FEST TO ALLOW EARLY ENTRIES CAREFUL JUDGING IS A GOAL.

Byline: Daily News

SANTA CLARITA - The Santa Clarita International Family Film Festival has begun accepting entries for its fall film fest.

This 10th annual event, featuring films for all ages minus gratuitous sex and violence, is scheduled for April 23-29, 2004 at the Edwards Cinemas at the Valencia Town Center.

The IFFF promotes the creation and sharing of family films and screenplays through professional and children's hands-on workshops, seminars and post-film discussions.

Because of a record number of submissions this year, the festival is accepting early film and screenplay submissions starting this month with a deadline of March 3.

``We are looking forward to a banner year for independent films at the festival,'' said Patte Dee McKee, the organization's co-founder and director of film and screenplay. ``This summer has been a box office bonanza for independent family films. They have really caught the imagination of the audience, and have made a big impression with the film viewing public.''

The entry process is starting early this year to help organizers manage the increased interest, said Chris Shoemaker, co-founder and executive director.

``Our submissions have been growing by leaps and bounds in the past two years, and, in an effort to have sufficient time to properly judge every screenplay and film without feeling pressured by deadlines, we have opened up our submission process into a larger window of time,'' Shoemaker said.

The 2003 festival broke its own box office records. Distributors and agents took notice of the films and screenplays and as a result many films were picked up for distribution, and four screenplays were optioned.

The animated short ``Dottie: Little Girl with a Big Voice'' was selected to be in a reel of shorts to premiere in first class on Aeroflot on flights between Russia and Germany from October through December.'

``It is projected that 200,000 people will see the film during the three months it plays 'in the air,' '' creator Dawn Westlake wrote.

The festival provides participating filmmakers and screenplay artists an opportunity to promote and network with other professionals.

Film entries for 2004 will be accepted in these categories:

--Feature and short films in categories of drama, comedy, animation and documentary from independent producers, students and What IFFF? Kids (ages 7-17)

--Feature and short screenplays in categories of drama, comedy, animation and sci-fi/adventure from adults and What IFFF? Kids (ages 7-17)

For questions about the submission process, guidelines and application forms, call McKee at the festival office, [phone], or visit www.iffilmfest.org for online submission forms.