SM International Film Festival

The 8th annual Santa Monica International Film Festival (SMFF) is scheduled for Saturday, January 10th in downtown Santa Monica. Twenty-two (22) hand-picked independent films will screen in two locations: Aero Theatre 1328 Montana Ave. Santa Monica, CA 90403, and Martin Luther King Theatre 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401. The audience will have the unique opportunity to meet the filmmakers and Tweet a vote for their favourite film using a special #SMFFVote hashtag (@smfilmfestival) during the voting period on the day of the event. Each screening will include a Q&A with the filmmakers. The festival will culminate with an awards presentation and cocktail party hosted at the Aero Theatre sponsored by Wolk & Levine, Fotokem and Scarlet Letters, featuring DJ music, Umami Burger and Stella Artois.

This year's festival honouree is Salvador Carrasco who is being honored at the SMFF Awards Presentation with the "Impact Award" celebrating the local and international educational, economic and artistic impact of his work at SMC as Head of the new SMC Film Production Program. Director/writer Salvador Carrasco was born in Mexico City and now resides in Santa Monica, California. Carrasco's first feature, The Other Conquest (La Otra Conquista), was distributed by Twentieth Century Fox and became the highest- grossing Mexican film ever at the time of its release. Carrasco has won numerous film and academic awards, and is currently developing new film projects. He is a tenured film professor at Santa Monica College. As the Head of SMC's Film Production Program, Carrasco teaches both filmmaking and critical studies courses, and mentors award-winning short films as Executive Producer. Films in competition at this years' festival include three SMC Film Program short films: (Hurt, Bird and Solidarity) Executive Produced by Carrasco.

FOR A DETAILED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Go to http://www.smff.org

FOR A LIMITED TIME – #FREE SCREENING TICKETS FOR SMC STUDENTS Available at http://www.smff.org while supplies last.

BUY TICKETS

Tickets for the event are $10 (single screening) - $25 (all-screening pass) - $40 (awards pass) - $50 (all festival pass) available online at (smff.org) or (eventbrite.com). For more information go to the festival website at http://www.smff.org