| Founder: | James Harmon II |
| Industry: | film-exhibition |
| Foundation: | 2014 |
| Location City: | Sanford, Maine |
| Location Country: | United States of America |
The Sanford International Film Festival is an annual event held in Sanford, Maine that specializes in independent film.
Started in 2014 by James Harmon II,[1] the first festival was quickly put together to showcase films that were originally scheduled to play the canceled Lewiston Auburn Film Festival.[2] [3] After the first festival's success and support from the city,[4] plans were made to continue the festival as an annual event.[5] The festival originally took place in May, but has moved to October in subsequent years.[6]
In 2019, for their sixth year, Brian Boisvert is serving as the festival director.[7]
The festival screenings are typically broken into recurrent categories, including: Horror Friday, Documentary Night, Mixed Genre Day,[8] and SIFF After Hours.[9] The popular Horror Friday section has included popular films with actors in attendance, including: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre with Gunnar Hansen[10] and Nightbreed with Anne Bobby.[11] The horror series has also included independent films, such as: Blood of the Tribades, Peelers, and In the Dark.[12]
The Sanford International Film Festival gives out trophies in a number of categories for short films and feature films called Tommy Awards, named for Sanford textile baron Thomas Goodall.[13]