The Albuquerque Film & Media Experience (AFME) at Nob Hill, June 3-9, 2013, is ready to take the Land of Enchantment to new levels with big programming and names that will make it one of the top movie festivals and destination events for the City of Albuquerque. The AFME is a socially conscious and impactful event that represents creative achievement in film, music, arts and entertainment. AFME programming includes domestic and international movies, new media, food and art, intimate conversations, panels and time with industry leaders in attendance.

While the spring was busy, that was just the start as the season is really heating up with some film festivals dedicated to transformational media and others featuring some great new films and AwareGuide favorites.  The SF Green Film Festival is becoming one of the top places to find films about important environmental issues, so hope to see  you there! And first time festival Albuquerque Film & Media Experience scores a major win with a special evening with Robert Redford. 

SF Green Film Festival 5/30-6/5

• Rebels with a Cause
• Bidder 70
• Trashed
• In Organic We Trust
• Watershed

The San Francisco Green Film Festival (SFGFF) returns May 30-June 5, 2013 as the West Coast's leading destination for groundbreaking and compelling films on the urgent environmental issues of our time. As global temperatures skyrocket and media coverage of climate change vanishes, our mission is to educate and connect communities through forward-thinking programs of environmental films and discussions.

Projecting Change is a 5-day film festival featuring award-winning documentaries and exploring themes such as environmental and social sustainability, empowerment, identity, and global culture. Hosted in partnership with SFU Woodward's, the curated film and speakers sessions and unique festival format are a platform for audience engagement, inspiration, and action.

If you go to foreign films, if you go to documentaries, if you go to independent films, if you go to good films, you will become a better person because you will understand human nature better. Movies record human nature in a better way than any other art form, that's for sure.

Roger Ebert

Now in its 16th year, the Sonoma International Film Festival (April 10-14, 2013) takes place in the heart of Northern California's Wine Country and features more than 90 hand-selected films including independent features, documentaries, world cinema, shorts and a showcase of Spanish language films. All films are shown at intimate venues within walking distance on Sonoma's historic plaza. The Festival is dedicated to promoting independent film, supporting filmmakers around the world and inspiring film lovers.

With spring around the corner, we are turning over to a new season of important film festivals to attend. Scattered across the nation, are a plethora of festivals to be happening this March and April. Embrace the opportunity in viewing the works of filmmakers worldwide, and get involved in the power of the film community and culture. It is a crucial time to start directing our focus to up-coming premiers of influential documentaries geared to advance our present awareness. It is incredible to see the amount of energy that gets put into these festivals, and the impact they have in spreading positive change.

The International Buddhist Film Festival offers cinema as a vehicle for wider appreciation and better understanding of Buddhism by general audiences, particularly for the remarkableethnic and cultural diversity evident in the Buddhist arena worldwide today. Buddhist Film Foundation and California Film Institute present nine premieres from seven countries—rare screenings, global diversity, and guest filmmakers and presenters. The program runs from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3 at Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in Marin.

The Winners of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival were announced January, 26th, in Park City, Utah at the Award Ceremony hosted by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Robert Redford, founder of the film festival, opened the ceremony stating that the creative talent and voices represented "reflect the times we're in". During an interview, Redford also commented that, "the films featured at the festival, like all art, reflect and inspire change."

Lucy Walker, one of the star filmmakers for social impact films (Wasteland, Countdown to Zero, The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom) returned to another successful launch of her newest film at Sundance. Crash Reel premiered to a very enthusiastic crowd to see the film that highlights the journey of Kevin Pearce, an Olympic hopeful who suffered a traumatic brain injury while practicing in Salt Lake City just six weeks before the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he was a favorite to win a medal.