It's The Week of the Fest!
Zoom Call For Last Minute Questions
We’re spinning a lot of plates, but hopefully communication is clear! Still have questions? We’ve decided to host one more short Zoom meeting on Tuesday for anyone who would like to ask last-minute questions before the fest. We will be running around town and setting up at the theater on Wednesday, so warning: we most likely will NOT be available by email on Wednesday onwards (although we’ll still try our best!). So if you have any burning questions (or would like to listen in to anyone else’s questions), please hop online on Tuesday for a quick check in!
Zoom Meeting Info:
Tuesday 9/3 at 5:30 PM Pacific Time
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85277425240?pwd=qjc2klVMb0aBfIxTK14UsMbYu6IIyb.1
Meeting ID: 852 7742 5240
Passcode: 133238
To help everything run smoothly, we want to address a few important points based on questions we’ve received:
DAY 1: ARRIVAL
Thursday, September 5th
6 pm - 7:45 pm: Arrive at the Simi Town Center Mall, 1555 Simi Town Center Way, and head to the middle of the mall where Larsen’s Grill is located. Look for the ‘Limo Stop.’ A limo will pick you up and drive you a short distance to the Studio Movie Grill, allowing you to arrive in style for a warm welcome to the SIMI Film Fest. Photographers will be on hand to capture your arrival. We will communicate during the event how and where to get your photos.
TICKETS
- The primary filmmaker for each film should go to the VIP registration desk to receive a welcome envelope containing:
- 1 All Access Pass
- 1 extra ticket for the screening block of your film
- Tickets for the Opening and Award Ceremonies for nominees in the following categories: Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Directing, Cinematography, Writing, Editing, Sound, Score, Hair & Make-Up, Production/Set Design, Wardrobe, VFX, and Stunts.
- For all other categories, it is assumed that the All Access Pass holder will represent the nomination.
- Additional tickets for cast and crew will need to be purchased. As much as we’d love to provide free tickets for everyone, we need to cover the cost of the venue. We believe our ticket prices are fair and reasonable. www.simiff.com/tickets
RED CARPET
After checking in, please make your way to the Red Carpet for photos. Priority will be given to All Access Pass holders and their cast/crew to ensure they appear in the official photos. Please be mindful of others waiting for their turn on the Red Carpet. Enjoy the moment, but keep it brief!
Note: The Red Carpet and Step and Repeats will be available throughout the festival, so feel free to take selfies afterward.
OPENING CEREMONY - 8PM
The Opening Ceremony will be held in Theater 6, which seats 212 people. Please do not reserve seats if you plan to leave the auditorium. All Access Pass holders have priority seating and should be seated 10 minutes before each screening. If you are not there 10 minutes prior, seating will be first-come, first-served.
During the ceremony, we will honor special guests, nominees, and the films screening this year. The ceremony is expected to last about 45 minutes.
If you or your crew members don’t have All Access Passes or a ticket to the opening screening block, please allow those with tickets to use the seats. Consider purchasing an All Day Pass for Thursday, which is just $20—a $5 savings compared to buying the Opening Ceremony and Kick-Off Block tickets separately.
FIELD TRIPS
All field trip information is now available on our website: www.simiff.com/field-trips-24
- Friday: SIMI Location field trip to Strathearn Park & Arroyo West Studios
- Saturday: Cinemoves—a hands-on experience with cutting-edge camera technology from recent films like the latest Superman and Brad Pitt’s F1 movie. Lunch is included—don’t miss it!
- Sunday: SIMI Location field trip to Corriganville and Allied Studios and Backlot.
Please note, we do not provide transportation to these events. We encourage carpooling and suggest coordinating with other attendees where possible. If any filming is taking place at the locations, it may cause changes to the schedule. We will communicate any updates as soon as possible.
SCREENING BLOCKS
- Friday and Saturday: The first screening blocks of the day will run from 3:15 pm to 5:30 pm.
- After each screening block, there will be a 15-25 minute Q&A session. If there are 4 or more films in your block, please send only one representative (typically the director) to the front. If there are 1 or 2 films in the block, you may bring another person from the film for the Q&A.
Our goal is to educate and enlighten the audience and provide you with footage to use for promoting your film after the fest. We hope to provide this footage to you within two weeks following the festival.
PANELS
We will have two panels on both Friday and Saturday, each lasting 45 minutes, held in different rooms. After each panel, panelists will be available for one-on-one sessions in a designated area in the lobby. A signup clipboard will be on each table.
- Priority: All Access Pass holders will have priority in the order of signup, followed by other attendees.
- Please be respectful of the panelists' time and others waiting their turn. Be concise and prepared with your questions. Our panelists are eager to help the next generation of filmmakers—make the most of this opportunity!
More details about panelists can be found on our website: www.simiff.com/panels-24
SATURDAY: MEET THE FILMMAKERS
From 2 pm to 3 pm, we’ll host a session where the public and local schools with film departments can meet you. This is a great opportunity to connect, share advice and experiences, and build a fan base among aspiring filmmakers. Feel free to bring signature cards, film info, headshots, or anything you'd like to share. We also encourage taking photos to share on social media.
If you have cast or crew members with special talents they’d like to display (i.e. prop makers, costumes, live demos etc.) then we welcome them. It’s also a great time to network with each other without having to rush off to a screening.
SUNDAY: SURPRISE EVENT
The screening blocks start at 3 pm on Sunday, with the last one finishing at 7:10 pm. At around 7:20 pm, just before the Award Ceremony, there will be a special surprise event outside in front of the theater. We hoped to include this in the Award Ceremony, but it’s too big to fit inside. All will make sense when you see it!
AWARDS CEREMONY - Invite your crew/family: Tickets are HERE
This year, there are 28 nominated categories, and we’re excited to present awards to each winner. While we celebrate each winner, we also recognize the achievements of all nominees, as being nominated is already a significant honor.
If you are announced as a winner, please come on stage to collect your award and give a 30-60 second acceptance speech. We aim to complete the ceremony within 90 minutes—unless your speech goes on too long! After the ceremony, please head to the Red Carpet for official Award photos.
We’re happy to announce we’ve arranged for all winners at this year’s fest to receive free annual licenses to ShotDeck and Scriptation, fantastic filmmaker tools courtesy of our Saturday evening panelists!
We also wanted to let you know ahead of time that each winning category will receive 1 complimentary SIMIFF Award at the Awards Ceremony. If you receive an award and would like to have more than one for your crew members, those may be ordered for a fee within 2 weeks post-film fest. We will do a follow-up email to the award winners straight after the fest with those details, for anyone who is interested.
Nomination News
NOMINATION UPDATE 9/2/24:
The full list of nominations are available at https://www.simiff.com/nominations-24/
We will also update them on IMDb at our first availability.
If you have received a nomination, the official SIMIFF Nominee laurel is available to download here: https://filmfreeway.com/laurels/73257/SIMIFilmFest
PW is SIMIFF24
All nominee social media materials are available for you to download and share here: https://s.disco.ac/apvdvwuitopb
For individuals who receive a nomination, we are pleased to offer one complimentary access to the Opening Ceremony (if you do not already have an All Access Pass), on Thursday September 5th at 8pm, as well as complimentary access to the Awards Ceremony on the final night. Please inform your cast and crew members who have been nominated, we kindly ask that you pass this information on, so they can take advantage of this complimentary access. In categories where there may be multiple nominees not listed by name (e.g. Best Drama) the attending filmmaker will already be given access through their All Access Passes. Complimentary passes will not be available for the entire cast and crew.
(Please note that the Red Carpet Party is free for everybody in the Lobby of the Theater. Filmmakers and Nominees get priority access to the Red Carpet.)
ACCOMMODATION
Festival Events and Updates
- The screening schedule is now live on the site here. More events and panel details TBA shortly!
- Tickets are now live on the site at simiff.com/tickets. Please post the link on your socials and invite your networks!
- All films will be given 1 All-Access pass + 1 screening ticket to your block.
- Every screening block will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A with 1 representative from your film.
Industry Panels, Field Trips, Meet The Filmmakers Event, and other special events will be announced soon. Please note field trips will likely take place in the morning/early afternoon before screenings start.
Meet The Filmmaker Event will be where you will have a chance to meet the next generation of filmmakers from around the area to pass on your experience and insights you've gained in your careers, as well as meeting general members of the public. If you have any printed materials or headshots you want to give away or sign please bring them along.
One-On-One Sessions will follow each panel in the theater lounge, where you can sign up in advance (first come, first served) so you can meet individually with the industry panelists to ask any questions and pitch your work if you'd like.
The fest will kick off at 6pm at the Studio Movie Grill on Thursday, September 5th with a red carpet and opening party hosted by our title sponsor Film Simi Valley. A limo will be provided at the mall to bring all the filmmakers and your teams to the front so you can arrive on the red carpet in style. We will let you all know where to meet the limo closer to the time. Plan to dress to impress!
The Awards Ceremony will take place Sunday evening, September 8th at the Studio Movie Grill.
DCP Information
The DCP deadline for every film is Saturday AUGUST 10TH! DCPs are required in order to screen your film.
All instructions are here: https://www.thearchetypecompany.com/simifilm2024
John T. Woods of The Archetype Company's contact info is on that page if you have any DCP related questions.
What last year's filmmakers say about SIMIFF
What a fantastic experience screening our short film here, wow! Inclusive, fun, magical, heartfelt festival, along with the folks who attend and who put the whole event on. Thank you, thank you!!
Donna Bonilla Wheeler - The Girl Next Door
SIMIFF Filmmaker 2023
It was an unforgettable experience and far exceeded our expectations! We were amazed and grateful for how thoughtful the organizers were in putting together such an incredible film festival. They truly champion filmmakers before, during, and after the festival. Every aspect of the festival is meticulously crafted, from seamless communication and thoughtfully curated panels to outstanding hospitality. It was an honor to have had my work screened at SIMI; thank you.
Maria Valdez - VIDA
SIMIFF 2023 Filmmaker