"A Place Called Sacramento" mascot Quentin Sacramento

The 16th annual "A Place Called Sacramento" Film Festival from Access Sacramento hosts the world premiere of eight all-Sacramento short films Sunday, Oct. 4 at 1pm at the historic Crest Theatre. 

 

"A Place Called Sacramento" is the original all-Sacramento filmmaking celebration that takes locally written scripts and turns them into films for the big screen.

 

  

The eight original films began production at the start of June, with the award-winning writers taking on the task of organizing volunteer actors and crew and taking their original stories to film.

 

What: 16th Annual "A Place Called Sacramento" Film Fesitval

When:  Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015  1:00 p.m. (Doors open at 12:15 p.m.)

Where: Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street, Sacramento

Tickets: $12 at the door, at Access Sacramento, 4623, T Street, Sacramento or at CrestSacramento.com

 

Attendees get the chance to select the "Audience Favorite" award by voting with their smart phone at the conclusion of the world premieres.

 

The audience also gets a chance to meet the filmmakers in the lobby of the Crest Theatre when the doors open at 12:15 on Sunday, Oct. 4.  Each filmmaker will have several minutes on stage after all the films have been seen to share the story of their film's creation and to thank all the volunteers including the cast and crew.

 

Most of the films are scripted fiction, but this year's festival also has one documentary, "Death of Del Paso" by Phil D'Asaro, that looks back at how the North Sacramento area thrived in history and is now on a path back to prosperity and stability.

 

"Hopefully people can understand the great opportunity we have been given not only to make a short film, but to show it to hundreds of people at a great venue like the Crest, with possibly even thousands more when it's shown on local cable TV," said writer/director Axel Ahrens from "A River of Fear."

When Access Sacramento launched "A Place Called Sacramento" in 2000 (a year before the HBO series Project Greenlight,) it was with the realization there was nothing like it anywhere in the country; a way to showcase locally made films on the big screen and on cable.

"Support for the local Sacramento film making community matters because there is so much talent here and events like A Place Called Sacramento allow that talent to connect with one another," said writer/producer Greg Marker of "A River Runs, Shoe It."

Combining the technical skills of the photographers, sound engineers and editors with the performing talents of the local acting community generates many powerful stories that mark Sacramento rare filmmaking talents. 

 

Here's a summary of the eight films:
 

"61 Candles" by Cheryl Wynton - 61candles@gmail.com - Prankster Steve's birthday takes a turn for the worse when his friends must choose if a kidnapper's call is a real choice of life or death.

 

"Death of Del Paso" by Phil D'Asaro - pdasaro@yahoo.com - The glory days for North Sacramento's Del Paso area date back to the Gold Rush, but its decades-old story of decline may have a modern days purple lining.

 

"Focused" by Katherine DaSilva - focusedmovie@gmail.com - For one Sacramento photographer, getting lost in his work has left his personal life a blur, but could a second chance open the door to a more "Focused" world?

 

"Losing Kevin" by Josh Mihal & David L. Peters - LosingKevin@gmail.com - The path to the future is long when it includes being homeless, but a Sacramento man learns he can only really find himself by, "Losing Kevin."

 

"Night Out" by Tay Ouk - nightoutshortfilm@gmail.com - A casual night out turns awry when two friends hit a bump in the road they could never have expected.

 

"River of Fear" by Axel Ahrens - riverfear.movie@gmail.com - A weekend kayaking trip becomes so much more than an adventure after a horrifying accident on the "River of Fear."

 

"A River Runs, Shoe It" by Greg Marker - riverrunshoepcs@gmail.com - Why does a homeless woman steal shoes, lots and lots of shoes, and still wear her ragged toeless old pair?

 

"Win, Lose or Draw" by Donna Preston - WinLoseOrDrawFilm@gmail.com - Opportunity and tragedy collide when two strangers, directionless Jimmy and grieving Sarab, inherit more than they bargained for.

Tickets are available now at the Access Sacramento offices, 4623 T. Street, from the Crest box office, or online from CrestSacramento.com.

 

Access Sacramento Executive Director