By Melody Hanatani
Daily Press Staff Writer

CITYWIDE A tradition well established in Cannes, Park City and New York City is making its way to Santa Monica.

The first Santa Monica International Film Festival kicks off this weekend, showcasing the works of 37 independent filmmakers from across the country.

The four-day event begins on Friday evening with a bash at Bergamot Station, continuing throughout the weekend with screenings on Saturday and Sunday at the Aero Theater and Santa Monica Public Library Auditorium. The festivities conclude with an awards show on Monday.

It’s been three years since the old film festival in Santa Monica — a series of outdoor screenings on the Santa Monica Pier and monthly screenings at the local theater — folded, said David Katz, the producer of the Santa Monica International Film Festival (SMIFF).

The newest incarnation models itself after the successful formats of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival In Park City, Utah where the event is competition based and places an emphasis on new, local or independent filmmakers.

“Basically, we’re trying to regenerate the industry that supports Santa Monica, which is heavily the film industry,” said Katz, who also produces the Malibu International Film Festival.

Several films will debut at the SMIFF, including “Expecting,” a comedy about the challenges a couple faces after learning their child will be born ugly.

The short was originally written as a skit for Saturday Night Live, but never made it to New York City. The script was rewritten and converted into the six-minute comedy.

“Expecting” was directed by Chuck Bennett, a commercial director who works in Santa Monica and his friend, Brendan Duffy.

“Anyone who has seen it so far laughs at it,” Bennett said. “I just want to get it out there and let people see it.”

Film festival organizers received more than 1,000 submissions. The majority of the films to be screened are produced by Los Angeles- and Westside-based filmmakers.

Katz, who has produced the Malibu International Film Festival since 1997, said he has been approached by a number of people in the past several years with comments on how it was odd that Santa Monica, a community packed with entertainers and film producers, didn’t have its own festival.

“There are so many filmmakers here and so much economy that comes from the film industry in Santa Monica through all the post production houses,” Katz said. “It’s pretty much an industry community.”

Hollywood actors lend a helping hand to several of the films in the SMIFF, including Danny Glover who narrates a documentary titled “Willie Francis Must Die Again,” and Rainn Wilson, who stars in a short titled, “Lance is a Jerk.”

The city of Santa Monica also stars in a film.

Directed and written by former Santa Monica resident Murphy Gilson, “Partially True Tales of High Adventure!” follows an aspiring screenwriter from Indiana who tries to break into Hollywood. The lead character Charlie McDonough, played by Johnny Sneed who starred in “Fever Pitch,” relies on a small group of friends for support, meeting frequently at a bar in Santa Monica.

The story is inspired by true accounts. When Gilson first moved to Los Angeles around 2001, a friend took him to Rick’s Tavern on Main Street. From that first visit grew a tradition where a group of about 10 to 15 close friends, many who were trying to break into the entertainment industry, would meet every Thursday night. The hangout sessions ceased about a year ago as some of the original members found stability in the industry, moved back home or got married.

The bar at the AMF Bay Shore Lanes on Pico Boulevard stood in for Rick’s Tavern in the film. Because the real tavern is closed from only 2 a.m. to 10 a.m., Gilson said he didn’t find it feasible to use the bar.

The 12-minute short includes a cameo by Shannon Elizabeth of the “American Pie” films. The actress stars as herself.

“It’s honestly a real ode to those nights where people without homes needed a support system had this home base they could go to,” Gilson said.

For more information, visit the SMIFF Web site at www.smfilmfestival.com.

melodyh@smdp.com