Film: Same screen, less silver

Trash Film Orgy
No one’s gonna accuse this beloved little local fest of false advertising. The Trash Film Orgy is very much what it sounds like. This year’s goodies include George A. Romero’s marauding-zombie mainstay, Dawn of the Dead, John Carpenter’s blackly comedic parable of subliminal, extraterrestrial mind control, They Live, and of course, the annual heckle-fest smorgasbord known as Trash Till Dawn. Here, being a literal deadbeat has its advantages: Come dressed like a zombie or in some other recognizably trashy garb and get a buck off your admission (normally $9.50). Get popcorn for that buck, plus a cup of water for free, and there you have it: a night at the movies for under 10 bones. Weekends from June 28-August 2. Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; (916) 44-CREST; www.trashfilmorgy.com.

Sacramento French Film Festival
The way this becomes a bargain is by preventing you from doing anything else with two of your July weekends. Get that festival pass and just shut yourself in to the Crest. You won’t be sorry. You might learn French. You will see some great films. There’s something for everyone at this fest, a much-anticipated Sacramento summer institution, but that doesn’t mean its offerings have been diluted or reduced to the lowest common denominator. All told, from the sophisticatedly racy midnight movies to the ongoing and impressively appointed raffles to the closing-reception champagne toasts, it’s a pretty cost-effective method for collecting your couture. July 18-20 and 26-27. Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; (916) 455-9390; www.sacramentofrenchfilmfestival.org.

Sacramento International Film and Music Festival
Because you couldn’t afford Cannes or Sundance or Telluride or Tribeca or SXSW. Look, don’t treat your schlep back to the Crest like a walk of shame. The ‘08 iteration of this time-tested fest will be longer than ever, spanning two weekends, and full of great finds. As always, it’ll offer a fresh crop of locally made short films and music videos, features of all sorts from all over the world and several moviemaking workshops with seasoned industry types. Plus, rumor has it the glamour quotient will get cranked way up when a certain unmistakable starlet comes to town. August 8-17. Crest Theatre, 1013 K Street; (916) 600-7029; www.sacfilm.com.

Nevada City Film Festival
Last year, more than 1,300 people poured into Nevada City for their annual film festival—to catch screenings of more than 50 films and check out a host of media panels. The fact that Rolling Stone is now showing up can only mean that this thing is just going to get bigger. So, you’ve got to head up to Nevada City this summer for the indie films, the live music and the special events before NCFF turns into the Tinseltown nightmare that is Sundance. Day passes are only $10, opening night is $12 and a full-festival pass will run you just $30. Runs August 14-17. Downtown Nevada City, www.nevadacityfilmfestival.com.