Independent film lovers should save the date for the seventh annual Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival, which returns to the Los Angeles area Jan. 5 through 8, 2012, with a series of thought-provoking, funny and heartwarming films for audiences of all ages.

The festival will be hosted at the Repertory East Playhouse in Old Town Newhall, located at 24266 Main Street. This year’s event will include films in a variety of genres, from comedy and drama to animation and shorts.  The festival will also feature films by local, regional, and national youth in the junior high and high school screening categories.

“We are extremely proud of the milestones this festival has achieved,” said event co-founder Ramon Hamilton.  “In just a short time we’ve been able to grow in attendance as well as offerings, while providing a forum to celebrate independent films by local, regional, national and International artists of all ages.  There really isn’t another festival like ours in the Los Angeles area offering the variety of films we do in a family-friendly setting, and for a reasonable price.”

Awards given at the 2012 festival will be in the following categories:

– Best Script 2 Screen Film

– Best Junior High Film

– Best High School Film

– Best College Film

– Best Documentary Film

– Best Short Film

Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors for daily passes, which provide admission to all screenings in a day.
The Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival is dedicated to providing opportunities for interactions that enrich the Los Angeles and Santa Clarita communities both artistically and culturally through independent film.

The event is sponsored in part by Gorilla Software, SCV Bank, LA 411, SCVTV, the City of Santa Clarita, Final Draft, the Santa Clarita Valley Film Office, and the Repertory East Playhouse.  For more information about the 7th annual Santa Clarita Valley Film Festival, visit SCVFilmFestival.com.

Friday, January 6   6:00-7:30 p.m.  
COLLEGE & PROFESSIONAL INDIE SHORTS
Little Boat
Sharkdog
Shape
We’ll Be Fine, Probably
Hummingbirds and Holograms
Vampire Gastelbrau
500 Days of Winter
Bottle
Living Water
The Good River
Legal Illegal
Remission of Sins
Blueberry
Eyrie
Masks

Friday, January 6  8:00-9:30 p.m.  
SPECIAL SCREENING (Non-Competition)
Smuggled

Saturday, January 7 3-4:30 p.m.  
SCRIPT 2 SCREEN FILM BLOCK 
Generation Arts Youth Film Competition

Moonswept (Collegiate Film)

Saturday, January 7  5-6:30 p.m. 
JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL FILM BLOCK
Arroyo Seco Junior High
Castaic Middle School

Flight of the Melvin (Professional Short)

Saturday, January 7  7:00-8:30 p.m.  
PROFESSIONAL SHORTS
Before Breakfast                                                            
Bip, Bip (Beep Beep)
Almost Runaways
Atroz (Awful)
Live Outside the Box
Nanuq 
A Finger, Two Dots Then Me                            
El Somriure amagat (The Hidden Smile)

Sunday, January 8  5:00-6:30 p.m.  
HIGH SCHOOL FILM BLOCK
Hart High School
Saugus High School
Valencia High School

My License (American Heritage Elementary School in Plantation, FL)
Touch (Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen, MI)
Le Petit Chef (Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, CA)
I Want to Spend the Rest of My Life With You (Professional Short)
                                                                       
Sunday, January 8 7:00-8:00 p.m. AWARDS CEREMONY
Best Script 2 Screen Film
Best Junior High School Film
Best High School Film
Best College Film
Best Animated Film
Best Film