Sonoma International Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The Sonoma International Film Festival takes place every April in the Sonoma Valley
and is hosted by the Sonoma International Film Society, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The festival is in its 14th season and has become a film festival destination location hosting the best in film, food and wine. The festival contributes to the support of the Student Film Department at Sonoma Valley High School
and includes in its program a showcase of student films.
Film presentations are held at a variety of venues including the historic Sebastiani Theater on the Sonoma
town plaza
. Film genres include world cinema, feature-length narratives, documentaries, shorts and a student film program.
Prior to 2009 the festival was known as the Sonoma Valley Film Festival
. As the festival grew and developed a more international flair the name changed with it. 2009 marked the 12th year for the Sonoma International Film Festival and was the year that brought Food Inc and The Answer Man (film) to the independent film screen. The festival ran April 1–5, 2009. Actor Bruce Willis
was honored that year with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
April 15–18, 2010 was the 13th annual festival and brought the film The Joneses
starring Demi Moore
, David Duchovny
and Lauren Hutton
to the wine country screen. Ms. Hutton was honored with a Spotlight Award. Documentary film From Coals to Newcastle starring The New Mastersounds
held its world premiere at the festival, opening the festival with a live performance from The New Mastersounds after the film premiere. Other films highlighted in 2010 were The Singularity is Near
with a special Q&A with famed futurist Ray Kurzweil. Venezuelan film Venezzia
starring Mexican actor and singer Alfonso Herrera
was also featured at the 2010 Sonoma International Film Festival. Documentaries of note were Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Eating Alaska and Bhutto, a documentary about Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
. Additional documentaries were "Dressed", which documented the upcoming fashion designer Nary Manivong who has since partnered with Ally Hilfiger the daughter of famed designer Tommy Hilfiger
. This year was also the year that included the LunaFest, a festival within a festival of films made by women and presented by LUNA bar
.
April 6–10, 2011 brings the festival into its 14th year. LunaFest will also return to the festival.
Festival sponsors have included Dolby Laboratories
, Comcast
, AT&T
, Infineon Raceway
, New Belgium Brewing Company
Sonoma Valley
Sonoma Valley is the birthplace of the California wine industry and often called The Valley of the Moon. Sonoma Valley is home to some of the earliest vineyards and wineries in the state, some of which survived the phylloxera epidemic of the 1870s and the impact of Prohibition...
and is hosted by the Sonoma International Film Society, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The festival is in its 14th season and has become a film festival destination location hosting the best in film, food and wine. The festival contributes to the support of the Student Film Department at Sonoma Valley High School
Sonoma Valley High School
Sonoma Valley High School is a high school located in Sonoma, California with approximately 1,350 students. Dino Battaglini, Principal. Kathleen Summers, Paul Tuohy, and Andrew Ryan, Vice Principals. Sonoma Valley High School is part of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District.-Academics:Sonoma...
and includes in its program a showcase of student films.
Film presentations are held at a variety of venues including the historic Sebastiani Theater on the Sonoma
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
town plaza
Sonoma Plaza
Sonoma Plaza is the central plaza in the former El Pueblo de Sonoma, now known as Sonoma, California. The town is centered around this plaza, the largest plaza in California. This plaza is surrounded by many historical buildings, including the Mission San Francisco Solano, Captain Salvador...
. Film genres include world cinema, feature-length narratives, documentaries, shorts and a student film program.
Prior to 2009 the festival was known as the Sonoma Valley Film Festival
Sonoma Valley Film Festival
The Sonoma Valley Film Festival traditionally takes place in April in Sonoma, California and is hosted by the Sonoma Valley Film Society. The 10th anniversary of the film festival in 2007 honored two-time Academy Award winning director John Lasseter of Pixar and Disney Animation studios.The 11th...
. As the festival grew and developed a more international flair the name changed with it. 2009 marked the 12th year for the Sonoma International Film Festival and was the year that brought Food Inc and The Answer Man (film) to the independent film screen. The festival ran April 1–5, 2009. Actor Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
was honored that year with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
April 15–18, 2010 was the 13th annual festival and brought the film The Joneses
The Joneses
The Joneses is a 2009 American film written and directed by Derrick Borte. It stars Demi Moore, David Duchovny, Amber Heard, and Ben Hollingsworth. It premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival on September 13, 2009. Roadside Attractions later purchased the United States theatrical...
starring Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
, David Duchovny
David Duchovny
David William Duchovny is an American actor, writer and director. He has won Golden Globe awards for his work as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files and as Hank Moody on Californication.-Early life:...
and Lauren Hutton
Lauren Hutton
Lauren Hutton is an American model and actress. She is best-known for her starring roles in the movies American Gigolo and Lassiter, and also for her fashion modeling career.-Personal life:...
to the wine country screen. Ms. Hutton was honored with a Spotlight Award. Documentary film From Coals to Newcastle starring The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds
The New Mastersounds are a four-piece funk band based in Leeds, England.In the late 1990s, guitarist and producer Eddie Roberts was running a club night in Leeds called "The Cooker." When The Cooker moved into a new venue with a second floor in 1999, there was space and the opportunity to put a...
held its world premiere at the festival, opening the festival with a live performance from The New Mastersounds after the film premiere. Other films highlighted in 2010 were The Singularity is Near
The Singularity Is Near
The Singularity Is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology is a 2005 update of Raymond Kurzweil's 1999 book, The Age of Spiritual Machines and his 1990 book The Age of Intelligent Machines. In it, as in the two previous versions, Kurzweil attempts to give a glimpse of what awaits us in the near future...
with a special Q&A with famed futurist Ray Kurzweil. Venezuelan film Venezzia
Venezzia
Venezzia is a 2009 Venezuelan drama film based on real events; the role of Venezuela during World War II and a love story.The movie stars famous telenovela actress Ruddy Rodríguez and Mexican actor and singer Alfonso Herrera along with another number of well-known Latin American actors.Venezzia is,...
starring Mexican actor and singer Alfonso Herrera
Alfonso Herrera
Alfonso "Poncho" Herrera is a Mexican actor and ex-member of the music group RBD.-Biography:...
was also featured at the 2010 Sonoma International Film Festival. Documentaries of note were Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Eating Alaska and Bhutto, a documentary about Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
. Additional documentaries were "Dressed", which documented the upcoming fashion designer Nary Manivong who has since partnered with Ally Hilfiger the daughter of famed designer Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger
Thomas Jacob "Tommy" Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and founder of the premium lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger.-Early life:...
. This year was also the year that included the LunaFest, a festival within a festival of films made by women and presented by LUNA bar
Luna Bar
LUNA Bars are a brand of nutrition bar created by Clif Bar & Company in 1999. They are targeted at female consumers.-History:LUNA was created in 1999 by Clif Bar & Company’s female employees. The bars are designed to meet the nutritional needs of women, and were the first nutrition bar to target a...
.
April 6–10, 2011 brings the festival into its 14th year. LunaFest will also return to the festival.
Festival sponsors have included Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. , often shortened to Dolby Labs, is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction and audio encoding/compression.-History:...
, Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway
Infineon Raceway, formerly Sears Point Raceway, is a road course and drag strip located on the landform known as Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains near Sonoma, California, USA. The course is a complex series of twists and turns that go up and down the hills...
, New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company is a regional brewery located in Fort Collins, Colorado. It opened in 1991 after Jeff Lebesch, the brewery's founder, took his home-brewing passion commercial. In 2009, it produced over 582,000 barrels of its various labels...