> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Worldly cinema by the sea - URL: https://www.smdp.com/worldly-cinema-by-the-sea/ - Published: 2008-09-18T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T21:02:54.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Events, Downtown, #archive-import, Homeless *Festival showcases films from all over the globe* DOWNTOWN It might not share the prestige of Cannes or even Tribeca but the Santa Monica International Film Festival is slowly starting to make a name for itself. In its seventh year giving a platform to novice filmmakers, the festival received more than 2,000 entries from across the world, with the final cut of 22 feature length and shorts representing countries such as Brazil, Finland and the Czech Republic. It’s a sizable talent pool from which to choose considering the festival had lay dormant for years until local producer David Katz breathed new life into the event about two years ago. “We contacted the last organization that was working on it and said we would like to take it over,” Katz, who also produces the Malibu International Film Festival, said.“We moved forward, supporting the local community of filmmakers and artists.” The festival kicks off on Friday with the screening of Rufus Williams’ “Butterfly Dreaming” at the AMC Loews Broadway 4 on the Third Street Promenade, followed by an opening night party. Screenings for the remaining films will continue through the weekend at both the Loews and Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium, which is located in the Santa Monica Public Library. A feature-length film will headline each night, concluding on Sunday with an awards presentation at the Loews. The top film, chosen by the audience, will nab a post-production package with Santa Monica-based Filmworks/FX, valued at “Everyone of these filmmakers are winners in our books,” Katz said. “They’ve done a great job of getting the film to the festival and doing something cool and unique and we’re excited to be screening them.” Among the feature-length films is Jeffrey Chernov’s “A Line in the Sand,” which follows the story of a New York City homeless man who was arrested for urinating on the mayor’s car, relieving himself during a demonstration in front of a church whose homeless shelter was being sold off. The movie is based on an off-Broadway play written by Chernov’s close friend, Mark Nassar, who played the part of the homeless man during its original run about 13 years ago. Chernov, who is a producer by trade but directed the film, got the movie rights for the script in exchange for putting up the money for the play. But the Brentwood resident had trouble finding financing and the screenplay collected dust until about two years ago when an investor said he would back the movie. Nassar, who has physically outgrown the part of the homeless man, plays one of three detectives in the movie. While the story is fictional, it is based on the reality of the harshness of New York City where the cost of living is out of reach for many. “It’s about one man’s fall from grace and how he ended up on the street,” Chernov said. “What is that one defining moment that puts one on the street and basically makes them homeless?” While Chernov has been in the film business since 1975, the movie is his directorial debut. “I did this because it’s a labor of love,” he said. The movie that will headline the opening night, “Butterfly Dreaming” examines the line between what is real and what is not, based on the philosophy of Chuang Tzu, who dreamt he was a butterfly, waking up unsure of whether he was a man dreaming he was a butterfly or vice versa. The film tells the story of a man who struggles to come to terms with the loss of his wife to a car crash, having trouble distinguishing between what is real and what is a dream. The idea for the movie actually came to Williams, a Santa Monica resident, in a dream. The movie, which is Williams’ directorial debut, was previously screened at the Seattle International Film Festival a few months ago. “Just seeing it for the first time on the big screen with an audience of 300 people was nerve racking but at the same time gratifying when they laughed at the right points,” he said. Katz said this year’s festival includes a diverse collection of films with a little bit of everything for everyone. It should be expected in a city abundant with filmmakers. “Our vision was to build a film festival that really showcases the city and all it has to offer,” Katz said. “Santa Monica is really where Hollywood meets the sea.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/091808-05_01.jpg) A MOMENT OF DRAMA: Among the feature-length films presented during the Santa Monica International Film Festival is 'A Line in the Sand.' (Photo: Photo courtesy Jeffrey Chernov) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 18, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/091808.pdf?ref=smdp.com)