When is PAIFF?
The 2nd Annual Palo Alto Int’l Film Festival takes place Thursday September 27 – Sunday September 30, 2012.
Why was the Festival created?
As a creative laboratory, Palo Alto Institute’s mission is to foster innovation and educate the community. Palo Alto is the heart of the Silicon Valley; an area home to many technology companies and individuals shaping the way we see the world. John Lasseter of Pixar expressed that “Art challenges technology. Technology inspires art.” PAIFF strives to be a conduit for increased innovation in art, technology, science and film.
Why Palo Alto?
What will the Festival bring to audiences, filmmakers and other professionals?
The Festival will bridge the gap between Hollywood and Silicon Valley and celebrates the next generation of technology. PAIFF expects the Festival to fuel conversations and collaboration. As movies migrate to digital, the future of cinema will depend on the cutting edge tools that continue to be conceived and developed in the Bay Area. These tools expand the range of narratives that can be told and empower artists of all kinds to reveal narratives that might otherwise remain unseen.
The Youth Program is designed to increase media literacy, promote artistic experimentation and storytelling, and introduce a broad range of films to a young audience.
Our Outdoor Theater will feature 4 free films each night of the Festival.
Where can I buy passes?
Passes are on sale here with a 25% discount only until May 31, 2012. Full-price passes begin June 1, 2012 through the Festival. Individual tickets for films will be available for purchase in early August of 2012, when the full program has been announced on the PAIFF website.
Why buy passes?
Passes allow you to experience more of the Festival.
Festival Passholders receive priority access to Films and Talks, as well as access to our Wine Bars.
Festival Pass PLUS holders receive all of the above in addition to access to Parties, Opening Night VIP Party, Awards Gala, and VIP Festival Kickoff Party in Los Altos Hills.
Patron Gold Passholders receive all of the above, in addition to Concierge Service to ensure you the best Festival experience, VIP bag, PAI membership, and invites to special events throughout the year.
In which venues will PAIFF take place?
PAIFF will be centrally located in downtown Palo Alto. Confirmed venues include:
Talks at Talenthouse (542 High Street)
Headquarters at Garden Court Hotel (520 Cowper Street)
Landmark’s Aquarius Theater (430 Emerson Street)
Cinemark’s Palo Alto Square (3000 El Camino Real)
Workshops at Technicolor (735 Emerson Street).
Additional venues will be confirmed in August.
What Films will screen at PAIFF?
Palo Alto Int’l Film Festival celebrates innovation in cinema. We showcase the best in 3D, animation, science-fiction, digital filmmaking, movies on science and technology, and the most creative films from around the world.
Past films include Something Ventured, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, Life in A Day, Revenge of the Electric Car, and others. Check back in August for the full program!
What speakers will be at Palo Alto Talks?
Palo Alto Talks is a series of conversations that bring together innovators in the film and technology industries to discuss the future of media.
Past speakers include Encyclopedia Pictura, Walter Murch (Editor; Sound Designer for Apocalypse Now), John Gaeta (FLOAT Hybrid Entertainment; VFX The Matrix trilogy), John Knoll (Industrial Light & Magic; VFX Supervisor Rango), Alesia Weston (Sundance Institute), Tim Draper (Draper Fisher Jurvetson), The Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences presentation of the “Science of Space Movies”, and others. Check back in August for the full program!
Can I submit my film to PAIFF?
Yes! Submissions for 2012 are now open, please visit our Submissions page for more information. Deadline May 15, 2012. Locals receive free submissions on Withoutabox. Contact AJ at aj@paloaltoinstitute.org for the code.
Cash prizes will be awarded for: Best Feature ($5,000), Best Short Film ($1,000), Local Student Short Audience Award ($250), and Local Short Film Award ($250).
Films from the San Francisco Bay Area are considered “local”. Students must be between the ages of 13 – 18.
Will you be having a Youth Program this year?
Yes, PAIFF will be hosting a Youth Program for 2012. Please visit our Youth Program page for more information.
What contests are you hosting for students?
PAIFF has three different contests for Student Films, Screenwriters, and Youth Jury. Please visit our Youth Program page for more information. Deadline May 15, 2012. Students receive free submissions on Withoutabox. Contact AJ at aj@paloaltoinstitute.org for the code.
Films from the San Francisco Bay Area are considered “local”. Students must be between the ages of 13 – 18.
How can I support PAIFF?
PAIFF relies on the generous support of individuals and foundations to make the Festival possible. Below are a few ways you can get involved in addition to volunteering and donating.
Become a Community Supporter! PAIFF has three options for local businesses.
$500 – Sponsor a Film. By helping to bring in a film, your name will appear on tickets, on the website and in the print program next to the film’s description.
$500 – Restaurant Supporter’s will be featured in the Recommended Restaurant Guide that is included in every Festival pass, and on the website.
$250 – Place an ad in our print program.
Individual Giving is available for Individuals and Foundations. Supporters receive recognition on the website and in the print program, passes and additional benefits.
Artist’s Circle – $1,000 – $2,499
Director’s Circle – $2,500 – $4,999
Producer’s Circle – $5,000 – $9,999
Visionary’s Circle – $10,000+
We have many Corporate Sponsorship levels available, including custom packages. Contact Devyani Kamdar at 650.641.8947 or devi@paloaltoinstitute.org.
I'd like to volunteer! Where can I sign up?
You can sign up on our Volunteer page, run by Shiftboard. Festival Volunteers must commit to working a minimum of 12 hours (equal to two shifts). Volunteer opportunities include theater management, selling tickets and concessions, hospitality, working special events, staff and IT support, special event planning and production, driving and more. Once you submit your volunteer form, we will contact you for a volunteer get-together in August to meet all of you and for you to get to know each other. We welcome and encourage everyone to be a part of this exciting event!
What are the benefits of volunteering?
Benefits include free tickets to screenings and workshops, admission to the Volunteer/Staff Party and select Festival events. Volunteers will also receive a 2011 PAIFF t-shirt!
When do I have to sign up by?
There are limited volunteer opportunities, please sign up early. If you would like to volunteer for a position you know will require a large time commitment, we highly encourage you to sign up by June.
