Focus women on
Santa Fe festival highlights female filmmakers amid #MeToo movement
Cultivating a film festival is never easy. And after four years as the programmer for the Santa Fe Film Festival, Aaron Leventman is excited about the coming festival.
“This has, by far, been the most fun programming the festival,” he says. “We are working close with the (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) Local 480, and there is a new energy. There are more resources, and we are bringing a lot of filmmakers together.”
The festival begins on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and runs through Feb. 11 in Santa Fe.
The screenings will be hosted at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail; The Screen, 1600 St. Michael’s Drive; and Jean Cocteau Cinema, 418 Montezuma.
There will be nearly a dozen panels throughout the week.
This year’s festival also has a focus on female filmmakers.
“Because of the discretion of what’s been happening with the #MeToo movement, we wanted to highlight women directors and women’s topics,” Leventman says. “When I looked through the lineup, I realized that about two-thirds of the films are directed by women. Adding to that, we have a lot of directors that are coming out to the festival. Many of the panels will address some women’s issues.”
In fact, there is a “Women of a Certain Age” panel on 4 p.m. Feb. 9 at Hotel Santa Fe.
“This panel addresses the opportunities that older women in the film industry have,” he says.
Leventman says there will also be a few celebrity appearances.
A few of them are:
Melanie Mayron, best-known for her Emmy-winning role on TV’s “Thirtysomething,” will be honored at the Santa Fe Film Festival’s awards ceremony for her outstanding contribution to the film and television industry. She has appeared in films such as “Girlfriends” and “You Light Up My Life,” as well as directing episodes for the TV shows “Grace and Frankie,” “Graves” and “Jane the Virgin” At 1:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at The Screen, Mayron will join Leventman for a discussion of her career, followed by a conversation with the audience. Then at 3:15 p.m. on that Saturday is the screening of her new film, “Snapshots.”
Aisha N. Tyler is known for portraying Andrea Marino in the first season of “Ghost Whisperer,” voicing Lana Kane in “Archer,” and portraying Dr. Tara Lewis in “Criminal Minds.” Tyler will present her film “Axis” at 10 a.m. Feb. 11 at the Jean Cocteau Cinema.
Rob Belushi, nephew of John Belushi and son of Jim Belushi, will present his short film “Dylan” at 8:15 p.m. Feb. 9 at the CCA. He has been a teacher for Second City since 2008 and can next be seen as the lead on ABC Digital’s “The Off Season.”