San Diego will be rolling out the red carpet this fall for film stars and celebrities during the first San Diego Film Festival. Endorsed by the San Diego Film and the California Film commissions, the festival will be Sept. 18 through 22 in the Gaslamp Quarter.

It’s about time, says Robin Laatz, executive director of the festival. “We were one of the only top 30 cities in the United States that didn’t have (a festival).” (Laatz notes that San Diego already does has some specialty events like the Jewish Film Festival and Latino Film Festival.)

This festival will showcase the best in independent American and international full-length features, documentaries and short films. The films’ directors will be available for a Q & A session following each screening. The competitive five-day event will highlight more than 40 films and the Flying A award will be given to outstanding productions and actors.

Laatz explains San Diego’s film history dates back to 1910 when La Mesa was home to one of the first movie companies, American Film Manufacturing Co. The name was shortened to Flying A Co., thus the award name.

Much more than a movie showing, this event will glam things up a bit with parties, workshops and panel discussions, guest appearances by nationally recognized film and video artists, nightly post-screening receptions, and an exclusive actors’ ball and award ceremony.

The theme this year is acting and the craft. Hollywood celebrities with San Diego ties, like Whoopi Goldberg, Benicio Del Toro and Denise Richards, have been invited to attend and host actor studio sessions.

A schedule of events will be posted online at www.sdff.org. The commission is still seeking film entries and is in need of volunteers to work the event.

“This is an inaugural event for San Diego,” Laatz says. “It will be a tradition. It’s going to be neat to get involved and help create this event and image.”

— Maria L. Kirkpatrick