LAFCF News:
The second annual Los Alamos Film and Culture Festival is just around the corner and there’s still time to be a part of the movie magic.
The Feb 21-23 festivities debuted in 2024. Last year, the local non-profit partnered with the fantastic folks of the Santa Fe Film Festival to guide them through the process.
“This year we are standing on our own,” Sandy Jones, President of the LAFCF said. “It is truly our festival. This year the films were submitted to us and judged by us.”
The attendees of the first year really enjoyed the festival, but they were exhausted after 7 days of fun. So, 2025 will have a narrower focus with a weekend of movie fun. The weekend is still filled with a diversity of topics and stories to enjoy. Two of their films are said to be incredibly inspirational, and the hope is attendees enjoy them as much as the selection committee. This year has also curbed the late evenings, keeping things safer on the roads by wrapping up by 7:30 p.m., Saturday night.
If you are new to a film festival, what can you expect? “These are movies that are independent projects, and there are stories that would never see the light of day in Hollywood,” Jones said. “We have documentaries, features, and short films. Some films had a zero budget, and friends working on them, and they are among the top-rated films in our group. It amazes me what artists with intention can create.”
The Sala Event Center was a shinning beacon on the hill and a perfect community partner. According to Jones the entire team always went over the top to make the festival operate at it’s very best. That kind of partnership caused Jones to personally become a SALA VIP member because she wants to help make sure a great movie theater stays in town.
She encourages other community members and film enthusiasts to do the same.
The LAFCF was fortunate in 2024 to have several sponsors allowing them to host a fairly large event for their first time out. Those sponsors were LACDC/Los Alamos MainStreet & Creative District, Zia Credit Union, Century Bank, and the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation.
Due to having a small board, they had to scale back to offer what they could and to make sure the film festival was small but solid. “As we grow our board, we will be able to do more,” Jones said. “The goal is to bring people together for fun and for an opportunity to see life from many places in the world. We are still inviting organizations to become a sponsor for this year.”
What will the event filled weekend look like and how will the days differ? At 3 p.m., Friday the event will start with screening three student submissions, two from the U.S. and one from Iran. Later they will offer a short film, followed by the main feature film. Saturday, they have several short programs and this year you will not have to choose, you get to see them all. Sunday, they continue with short films and feature/documentary.
Their second year will not include passes to see a single movie. This V.I.P weekend will have passes sold ahead of time. Just one pass for $35.00 will have film fans enjoying up to twenty movies throughout the entire weekend. Tickets can be purchased online or come in person to the Chamber of Commerce in Central Park Square. All checks should be made payable to LAFCF, and cash payments are welcome too.
