With the film festival season in full swing, this week in Santa Fe once again becomes one of the centers of cinema with the Santa Fe International Film Festival (SFIFF) 2024. Running from October 16th-20th, this year’s edition promises to highlight some of the most innovative voices in independent & mainstream film, with screenings, panels, and industry networking events that showcase both emerging and established talent from around the globe. This year, Suite is proud to sponsor & support the event. We’ll be on-site for the entire festival, and we’ve taken a close look at the full schedule of events, so here’s the inside scoop on what to expect…

A Film Festival with Heart

Founded with the mission to foster creativity and artistic growth while fostering a forward-thinking environment the Santa Fe International Film Festival has become a pivotal stop on the festival circuit, especially for up-and-coming cinephiles. Since being founded in 2009, SFIFF maintains a strong focus on artistic integrity, community engagement, and championing independent filmmakers. Over the years, it has established a reputation as a festival where stories that challenge the norm and push the boundaries of visual storytelling find a home. For filmmakers, SFIFF is more than just a screening opportunity—it's an environment where they can collaborate, learn, and share their work with a passionate audience of film lovers and professionals alike. The festival also nurtures a growing network of local and international talent, making it a launching pad for filmmakers whose projects have gone on to achieve wider acclaim.

Santa Fe’s Emerging Scene

While Santa Fe might be known for its rich history, art scene, and stunning desert landscapes, it's increasingly making a name for itself in the film industry. The city’s unique blend of cultural influences, paired with its dramatic and varied terrain, makes it a prime location for filmmakers looking to tell visually compelling stories.  Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the New Mexico film industry has been bolstered by attractive tax incentives that have drawn filmmakers from across the world. SFIFF, therefore, serves as a convergence point between the city’s growing role in global filmmaking and its enduring cultural heritage.

Why SFiFF Matters for Filmmakers

For filmmakers, attending SFiFF isn’t just about getting their films in front of audiences; it’s about being part of a community that values creativity, collaboration, and innovation. The festival offers a welcoming atmosphere where filmmakers of all experience levels can connect, be inspired, and grow their careers. With panels, masterclasses, and networking events, SFIFF provides access to some of the industry's most respected figures, giving attendees valuable insights into the future of filmmaking. Santa Fe continues to cement its reputation as an up-and-coming city for filmmaking, not only because of its natural beauty and tax incentives, but also because of events like SFIFF that promote forward-thinking and bold cinematic endeavors. Simply put, SFIFF 2024 will be a celebration of storytelling in one of the most culturally vibrant cities in the world.

Highlights from SFiFF Schedule 2024

With over 180 films to enjoy over five days, including 42 narrative features, 24 documentaries, and 118 short films, SFiFF provides film buffs and industry players, alike, the opportunity to experience the latest & greatest releases from a range of filmmakers. Here’s more information about this year’s schedule of events:

Spotlight Films & Buzzy Movies

Opening Night: The Piano Lesson

A battle is brewing in the Charles Household. At the center stands a prized heirloom piano tearing two siblings apart. On one side, a brother (John David Washington) plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister (Danielle Deadwyler) will go to any lengths to hold onto the sole vestige of the family’s heritage. Their uncle (Samuel L. Jackson) tries to mediate,  but even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past. Adapted from August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork, THE PIANO LESSON explores the intergenerational dynamics of identity, resilience and transcendence - revealing startling truths about how we perceive the past and who gets to define our legacy.

Centerpiece Film: BLITZ

Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen’s BLITZ follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for him.

Hard Truths

In HARD TRUTHS, fresh from its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, legendary filmmaker Mike Leigh (HAPPY-GO-LUCKY) reunites with actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Academy Award nominee for Leigh’s SECRETS & LIES). Darkly funny and pierced with insight, HARD TRUTHS is a tough, intimate, and compassionate film about family life that marks Leigh’s return to a contemporary setting.

Nickel Boys

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Colson Whitehead, NICKEL BOYS chronicles the powerful friendship between two young Black teenagers navigating the harrowing trials of reform school together in Florida. A narrative feature debut from cinematographer RaMell Ross (STORYVILLE), the film explores the brutish system of juvenile reform in the era of Jim Crow.

Nightbitch

Six-time Academy Award nominee Amy Adams (ARRIVAL) stars in NIGHTBITCH, a comedy/horror film from actor and director Marielle Heller (THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT), based on the novel by Rachel Yoder. Soon after pausing her career to be a stay-at-home mom, Mother’s (Adams) new domesticity takes a surreal turn as she grows increasingly feral, becoming more and more convinced that she’s turning into a dog.

A Real Pain

A REAL PAIN follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. The Eisenberg-directed comedy/drama earned him a Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance.

The Room Next Door

From Academy Award-winning auteur Pedro Almodóvar (TALK TO HER) comes THE ROOM NEXT DOOR, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Academy Award-winners Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton star as Ingrid and Martha. Ingrid went on to become an autofiction novelist while Martha became a war reporter. After years of separation, they meet again in an extreme but strangely sweet situation.

Seed of the Sacred Fig

Earning the Special Jury Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG follows investigating judge Iman (Misagh Zare) who grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble. The film is Germany's submission to the 2025 Academy Awards.

September 5

Set during the 1972 Munich Olympics, SEPTEMBER 5 follows an American sports broadcasting team that quickly adapts from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes, who were taken hostage. Geoffrey (John Magaro), an ambitious young producer striving to prove himself to legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) must confront his own moral compass as the hostages’ lives hang in the balance.

Mash Ville

In a small rural town, Joo Se-jong sells bootleg alcohol with his two younger brothers. After someone dies from drinking their hooch, they must get back the liquor sent to the town of Hwaseong before more people perish. But two homicidal cultists are terrorizing the villagers. Now, the well-meaning brothers must fight for their survival and save the town in MASH VILLE, an Oct. 17 U.S. premiere. Director Hwang Wook and actor Jeon Shin-hwan in attendance.

Unstoppable

Featuring an all-star cast that includes Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, and Michael Peña, UNSTOPPABLE, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, tells the story of one-legged athlete Anthony Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who wrestled fiercer opponents in his youth than he would ever face on the mat. He survived an abusive and delinquent stepfather while supporting his mother and caring for his younger siblings through economic hardships, before competing nationally at Arizona State University.

Small Things Like These

While working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong(Cillian Murphy) discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.

Georgia O’Keefe: Brightness of Light

In its Oct. 19 world premiere, Academy Award-winning documentarian Paul Wagner’s GEORGIA O'KEEFFE: THE BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT, narrated by Hugh Dancy, explores the life of the prolific titan of American Modernism. O’Keeffe (voiced by Claire Danes) exploded on the New York art scene in the 1920s with her abstractions and cityscapes and, later, flowers, bones, and the beauty of nature. O’Keeffe, famously isolated herself in the New Mexico desert, emerging as a 1970s-era iconic feminist role model. Director Paul Wagner in attendance for Q&A moderated by Paul Barnes.

Closing Night: Out of My Mind

Melody Brooks (played by Phoebe-Rae Taylor and voiced by Jennifer Aniston) is navigating sixth grade as a nonverbal wheelchair user with cerebral palsy in OUT OF MY MIND. With the help of some assistive technology and her devoted allies, Melody shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it. Festival alumna Amber Sealey (NO MAN OF GOD) directs.

Panel Sessions

Friday, October 18th - Director’s Panel

Friday, October 18th - Production Panel

Friday, October 18th - Short Film Panel

Friday October 18th - Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch

Saturday, October 19th - Casting Panel

Saturday, October 19th - Actor’s Panel

Saturday, October 19th - Documentuer Panel

Saturday, October 19th - Distribution Panel

Saturday, October 19th - Bryan Cranston Lifetime Achievement Award

Sunday, October 20th - Nonfiction Film Panel

Sunday, October 20th - New Mexico Film Panel

Meet the Suite team at CCA

On Saturday, October 19th, the Suite team will be taking over the lobby at Santa Fe’s Center for Contemporary Arts, where we’ll be on-site meeting with filmgoers & festival attendees all day. Suite’s powerful cloud storage enables real-time collaboration from anywhere, streamlining the post production process for movies of every size & scope. From feature-length documentaries, big-budget productions, and indie films with dispersed teams, so many filmmakers & production teams can benefit from Suite’s cloud storage—we encourage you to stop by the CCA to meet the team, and get to know more about the future of remote collaboration.

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