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There are times in life, when one must adjust.

This is what Nani Rivera had to do with the Santa Fe Film Festival.

The annual event is usually held in February, but got moved to April for the 2024 iteration.

鈥淚t鈥檚 what you have to do when two of your venues are under renovation,鈥� Rivera says. 鈥淲e made the decision to push the festival back a couple of months.鈥�

Show must go on: Santa Fe Film Festival pivots to present international, local films

The Santa Fe Film Festival will run Thursday, April 25, through Sunday, April 28, at various locations around Santa Fe.

Rivera says there will be more than 100 films screened during the four-day festival.

鈥淭his year we have more filmmakers,鈥� Rivera says. 鈥淚 actually meant to have a boutique festival. Filmmakers were anxious to be in person and interact with each other. It鈥檚 refreshing to see how the demand pushed it to a bigger festival.鈥�

The festival is marking its 24th year.

Rivera says the festival鈥檚 mission is to provide an exhilarating experience for moviegoers, boasting an impressive line-up of films from notable filmmakers and welcoming esteemed honorees.

The festival will honor Danny Trejo, who is starring in 鈥淎merican Underdog,鈥� with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Rivera says Val Kilmer is also being awarded the Luminaria Award for demonstrated exceptional achievement in the arts and sparking inspiration in others creative process at its award ceremony on Saturday, April 27.

The festival features a very special, rare gallery exhibition of artwork by Kilmer at Edition One Gallery, 729 Canyon Road in Santa Fe.

鈥淗is paintings, rich in color and emotion, have garnered critical acclaim and are highly regarded and sought-after among serious collectors,鈥� Rivera says.

Rivera says actor Matthew Modine returns to the festival to screen the films, 鈥淒ownwind鈥� and 鈥淭he Martini Shot.鈥� Modine is also being awarded the festival鈥檚 Humanitarian Award, as well as participating in 鈥淢imosas with Matthew鈥� at Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos.

Modine executive produced the documentary 鈥淒ownwind,鈥� which is directed by Mark Shapiro and Douglas Brian Miller.

In the documentary, the filmmakers chronicle the effects that nuclear testing on American soil has on citizens.

It pinpoints the testing from 1951-1992 in Mercury, Nevada, which saw 928 large scale nuclear weapons tested as the wind took the radioactive fallout from the blasts.

According to the United States Department of Justice, it defines downwinders as human beings who live in counties located downwind from the Nevada Test Site in the states of Utah, Nevada and Arizona.

While the film doesn鈥檛 touch on the effects of the Trinity Site in New Mexico, Rivera says it鈥檚 an important issue.

鈥淥ur delegation is still fighting for New Mexico to be recognized as part of the downwinders,鈥� she says. 鈥淎fter 鈥極ppenheimer,鈥� the discussion is still as relevant as ever. The film has brought more attention to this.鈥�

Modine played American engineer Vannevar Bush in the Oscar-winning film, 鈥淥ppenheimer鈥� and executive producing the documentary was important to him.

Modine grew up in Utah and his father was affected by the fallout.

鈥淭his is going to be one of the films not to miss,鈥� Rivera says.

Rivera says the festival鈥檚 lineup also includes an array of internationally-directed features.

鈥淭ill Love Do Us Part鈥� by first-time female Chinese director Ran Li will screen, as will Fabio Massa鈥檚 鈥淕lobal Harmony.鈥�

Adding further international flair, is Japanese filmmaker Yuichiro Nakada making the journey from Japan to Santa Fe to showcase his short film, 鈥淕ift,鈥� which is an examination of cultural differences between an unlikely pair of protagonists.

Rivera says there will be a number of New Mexico filmmakers highlighted in the festival.

Tom Carroll鈥檚 film, 鈥淭he Stress is Killing Me,鈥� set in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 around a group of University of New Mexico graduates, now in their 40s, returning for a college reunion.

鈥淏renden Wedner鈥檚 鈥楾ales of the Faded West鈥� will also screen,鈥� Rivera says. 鈥淎s will 鈥楾he Valley of Hearts Delight鈥� by Mike Timm. New Mexico filmmakers are continuing to put out some amazing work.鈥�