San Joaquin Homes Community Blog

Attention all artists who enjoy filmmaking: Now is the time to show off your movie making skills! If you live in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Fresno, Merced or Sacramento counties, you can enter the 2008 San Joaquin Film Festival short films competition.

"Who knows? We may even have a future Steven Spielberg or George Lucas here in Stockton," said event organizer Sophoan Sorn, founder and director of San Joaquin Cross-Cultural Media. "We will never know unless we tap into those untapped talents."

The festival will be held June 4 through 8 at the Bob Hope Theatre, the Haggin Museum and Faye Spanos Concert Hall at University of the Pacific, among other Stockton venues. Submissions are now being accepted; the deadline is Feb. 14, 2008.

Filmmakers must be at least 14 years old to enter. Films can be no longer than 15 minutes, including credits, and they can be entered into one of eight categories: action, animation, comedy, commercial, children and family, documentary, drama, and music video.

Competitors may enter as many films as they want, but there is a $15 entry fee for each movie.

Winners will receive $100.

Sorn noted that San Joaquin County has a long history in the movies. Hollywood productions once regularly shot on location in San Joaquin County, the Delta and Mother Lode, leading the Greater Stockton Chamber of Commerce to dub the area "Hollywood North."

Movies filmed locally include "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Cool Hand Luke" and "Flubber."

"Stockton was once a great filming destination. I wanted revive the interest in amateur and professional filmmaking," Sorn said. He hopes that in the wake of the film festival, local high schools and colleges will start film production clubs where students can come together and create films as cast and crew.

For more information on competition registration and the San Joaquin Film Festival, which is in need of volunteers, go to www.sjccm.org.