There is no shortage of people who love movies. But every once in a while, a group of movie lovers decides to do something more than watch them.

They start conversations. They meet filmmakers. They create opportunities. They bring people together.

That is the story of SacTown Movie Buffs.

Founded by Kierre Stowes and Jason Alley, SacTown Movie Buffs has grown from a passion for film into a multifaceted platform celebrating Sacramento’s independent film and entertainment community. What started with a love of movies has evolved into a show featuring conversations with filmmakers and artists, a film festival, filmmaking challenges and a growing network of people connected through their shared passion for the industry.

And as the organization has grown, so has its team. Bunny Stewart joined SacTown Movie Buffs after being honored with the organization’s Circle of Excellence Award at the 2024 SacTown Movie Buffs Film Festival, recognizing her dedication to the film and entertainment industry. She has since become a co-interviewer on the show, bringing another familiar face from Sacramento’s creative community into the conversation.

Building a Team Around a Vision

The growth of SacTown Movie Buffs is part of what makes the organization interesting. Rather than simply creating a show about movies, Kierre and Jason have continued building something that gives filmmakers, artists and other members of the entertainment community a place to share what they do.

Their interviews provide a window into the people behind the productions, while their festival creates another opportunity for independent filmmakers to have their work seen and celebrated.

The result is a platform that can introduce audiences to both established names and emerging talent.

Bringing Stories to the Screen with SacTown Movie Buffs TV

At the heart of SacTown Movie Buffs is their television program, where viewers can meet the people behind the films, productions and creative projects happening throughout the region.

Over time, their guest list has become a kind of Who’s Who in Sacramento independent film and entertainment.

That list includes Christy Savage and Darren Wood of TFO Productions, longtime Sacramento independent filmmakers and the creative forces behind Trash Film Orgy. The pair have appeared on the SacTown Movie Buffs show again, demonstrating the continuing relationships the program has developed with people throughout the local industry.

They’ve also welcomed artists such as Rain Williamson of Rain Factor FX, Robert Reimers and Dan Acosta, each representing another thread in Sacramento’s creative community.

And their interviews aren’t confined to the studio. SacTown Movie Buffs has also taken its coverage into the community, including interviews at Sinister Creature Con, bringing the show directly into one of Sacramento’s major gatherings of genre filmmakers, artists, performers and fans.

That evolution is worth noting. What began as a place for conversations in the studio at Access Sacramento has grown into a way for SacTown Movie Buffs to meet people where the community is actually happening — whether that’s around a camera in the studio, on a festival floor or at an event filled with the people they’re working to showcase.

For Most Awesome Sauce, those connections are particularly fun to see. We’ve had the opportunity to tell stories about many of these same artists, and we appreciate the work SacTown Movie Buffs does to shine another light on the talented people doing awesome things locally.

That’s one of the great things about a platform like theirs: an interview can introduce an artist to someone who might never otherwise discover their work, while giving that artist another opportunity to tell their story in their own words.

Supporting Independent Filmmakers Through SacTown Film Festival

The SacTown Movie Buffs Film Festival takes that mission a step further by giving independent filmmakers a place to bring their finished work to an audience.

Film festivals can be about much more than screening movies. They create opportunities for filmmakers to meet one another, for audiences to discover new work and for relationships to develop that may continue long after the awards have been handed out.

And with 2027 festival submissions now open, another group of filmmakers is already beginning the process of deciding what stories they want to bring to the screen.

A Place for Filmmakers to Create

SacTown Movie Buffs also understands that supporting filmmakers means giving them opportunities to actually make films, not simply talk about them.

Their 30 Day Film Challenge is a perfect example.

The challenge gives filmmakers a deadline and an opportunity to turn an idea into a finished project. After 30 days of creating, the completed films will be presented to an audience at Futures Explored on August 29th from 12 PM to 8 PM.

It’s a fitting extension of what SacTown Movie Buffs has been doing all along: creating opportunities for people to make something, share it and connect with an audience.

Their relationship with Access Sacramento provides another important part of that equation. As a public-access television organization, Access Sacramento offers education, production resources and a platform for community members to create and share their own work. It also produces the annual A Place Called Sacramento Film Festival, providing another avenue for local filmmakers to tell stories about the region.

SacTown Movie Buffs’ presence within that environment gives their work another way to reach the people who are already making things happen in Sacramento.

A Growing Community

Perhaps the most interesting thing about SacTown Movie Buffs is how quickly the organization has grown from a love of movies into something that touches so many different parts of the local entertainment community.

Their show brings filmmakers and artists into conversation.

Their festival gives independent films a stage.

Their challenges encourage people to create.

And the people they meet through those efforts become part of an ever-growing network of Sacramento storytellers.

For a relatively young organization, that is a considerable footprint.

Sacramento has a long history of independent filmmakers, artists, festivals and creative communities. Some have been around for decades, while others are just beginning. Organizations like SacTown Movie Buffs help put those generations in the same room — sometimes literally in front of the same camera.

And perhaps that is what makes their growing list of guests so interesting.

It isn’t simply a list of names.

It is a snapshot of a community.

A community that continues to make films, tell stories, create new opportunities and introduce the next person to the audience.

SacTown Movie Buffs is there to help tell those stories.

And judging by the people who have already sat down in front of their cameras, they’re building quite a Who’s Who along the way.