College of the Canyons faculty announced Wednesday their plans to celebrate the independent filmmakers of Santa Clarita Valley by hosting Indie Saturday, an all-day event featuring films screenings and discussions.

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Kicking off the day are a variety of short films by COC students and K-12 students from Santa Clarita schools, followed by full-length screenings of an award-winning film by Ramon Hamilton and an animated documentary by Sheila Sofian, former chair of COC’s animation department, school officials said.  

“We are very excited to share these films with the community, especially since they all have some sort of connection to the Santa Clarita Valley,” said Jennifer Brezina, division dean of the humanities department at the college and the event’s coordinator. “This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the work of both rising and established local filmmakers.”

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Hamilton’s film, “Smuggled,” tells the story of 9-year-old Miguel Rodriguez and his mother’s journey into the U.S. as they are smuggled on a bus with hopes for a better life, according to a COC news release.

“Making ‘Smuggled’ involved a lot of love, care and passion for telling a compelling and engaging story,” Hamilton said. “Most of the filming took place in the Santa Clarita Valley, so that makes screening at COC and for the SCV community even more special.”

The low-budget film, which was written, shot, directed and edited by Hamilton, was screened at the 2012 San Francisco Film Festival and has won numerous awards, including Best Dramatic Feature at the 2012 Mexico International Film Festival, according to the news release.

Sharing the spotlight for the day is Sofian’s animated documentary, “Truth Has Fallen,” which took 10 years to make using innovative animation combined with live action, school officials said.

The documentary follows the work of James McCloskey, founder of Centurion Ministries, an organization whose mission is to free prisoners who have been wrongfully convicted of murder.

“This film exposes the weaknesses in the justice system and advocates reforms which would reduce the rate of wrongful convictions,” Sofian said.

Indie Saturday is free and open to the public, though there is limited seating available, and is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in Hasley Hall, Room 101, at COC’s Valencia campus.

Attendees without a parking permit will need to purchase a temporary permit for $2 from the permit vending machines located in each lot. Food will not be available for purchase at the event.

Scheduled COC Film Screening Times

• K-12 Films, Screening and Discussion: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Intermission: 12-12:30 p.m.
• COC Student Films, Screening and Discussion: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
• Intermission: 1:30-2 p.m.
• “Smuggled,” Screening and Discussion: 2-4 p.m.
• Intermission, 4-4:30 p.m.
• “Truth Has Fallen,” Screening and Discussion: 4:30-6 p.m.

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