Jan 21, 2026

This weeks Guest - Jacques Paisner

What if a regional film festival could be the most practical break you get all year? We sit down with Jacques Paisner, artistic director and founding member of the Santa Fe International Film Festival, to unpack how smart curation, real funding, and a thriving local scene can move a filmmaker from first short to sustained momentum. From early U.S. premieres to Academy-qualifying shorts, we dig into the mechanics that place great films in the right rooms and create conversations that stick long after the credits roll.

Jacques shares how his team scouts Sundance and Berlin, balances associate programmers, and champions Indigenous films curated by Gary Farmer. We talk about the power of panels and mixers that actually connect people, plus the Santa Fe Film Institute’s grants—up to $10,000 for New Mexico creators—that close the gap between an ambitious script and a finished cut. We also explore the wider ecosystem: the Santa Fe Railyard’s cultural hub, direct flights to LA, 300 days of sun, and the grounded lifestyle that lets artists focus, collaborate, and ship work.

We dive into recent standouts across narrative and documentary, the logic behind selecting lifetime achievement honorees like Edward James Olmos and Bryan Cranston, and what’s next on the calendar: March’s Oscar-nominated foreign film series and October’s festival dates. Jacques is also producing Heat Waves and Numbskull Revolution and co-hosts Film Talk Weekly, offering more ways to learn and plug into the community.

If you’re chasing your first festival slot, building a slate, or looking for a place where film culture feels alive and welcoming, this conversation maps the path and the people who can help you walk it.

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If you want to be considered as a guest, please contact us: michael@silverheartproductions.com