Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the Sacramento Film and Music Festival opens its doors again Friday night at the Crest Theatre on 1013 K st.

The 10-day event features films of all topics ranging from amateur to professional quality created by people from and outside the city of Sacramento.

"It's not seen as a particular type of film festival, such as the gay and lesbian festival or the French festival," said Sid Heberger, manager of the Crest Theatre. "It encompasses all types of films and genres from horror to documentaries, to short films and features and competitions specifically for this festival."

Founded in 2000 by current co-director Nate Schmel and now Los Angeles film editor Evald Johnson, the festival’s creation was originally only two students at Cal State Northridge wanting to provide their hometown with a broad music and film festival. Although it wasn't easy, both men committed to the project and spared no expense in the process, costing them more than they had bargained for going in.

"After a couple years of going to college together, we got a couple projects to show up in Sacramento because we were both from here," Schmel said. "So we decided to put together a festival of music and film, and that's how we started it. We probably lost about $25,000 the first year because we did two theaters at the Crest and we had paid for some bigger bands to come from Los Angeles, and we lost a lot of money on that. That was a very steep learning curve for us."

The two men then decided to provide a more community-based product in the festival's second go-round, with production costs much more manageable for the event than before, but still in the negative. Although the festival was a success, Johnson decided to head a different direction the following year and began working in Los Angeles editing reality shows, leaving a void in event planning and directing that Schmel needed to fill in order to keep the show going.

"It was the third year that Tony (Sheppard) and Laurie (Pederson) began to step in and be other co-directors of the festival," Schmel said. "Since that third year, we've been able to break even. We don't make a lot of money doing the festival, but we don't lose any, either. The goal's to show a bunch of really good films in town and to highlight ones you might not see at other places. They're talented filmmakers, and they deserve some coverage."

Once the festival's staff and recognition began to expand in its fourth year, Schmel was able to work with Sheppard and Pederson to create many unique programs that helped define the annual festival's identity. Expectations began to form in the attending public's eyes as more interactive programs were formulated to further engage the community, something Heberger said added a new element to the event.

"They've really done a great job creating community and national partnerships to strengthen the festival," Heberger said. "Programs like the 10x10, Filmmaker Challenge, Sac Music Seen and the opening night local film have really contributed a lot to the experience."

Suggested and instituted by Sheppard and now one of the most anticipated features of the festival, the 10X10 program gives anyone the opportunity to create a 10-minute film in the span of 10 days. This extremely limited time period allows participants to rely on creativity and teamwork to deliver the best product possible by deadline, with awards given for the best films the day they're presented. To read a previous article about the 10X10 competition, click here.

There are very few constraints outside of the allotted time, something that Sheppard said has made for some very interesting productions over the years.

"We had one mythical film that we couldn't play because the content was so extreme that I cannot begin to describe it," Sheppard said. "And this year, for the first time, we actually had someone shoot a documentary. So there's always something that comes along that's a little bit different."

Film Festival Lineup

Opening this year's festival on Friday night is a ticketed reception catered by Rubio's restaurant, partnered with opening remarks and presentation of the 2009 Film Arts Service Award. Capping the night off is a screening of the local film "Sensored," starring Robert Picardo, which was filmed entirely on the revolutionary Red One ultra-high definition digital camera that Sheppard said "...not even Hollywood is using yet". Following the film will be an after party for the cast and crew at the nearby Cosmo Cafe.

Saturday's festivities begin with a locally produced film called "Rivers of a Lost Coast," a documentary about the diminishing steelhead fishing culture in Northern California. Also screening is "Running of the Sahara" and a biographical documentary on the life of blues musician Floyd Lee. The night ends with one of the most anticipated annual events, the Sac Music Seen music video program, where local bands and filmmakers combine their efforts to create music videos specifically for the festival.

"It's one of the most unique programs out there," Heberger said."Having local filmmakers and bands to work together to make music videos has been a great experience for them and the people watching them."

On Sunday, the spotlight will revolve around an international showcasing of world short films and a feature film from India. Closing the day will be Friends (With Benefits), a love story surrounding the sexual relationships that form between six close friends.

Monday kicks off with a documentary about straight and gay marriages entitled "Inlaws and Outlaws." Following the film is a concert of songs specifically for the festival on the Crest's main stage.

The headline event on Tuesday is a film focusing on justice and injustice within California, coupled with a personal testimony by a woman who suffered years of extreme abuse before retaliating by murdering her husband. "Do As I Say," a local documentary that cites examples of politicians who say one thing and do another, will finish the evening's festivities.

Wednesday will focus on films and shorts produced specifically from Northern California, followed by the feature film, “Nightbeats.” In conjunction with the Parlare Eurolounge, all proceeds for the evening will go to the Capital Film Arts Alliance.

Thursday’s films and shorts will all be presented by students from the Art Institute of California.

Friday's schedule will consist of an exclusive sneak preview screening of "Paper Heart," starring Charlene Yi and Michael Cera, a story of elusive love. The feature movie, "Boppin' at the Glue Factory," and other short films round out the night's showings.

On Saturday, those who missed "Rivers of a Lost Coast" will get a second opportunity to see the documentary. Other documentaries and shorts will follow the second showing, followed by the much-anticipated 10X10 Filmmaker Challenge projects. The 10-minute clip presentations will be followed by a question and answer period with the makers of the films, something that Sheppard said always provides a little entertainment.

“Sometimes we show things a little rough around the edges because it's on a budget,” Sheppard said. "And some people in the audience are like, 'Oh my God, what do we have to do to be sure that this wins the best documentary academy award, because this is the greatest film we've seen.' It’s always interesting to see how the crowd responds to all the films.”

Wrapping up the festival on Sunday is “The Power of the Powerless,” a documentary concerning the rise and fall of communism in eastern Europe, particularly in Czechoslovakia. More short films will also be presented, with a recap of the best moments from the last 10 years as the finale of the 10-day festivities, along with an awards ceremony. There will also be an after party at Parlare on 1009 10th st. to close out the night.

More information regarding times and prices of all events spanning the 10-day festival can be found at sacfilm.com