San Francisco International Film Festival Announces Call for Entries for Historic 50th SFIFF, April 26–May 10, 2007

SFIFF Seeks the Best in World Cinema as well as New Works on New Platforms for New Audiences

August 28, 2006

San Francisco, CA—The San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), a celebration of international and independent film that has brought progressive and discerning Bay Area film audiences together with the best films and filmmakers in the world since 1957, announces the call for entries for the historic 50th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 26–May 10, 2007. 

Next spring SFIFF will mark its place in history as the first film festival in the Americas to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Visionary from the start, SF International has shown nearly 6,000 films from over 120 countries to nearly two million people and earned worldwide recognition as an extraordinary showcase of cinematic excellence.

Under the leadership of new Executive Director Graham Leggat the 49th International got a shot in the arm of energy and ambition; heading into the 50th Leggat recently stated, “We have a historic and moral obligation to knock everybody’s socks off.”

In 2006, the 15-day SFIFF49 presented 227 films from 41 countries, reached an audience of more than 82,000 film lovers, filmmakers, industry representatives and journalists and awarded $28,500 in cash prizes to filmmakers.

HOW TO ENTER
See the online submission form and information.

DEADLINES
Primary Deadline: Friday, November 10, 2006
Final Deadline: Friday, December 8, 2006.

GOLDEN GATE AWARDS COMPETITION
Documentaries, shorts, animation, experimental, youth-produced and television works are eligible for 14 Golden Gate Awards and cash prizes totaling $28,500, including $10,000 for best documentary feature. Additional prizes of goods and services TBA. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes the San Francisco International Film Festival as a qualifying festival for the live action, animated and documentary short categories of the 79th annual Academy Awards.

NARRATIVE FEATURES
First features by emerging filmmakers in competition are eligible for a $10,000 New Directors Prize, established in 1997 by the Festival to recognize a first film with a unique artistic sensibility. Narrative features are also eligible for the FIPRESCI Prize, awarded by members of the International Federation of Film Critics. The San Francisco International Film Festival is one of only three North American film festivals selected to award the FIPRESCI Prize.

AUDIENCE AWARDS
Audience Awards sponsored by VirginMega will be given to the Best Narrative Feature and the Best Documentary Feature.

The Golden Gate Awards, New Directors Prize and FIPRESCI Prize will be presented at the Golden Gate Awards ceremony on Wednesday, May 9. The Audience Awards will be announced on Closing Night, Thursday, May 10, 2007.