The City of Santa Clarita is rolling out the red carpet this weekend for film buffs and history hounds alike, as the Newhallywood Film Festival kicks off to celebrate Santa Clarita's long-standing love affair with Hollywood, per Mayor Cameron Smyth. With a lineup that pays tribute to the silent screen legends Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and Thomas Ince, the festival dives into the city's early cinematic era, reminding us of Santa Clarita's past as a backdrop to numerous westerns and modern blockbusters.

Festival-goers can expect a blast from the past with screenings of classics like "The Mark of Zorro", "Waxworks", and "Robin Hood", with Fairbanks breaking out from the shackles of time on the silver screen. "Silent Screams" will chill the spine with haunting horrors at night, while the daylight hours offer a "BusTour" Keaton, navigating through Hollywood's silent era landmarks, lunch included, so guests should be ready to pound the pavement in some comfy shoes because there's going to be some walking, Mayor Smyth notes in an announcement.

Details of the weekend's events are replete with cinematic nostalgia; for consecutive nights, the MAIN plays host to the eerie with screenings set for the early horrors that captured the imagination of a bygone era. Further cementing the occasion, Fairbanks and Ince will receive posthumous inductions, while their films, including the thief-cum-hero saga, "Thief of Bagdad," and Ince's riveting drama "Civilization," unravel before audiences at the Newhall Family Theatre for Performing Arts.

Wrapping up the festival is a day dedicated to Thomas Ince, whose storytelling paved the way for future filmmakers, classics like "The Cat's Meow" and "Hell's Hinges" among others, will be featured throughout the day and culminating with "Civilization." In a statement to santaclarita.gov, the Mayor underscored the shared legacy of Santa Clarita and the film world, not to mention the silver strings that tie the two; it's clear this film festival is more than a mere celebration, it's an homage to the roots of cinema that Santa Clarita has cradled since the camera's first roll.

While most of the event remains free for public consumption, the "BusTour" Keaton comes with a price tag for the promise of an immersive trip down memory lane. Those looking to partake in the festivities or learn more can head over to NewhallywoodFilmFestival.org for the full scoop on this weekend's activities.