the award-winning web series “Dark Pool” – is living that creative goal. He and others from the “Dark Pool” cast and crew will speak to the local film community others at the Art Institute on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at the monthly speaker series from the Capital Film Arts Alliance. “Dark Pool” is making headlines, gaining fans, and getting awards. A recent Sacramento Bee article describes Rick’s experience winning a handful of awards at the L.

If you blend television’s Glee , filmdom’s Duets , and toss in a side order or Bridesmaids you find the framework for Universal Pictures’ hilarious and snappy musical comedy, Pitch Perfect . This hilarious homage to the world musical competitions takes a definitely PG-13 route in thoroughly entertaining the target audience. Anna Kendrick first caught our attention in the 2008 film adaption of Twilight, and literally rose to prominence in the 2009 George Clooney vehicle, Up in the Air . The latter earned Kendrick both a Golden Globe and an Academy Awards nomination. Her newest film Pitch Perfect gives us more than a glimpse of this young actress’s talents, as we discover her musical talen

Laurie Pederson, known in Sacramento as a leader in the film community and the executive director of the Capital Film Arts Alliance, was honored with the 2012 Film Service Award on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, at the opening of the Sacramento Film and Music Festival at the Crest Theatre. "She is amazing," said Cécile Mouette Downs, Executive & Artistic Director and co-founder of the Sacramento French Film Festival who introduced the Sacramento Film and Music Festival's Film Service awardee. Downs specifically noted Pederson's work building the Capital Film Arts Alliance and helping local filmmakers. "Laurie is dedicated to local filmmaking," said Downs. Members and friends of the Capital

The people who brought you the Wicked ‘Wich food truck and The Greens “Artists-In-Residence” are organizing a free bike-in theater and film festival at The Greens Hotel on Del Paso Blvd. Heights , August through October. (Get it? Bike-in instead of drive-in?) REEL Bike-in Theater is an outdoor film series showcasing award-winning documentaries, acclaimed independent films and classic Hollywood hits like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Best in Show. Festival organizers are hoping the film series will attract the region’s strong biking community to the event. Sacramento cyclists are notoriously supportive of local businesses and are attracted to bike-friendly events. In addition to movies, at

The board for the Capital Film Arts Alliance (CFAA) -- a professional nonprofit dedicated to advancing the film and video production in the Sacramento Valley region -- voted to offer a one-year free membership to veterans and active military, including California National Guard members and Reservists, who have served in the military any time after 2000. The film-based nonprofit decided to provide this offer to assist the men and women who have given so much of their lives in service to our country during our nation's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Returning to civilian life after serving our country in the military and finding non-military employment and a community outside the servi

You do not need a passport to France to experience a taste of French culture this summer. The Sacramento French Culture Society will host the 11th annual Sacramento French Film Festival from June 15 to June 24 at the Crest Theatre. “Hôtel du Nord” is one of two classic French films shown this year. Produced in 1938, viewers watch a couple experience love, crime and tragedy at the Hôtel du Nord in Paris. Screenwriter, Jean-Louis Milesi, will present his social drama “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” on opening night. Jean-Pierre Darroussin plays a recently laid off social worker who heads off to Mount Kilimanjaro with his family and friends. Upon their return, they are robbed and his connection

Friday night “The Devil’s Carnival” came to the Colonial Theatre for a sold-out night of sin and debauchery. The Sacramento stop on the tour of the newest short feature from the creators of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” proved to be just as musically and aesthetically pleasing as the trailers promised. The film tells the tale of three souls who get sent to the Devil’s carnival to fend for themselves. On their adventures, they each meet a collection of humorous, spooky and entertaining characters played by a range of different rock musicians and well-known B-movie actors. Hosted by Sacramento’s own Stephanie Hyden, star of many local trash films, and sponsored by The Sacramento Horror Film

Doug Stanley spent years as part of the fishing team for the television show "Deadliest Catch" as a producer. Now this Sacramento-area native has founded his own production company, Ridgeline Entertainment in Folsom, and will let folks hear about his plans as part of a monthly lecture series sponsored by the Capital Film Arts Alliance and hosted by The Art Institute of Sacramento. Attendees will learn what his new Folsom studio is up to and Doug will share the story of his career path and future plans. The meeting is on Tuesday, May 15, and starts at 7:00 p.m. at The Art Institute, 2850 Gateway Oaks Dr., Sacramento. Free to CFAA members; $5 for guests. About Doug Stanley, CEO and Founder

The Sacramento International Film Festival has been a great promoter for local artist and filmmakers. It was at film festivals that movies like "Slumdog Millionaire" became known to the public and picked up all of those prestigious awards. Please come and support our local filmmakers and listen to the stories that they have to tell. Here is a link of the film festival schedule. http://www.californiafilm.net/page/sff-schedule