Filmmakers share their experience.
Lois Lipman, director of FIRST WE BOMBED NEW MEXICO, with Program Director Emily Abi-Kheirs at opening night of SFF 2024.
“It was a true pleasure to participate in SFF. You put on a fabulous festival, and you take such good care of filmmakers... Congratulations on continuing to hold such a high standard, and for a great fest!”
- Margo Guernsey, NO TIME TO FAIL and COUNCILWOMAN
“I really appreciate the generosity of the festival and support for the filmmakers and their work.”
- Marga Varea, ITHAKA
Helen Rose and George Gittoes with Fest Co-Founder Joe Cultrera during the Q&A following the World Premiere of UKRAINISTAN ARTIST WAR.
“We had such a great time there in beloved Salem!”
- Helen Rose, UKRAINISTAN ARTIST WAR
"Thank you once again for inviting THE JUMP into Salem. It was such a wonderful and inspiring experience, and I hope I will visit Salem one day!"
- Giedrė Žickytė, THE JUMP
“You took such good care of us throughout the entire festival. It was truly joyous!”
- John McDonald, CALL ME MULE
Directors of CALL ME MULE celebrating the North American premiere.
"If you ask me, more festivals should be doing revenue shares. It's far too rare on the circuit. Thanks... for raising the bar on how to run a killer doc fest!"
- Aaron Hosé, ONE PINT AT A TIME
Therese Shechter, director of MY SO-CALLED SELFISH LIFE.
"Your enthusiasm, generosity, and hard work made me and my film feel very welcome. It was fun hanging out with the organizers and the other filmmakers, and I appreciated the staff's attention to detail from the projectionist to the volunteers handing out postcards and stickers. The live(!) audience was engaged and our conversations continued for many hours after the screening."
- Therese Shechter, MY SO-CALLED SELFISH LIFE
Holly Morris, director of EXPOSURE and THE BABUSHKAS OF CHERNOBYL.
"Really enjoyed the festival and your great film-supporting community. Congrats on coming back to life with a bang... Just a terrific and fortifying experience all around."
- Holly Morris, EXPOSURE and THE BABUSHKAS OF CHERNOBYL
"We are truly honored to win the Michael Sullivan Award for Documentary Journalism (to win any award!), but I’ve googled Michael since the zoom this morning and it is especially gratifying to be associated with such an esteemed filmmaker and journalist...Thanks to you and your team for sharing THE ROAD UP with your audience, we loved returning to SFF."
- Jon Siskel, THE ROAD UP
Olympia Stone, director of ACTUALLY ICONIC, GUINEA PIG DIARIES and CURIOUS WORLDS during Q&A with Programmer Emeritus Jeff Schmidt.
"I did want to take this opportunity to commend you and your team on what I thought was just an amazingly well run and well done online festival. It was so user friendly and felt really well thought out... congratulations on putting together such an excellent festival!!!"
- Olympia Stone, GUINEA PIG DIARIES, CURIOUS WORLDS and ACTUALLY, ICONIC
"Congratulations for wrapping up this year’s festival in a difficult time! What an accomplishment! Thank you for everything!"
- Yu Ying Wu, THE GOOD DAUGHTER
"Salem Film Fest has been an incredible experience for us, thank you so much."
- Charles Frank, SOMEWHERE WITH NO BRIDGES
Director Nisha Pahuja accepting the Special Jury Award and the Michael Sullivan Award for Documentary Journalism for the film TO KILL A TIGER.
"Salem is not to be missed on the festival circuit. SFF is very thoughtful about all of the resources filmmakers have put into their movies; they offer you a screening fee upfront, bring you to a beautiful city and put you up in style. They make independent filmmakers feel significant and this is much needed love. Thank you Salem Film Fest."
- Amy Goldstein, KATE NASH: UNDERESTIMATE THE GIRL
“I just want to thank you all so much for a truly wonderful festival experience. Although I’m always grateful when a festival programs my films, attending them can be hit and miss because it’s such a hard thing to pull off, to host fussy filmmakers while you work to bring audiences in, and manage the technical feat of screening all the films, but SFF is definitely one of the most well organized festivals I’ve been to, and so lovely and personable. Thank you all for your hard work and love for documentaries.”
- Christy Garland, CHEER UP
Director Daisy Wright of ENTER THE FAUN.
"It’s amazing to think about how accessible Salem Film Fest is - both in listening to what the community wants (not just the insider festival hype), and then making those films accessible to the community... We appreciate so much that the festival was able to pay a screening fee (and didn’t charge a submission fee), and that there were volunteers to bring us from Boston to Salem, and that we had a free place to stay... At this point in the project, going to any festival that involves travel and accommodations can just end up out of the question - so you guys really have something special going on!"
- Daisy Wright, ENTER THE FAUN
"I wanted to sincerely thank you for such a positive festival experience... Your staff was so professional and friendly. The screening was great, and it was an honor to be included in such a strong overall program you have this year. It was an ideal experience."
- Michael Haertlein, MAD TIGER
Program Director Emily Abi-Kheirs presenting the Cultrera Cuts Editing Award to Women Make Movies' Kendra Hodgson for BYE BYE TIBERIAS.
"Thank you for such a sweet and moving welcome. What a gift to filmmakers. A light touch, a deep embrace, a crackling community, so much heart. I don't think I ever relaxed into and after a screening quite this way... A deep bow, much appreciation."
- Amir Soltani, DOGTOWN REDEMPTION
"I had an amazing time, met some great people and succeeded in watching a bunch of super interesting films. I think all of you did a wonderful job and were so nice. Salem is beautiful... I literally don’t think I could have asked for anything more."
- Cyrus Dowlatshahi, TAKIN' PLACE
"Thanks so much for including me in the festival. I really enjoyed my visit - the Q & A - and that great gift-bag! Also, excited that I managed to see 2 films - thanks for the recommendation."
- Tracy Droz Tragos, RICH HILL
"I had such a tremendous time... films were great, people were great, audiences were great. And yeah, the love and support for the movie was really amazing. I was constantly stopped on the street by Magical Universe fans!!!"
- Jeremy Workman, MAGICAL UNIVERSE
"Salem Film Fest is an excellent and intimate documentary film festival, organized and visited by enthusiastic people who truly love documentary films and the people that make them! If your film is chosen, you're in for a treat!"
- Daan Veldhuizen, STORIES FROM LAKKA BEACH, BANANA PANCAKES AND THE CHILDREN OF STICKY RICE
Producer and featured artist, Jennifer Weir of FINDING HER BEAT (SFF 2023).
"Every festival should offer your warmth, humor and friendliness."
- Vivian Ducat, ALL ME: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WINFRED REMBERT
“I would like to thank you all for the fantastic festival and the wonderful time I had in Salem. It was great to meet new people and make new friends! All was perfectly organized. Well done guys!"
- Nick Brandestini, DARWIN, CHILDREN OF THE ARCTIC
“We really felt as if we were invited into your homes to enjoy festivities -- the way a festival should be."
- Tess Girard, A SIMPLE RHYTHM
“Thank you so much for programming the film and for hosting us. We had a great time and will spread the word about you guys and what a fun festival it is. And we're now big fans of Salem! I'm sure we'll be back there soon!”
- Michael Sládek, CON ARTIST
"Thank you again for your hospitality and great care for me and all the other films/filmmakers at the fest this year. As I mentioned a few times, this is probably the best festival I have attended, and I'm still telling people about the films I saw!"
- Regan Linton, IMPERFECT
Filmmaker Sam French (left) director of WITH THIS BREATH I FLY and Regan Linton (center) director of IMPERFECT with SFF organizers.
"We are hugely grateful for your transparency and spirit in which you conduct the festival in partnership with the filmmakers."
- Sam French, WITH THIS BREATH I FLY
“We had the most incredible time at your festival. We're all still talking about it. Thank you for hosting us and for caring for filmmakers and appreciating our work. It makes all the difference!”
- Mercedes Kane, ART & PEP
Filmmaker Mercedes Kane with subjects Arthur Johnston and José Pepe Peña of the film ART AND PEP.
"Thank you so much for programming my film and for doing so much amazing promotion. It was really the highlight of my year to have my film play at SFF."
- Beth Balawick, SON OF FUKUSHIMA
"I had such a fabulous time in Salem and can't stop telling my team about it."
- Mye Hoang, CAT DADDIES
Mye Hoang, director of CAT DADDIES.
"We are so honored you included us, and while we didn’t get a chance to meet in person this year—the zoom hangs we got to participate in were so much fun!"
- Chelsea Christer, BLEEDING AUDIO
"What a wonderful festival and experience. So glad you had me out."
- Bing Liu, MINDING THE GAP
Director Harrod Blank and subject Rusty Tidenberg of WHY CAN’T I BE ME? AROUND YOU.
"We really enjoyed everything about your fest AGAIN. Hopefully it won't take me 9 years to return again!!!!"
- Harrod Blank, WHY CAN'T I BE ME? AROUND YOU
"We so appreciate what you do for the filmmaking community. It makes a huge difference to be financially valued as part of your core strategy. I can't tell you how exhausting it is to fight for film as both an art and a product :)"
- Sally Williams, STEVENSON: LOST & FOUND
"Thanks again for all the work you’ve done to include our film at the festival. We are incredibly thankful!"
- S. Leo Chiang, OUR TIME MACHINE, MR. CAO GOES TO WASHINGTON
Director Chris Kasick with Programmer Emeritus Jeff Schmidt at the Filmmaker Happy Hour social.
"We're extremely grateful for the opportunity to present Cielo to Salem Film Fest's enthusiastic, welcoming, curious audience. The sense of community around this volunteer powered event was extraordinary."
- Sean Farnel, CIELO
"I had a great time! World class organization you run there."
- Ted Collins, MR. FISH: CARTOONING FROM THE DEEP END
"I had an incredible time in Salem. When I woke up this morning, I felt like it was all a dream. The beautiful city with absolutely wonderful people. What an amazing film festival you have. Live music, Arts and Culture are everywhere. It was such an eye-opening experience, and added fuel to my passion for creativity."
- Miho Yamamoto, THE EXHIBITION
SFF Filmmakers at the 2024 Closing Night Party.
"You guys put on a wonderful festival. You have great screening spaces and conditions, the areas of town in around the theaters are a real treat. It was a big pleasure to be able to meet and have substantive conversations with other filmmakers who attended the festival. That's a huge memorable plus for us. You and your team were super welcoming, and we thought the audience for the screening was spirited and responsive."
- Debra Granik, STRAY DOG
“It has been an honor to be part of your festival; your help in getting my film – and its important messages – in front of as many eyes as possible is invaluable. You have made a permanent fan of the Salem Film Fest in Tom Herman!”
- Tom Herman, DATELINE-SAIGON
Filmmaker Zara Balfour talking about her film CHILDREN OF THE SNOWLAND following the screening.
“Every moment we spent there was great, and the way you treat filmmakers is something that all festivals should emulate.”
- Rick Beyer, THE GHOST ARMY
"Congrats to you and the team for building a really great festival. Thanks for taking such good care of us. We really value our Editing Award – aside from what it means to us it's also a beautiful work of art!"
- Marty Syjuco, GIVE UP TOMORROW, ALMOST SUNRISE
“I had such a great time and what you and your friends and the community were able to pull off was amazing! I definitely look forward to coming back to your beautiful neck of the woods.”
- Adrian Belic, GENGHIS BLUES, BEYOND THE CALL
Filmmaker Jeremy Levine discussing his film FOR AHKEEM.
"[Salem Film Fest] is really about the art of filmmaking, the art of documentary and that is a really great thing. It's got a really great vibe."
- Jeremy Levine, GOOD FORTUNE, FOR AHKEEM
“What a great town, what a fabulous festival, and what a great audience.”
- Judy Maltz, NO. 4 STREET OF OUR LADY
"I regard Salem as a wonderful few days where I felt fully taken care of as a filmmaker. It really was wonderful and watching it with a big, appreciative audience after not having done so for many months was a joy."
- Nathan Christ, ECHOTONE
"From where I sit, I think you have it just right - high quality and relevant programming, an intimate setting, a welcoming culture, fair prices, and great support for the filmmakers."
- Justin Francese, PLAY IN THE GRAY
"My wife, dog, and I had a great time and it was totally worth the drive from Chicago. We met other filmmakers and people who are really inspiring and I'm hoping to continue our relationship beyond the festival. Our screening went very well with a lot of good questions from an engaged audience that totally 'got' the film."
- Benjamin Fingerhut, BREAKING AND ENTERING
Filmmakers and protagonists of LUCHA: A WRESTLING TALE at the 2024 SFF Soiree at Sea Level.
“The people were great and the films I saw were really top notch. I noticed that you put your resources into making the screenings look and sound right, which is critical to the filmmakers and make the films you choose look their best. I also am impressed that the festival is clearly concerned with the social relevance of the work being shown. You guys had good material as well as good art.”
- Bill Kavanagh, BRICK BY BRICK: A CIVIL RIGHTS STORY
"What a gem! I'm so glad that I came up to Salem. You guys have something really good beginning here, and that's not too common."
- Ezra Bookstein, THE RICH HAVE THEIR OWN PHOTOGRAPHERS
CITIZEN SLEUTH filmmaker team accepting The Michael Sullivan Award for Journalism at SFF 2024.
