This is the Year!

We introduce you to the Premiering Cars In Film Film Festival 2012… which we are “Rolling out Wide!” 

Participation in our festival plans for a result of a superior return for filmmakers and festival-goers and of course for sponsors and advertisers, alike.  The Cars In Film Fest plans to become a premiere film celebration event.  Our first year promises to be our best with all future events only getting bigger and better! 

While exposure for filmmakers with screening presentations is assured it will be enhanced by events such as the Awards presentations, the Honoree Gala, Round Table Discussions, In The Limelight and Master Class Presentations, Workshops, and other original activities like a car auction and concourse event, new-car live "street teams" for "ride and drive" excitement, and  our Peoples' Choice and Special Awards!

Enjoy an engaging film experience unlike any other in California!

Location: Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica’s 3^rd Street Promenade

Dates: September 23, 2012 through September 30, 2012

Anticipated Attendance: At Least 24,000

Visualize This...

The Event

Cars In Film Fest is premiering in sunny Santa Monica with locations including the Santa Monica Pier at the “End of Route 66” and the Third Street Promenade with its three theaters containing seventeen screens.  Both the Santa Monica Pier and the Third Street Promenade have a combined average daily foot traffic of over 100,000 people, a welcomed attendance in addition to our scheduled film festival attendees.  Its Red Carpet gala presentations are surrounding the “film famous” sandy Santa Monica Beach, from September 23, 2012, through September 30, 2012, and it is designated to be one of the largest film festivals in the State of California and a nationally recognized filmmaker forum; we are projecting an attendance of 24,000 in this, our premier year.

Cars In Film Film Festival 2012 was created to celebrate independent film-making by using the motor vehicle...as its “vehicle,” making our California scene, "The Land Of The Car," its backdrop!  Although this is a film festival with full awards and educational symposia programs partnering us with film organizations such as Panavision, we are also partnered with other prestigious entities like the Petersen Automotive Museum, bringing their membership to our festival and especially our Honoree Gala.  Other automobile attractions such as sponsored vehicles and vintage film cars will have a concourse presence on our promenade; we’re encouraging “Street Teamers” with a new-car “Ride and Drive” and a celebrity car rally, and we are offering a “Supercar” for a charity auction...just to name a few high-end fun events, and a slight variance from the usual film festival appeal.

Cars In Film Film Festival, a non-profit entity, is planning significant fiscal impact by contributing to two important charities annually and bringing jobs and tourism to our locale, while celebrating the Indie Filmmaker and Film.  Knowing that a larger than life populous believes independent film is crucial to our culture and to the future of cinema is inspiring involvement allowing our festival a larger outreach for Industry Relations, Marketing and Sponsorship, Advisory Board and Jury development, Symposia Panelists outreach, Educational outreach, Civic Agency and Film Commission relations, and many more necessary areas of constant development providing and sustaining the best credentialed film festival, making the biggest difference ever to this enormous demographic!

“What is more “LA” than celebrating Cars In Film...and film?  After all, we couldn’t really call it "LA Film Fest," could we..?  Oh and… bring your Surfboard!”

Get To Know Us...

Our Mission

Though its selected screenings, educational symposia and gala awards events our festival's central focus is to discover, honor, and point out a jury's best recommendations as honor recipients in this well accredited and attended festival.  Our participating sponsors and partners ultimately allow Cars In Film Fest to provide these essential resources helping filmmakers create new work, build an audience for their projects, and diversify voices in the film community.  In short, WE SUPPORT YOU, THE FILMMAKER, AND YOUR FILMS!  We enrich this experience by infusing it with the city color, cuisine, sand and surf of Santa Monica, California.

An exciting aspect of our Awards Program is all films including student films, both feature and short, are included in the entire Awards program meaning students can possibly take home the “coveted” Golden Car Award for the Shorts, Features, Peoples’ Choice and Special Awards Programs as well as the Best Academic Film Award.  We at CIFF feel that by allowing students to participate in the entire program we may discover a fantastic young filmmaker ready for introduction to the film industry!  And, by making this submission feature available to all entries...films deserving accolades could receive several awards as well as “top honors” eligible for over $100,000 in cash and rewards, and also giving added exposure and celebration!

The Plan

Cars in Film Film Festival is designed to become one of the largest film festivals in the State of California, and a nationally recognized filmmaker forum with the intention of becoming an accredited film festival to which "Oscar" pays attention!  Galas, live entertainment, premier screenings and competitions, along with symposia featuring noted filmmakers, actors, directors, car aficionados and motorsports celebrities are combined to create a dynamic eight-day event beginning in the Summer of 2012!

"When one hears of a new "Bond" film one asks three questions...in this order: Who is Bond; what is the CAR; and who is the girl?"

The Cars In Film Film Festival is...

A Full Week and One Extra Day of the Best in Independent Film with Filmmakers and Experts in the Car World!

Projected to be a top 25 “Hottest Film Festivals”

One of the Highest Attended Events in the City

Top 5 Best Publicized Event with 8 days of Film Appreciation and Filmmaking Workshops

Interaction with the local and national filmmakers, actors and car celebrities at the Opening Night celebration and Premiere, VIP Receptions and “It’s a Wrap” Party

Our Week and a Day-Long Celebrations include...

Opening Night Honoree Gala – Honoring 2 VIPs!

Opening Night After Party with popular live entertainment

The introduction of the “Party Pavilion” and the " VIP Saloon"

View independent film Screenings over Eight Days with up to 150 new Feature Films & Shorts

Awards Night!  Presentations as determined by our Celebrated and Expert Jury Panels

What's Exciting at Cars In Film Film Festival...

Vote for "Peoples' Choice Awards" including 4 Influential and Innovative Categories

Enjoy Q & A with the Producers, Directors, Actors, Directors of Photography and Car Celebrities and Aficionados behind the feature films

Filmmakers and film students learn more about Producing, Directing, Technical Equipment, Screenplay Writing, and Acting through up to 30 Symposia and Workshops

Learn about Action Driving and Film Direction from the Driving, Director, and Director of Photography masters

Bid on Rare Film Memorabilia in a silent auction and live Car Auction benefiting non-profit participating organizations and charities

Experience a Hot New-Car "Ride and Drive" with Live Street Teamers

Have fun in the "VIP Saloon" and our "Hospitality Lounge"  – with parties, seminars, and exhibitors... all just minutes from Theater Doors

"We're new, but we plan to be touted indefinitely and grow significantly in the next few years!"

This Is The Year For Cars In Film... Film Festival!