The 28th Annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (April 26-May 1) announced this year’s robust film lineup bookended by critically-acclaimed documentaries —the Opening Night selection of Sara Dosa’s Fire of Love and the Closing Night selection of Isabel Castro’s Mija. The festival will celebrate its return to in-theater screenings and in-person events, including its famous Surf Nite, a tribute to Philip Glass, Cal Poly Shortcuts, and entrants in this year’s Reel Challenge debut.

This year’s film lineup will feature 121 presentations, including 32 feature films (10 narrative, 22 documentary), 77 short films and 12 music videos.

San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said, “Returning to the theater is something all of us at the film festival have looked forward to for some time now, so we can hardly believe that moment is almost here. Because we knew there would be such anticipation by San Luis Obispo film lovers, we took special care to not simply program the best films available to us, but to also make sure we brought back the signature events like Surf Nite that SLO Film Fest built its reputation on. Now, we cannot wait to welcome everyone back and start screening our movies!”

SLO Film Fest’s Opening Night selection, Sara Dosa’s documentary Fire of Love, is a rare look at a volcanic love story – literally. Using amazing footage of and by volcanologist couple Katia and Maurice Krafft, and narrated by art film fixture Miranda July, Fire of Love tells a story of primordial creation and destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown, all for the sake of love. On Closing Night, Isabel Castro’s documentary Mija showcasesa dynamic pair of young Latina women who forged careers in music management and the music scene. They overcame a never-ending stream of hurdles to succeed despite the heightened pressure of being the family’s hope for green cards and reunification.

Additional highlights among the narrative selections include Max Walker-Silverman’s A Love Song, a romantic drama starring Dale Dickey and Wes Studi as two childhood sweethearts, both widowed, who share a night by a lake reminiscing about their lives, losses, and loneliness; and Jessica Hester and Derek Schweickart’s Coast, which follows 16-year-old Abby, desperate to escape the trappings of her small-town life, who finds that everything changes when she meets the lead singer of a traveling rock band and must decide whether or not to leave her family and friends behind. To open and close the screening SLO Film Fest will present concert performances from DOG PARTY and local legends PANCHO & THE WIZARDS, all featured in the film.

Bretten Hannam’s drama, Wildhood, is about an impulsive and closeted First Nations youth who escapes his abusive father with his little brother and sets on a journey to reclaim his heritage while finding love along the way; and Dina Amer’s blend of psychological thriller, social drama and investigative documentary, You Resemble Me, follows the struggles of an older sister to find her identity after she is separated from her younger sister in Paris. The film was Executive Produced by Spike Lee.

On the documentary front, highlights include Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey’s Alien On Stage, which documents the attempt by an amateur drama group to create a serious stage adaptation of the sci-fi horror film, Alien; Rob Coe and Warwick Davis’ Blind Ambition about a group of Zimbabwean sommeliers living in South Africa who form the first team from Zimbabwe to compete in The World Wine Blind Tasting Championships — the Olympics of the wine world; Corey McLean’s Havana Libre about a group of diehard Cuban surfers who rise up against their government to legitimize the sport; and Camilla and James Becket’s The Seeds of Vandana Shiva, which focuses on Gandhian eco-activist Dr. Vandana Shiva and how she stood up to Monsanto and rose to prominence in the ecological food movement.

SLO Film Fest’s Surf Nite, a one-of-a-kind surfing film event, will be presented on Thursday, April 28, at the Sunset Drive-In for the second straight year. Surf Nite will include the traditional appearance of some classic 1960s surfing autos to add to the atmosphere of what could be called the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” for the surfing film lover.

Additional special events and presentations include the Coastal Awakening salute to avant-garde “classicist” composer and pianist Philip Glass, the Cal Poly Short Cuts films created by Cal Poly students under the mentorship of Screenwriter and Editor, Professor Randi Barros, and a presentation of the films that resulted from SLO Film Fests’ first The Reel Challenge – a weekend-long film competition where filmmakers of widely varying experience had just 48 hours to write, shoot, edit and submit a 90-second short film.

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival will also once again put local filmmakers on a pedestal via its always-popular Central Coast Showcase and encourage the filmmaking ambitions of elementary, middle school and high school students with its Filmmakers of Tomorrow Showcase.

The 2022 San Luis Obispo International Film Festival official selections:

OPENING NIGHT SELECTION

Fire Of Love
Director: Sara Dosa
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 min

Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions, documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that forever enriched our knowledge of the natural world. Director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical celebration of the intrepid scientists’ spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts’ spectacular archive. Fire of Love tells a story of primordial creation and destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown, all for the sake of love.

CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION

Mija
Director: Isabel Castro
Country: USA; Running Time: 88 min

Desperately longing for better representation within the indie music scene, at 23 Doris Muñoz took matters into her own hands and began a career in music talent management, passionately advocating for rising Latinx artists. Her swift success transformed her into the breadwinner for her undocumented family and a pillar for first and second-generation Americans seeking community. In a moment of crisis when Doris abruptly receives news that forces her to reconsider working in music, she finds Jacks Haupt, a promising Chicana singer desperate to break out of her parents’ home in Dallas, Texas. Through shared moments of hope and joy, Doris and Jacks bond over the ever-present guilt of being the first American-born members of their undocumented families, the financial risks of pursuing their dreams, and the heightened pressure of their success being the family’s hope for green cards and reunification.

TRIBUTE TO PHILIP GLASS
PRESENTED BY THE COASTAL AWAKENING

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts
Director: Scott Hicks
Country: USA; Running Time: 119 min

Academy Award-nominated director Scott Hicks documents an eventful year in the career and personal life of distinguished Western classical composer Philip Glass as he interacts with several friends and collaborators, including Chuck Close, Ravi Shankar and Martin Scorsese.

Koyaanisqatsi
Director: Godfrey Reggio
Country: USA; Running Time: 87 min

Koyaanisqatsi, Godfrey Reggio’s debut as a film director and producer, is the first film of the QATSI trilogy. The title is a Hopi Indian word meaning “life out of balance.” Created between 1975 and 1982, the film is an apocalyptic vision of the collision of two different worlds — urban life and technology versus the environment. The musical score was composed by Philip Glass.

The Truman Show
Director: Peter Weir
Country: USA; Running Time: 107 min

He doesn’t know it, but everything in Truman Burbank’s (Jim Carrey) life is part of a massive TV set. Executive producer Christof (Ed Harris) orchestrates “The Truman Show,” a live broadcast of Truman’s every move captured by hidden cameras. Cristof tries to control Truman’s mind, even removing his true love, Sylvia (Natascha McElhone), from the show and replacing her with Meryl (Laura Linney). As Truman gradually discovers the truth, however, he must decide whether to act on it.

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

Blind Ambition
Directors: Rob Coe, Warwick Davis
Country: Australia; Running Time: 96 min

A group of Zimbabwean sommeliers living in South Africa form the first team from Zimbabwe to compete in The World Wine Blind Tasting Championships — the Olympics of the wine world. Blind Ambition follows their ambitious path where they must sample 12 different wines and correctly name the country, winery and vintage — a challenge for any oenologist. Their sampling skills take them a long way. But it is their connection to their country, underscored by the comments and encouragement of parents, grandparents and children they left back home, that provide their motivation and backbone.

Coast
Directors: Jessica Hester, Derek Schweickart
Country: USA; Running Time: 96 min

16-year-old Abby is desperate to escape the trappings of her small-town life, but everything changes when she meets the lead singer of a traveling rock band and must decide whether or not to leave her family and friends behind. Filmed entirely in Santa Maria, Guadalupe and Oceano, with appearances by Central Coast bands Pancho and the Wizards, Dog Party, Hayley & The Crushers, and Black Match.

La Perla
Country: USA/Mexico; Running Time: 77 min

La Perla is a Mexican-American film based on the classic novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck, who also co-wrote the play alongside director Emilio Fernández. Pedro Armendáriz (a Cal Poly graduate), plays a poor fisherman who discovers the perfect pearl — forever changing his life. Just like the treasure he found, this is a rare opportunity to see a true classic of Mexican cinema.

Playing In Unison (Pac Doc)
Country: USA; Running Time: 56 min

An improbable gem in our small town, the Performing Arts Center at Cal Poly has a story to tell. The story of a university, city hall and a group of dedicated supporters working for years, collaborating and gathering funds. The story of a pre-opening celebration that lasted until the early morning hours. The story of concerts, graduations and youth programs that raised the level of the arts throughout the county. And the story of a global pandemic that forced it to close its doors only to reopen as a COVID testing center. Playing in Unison illustrates the power of a community that promises to carry on and find a way, together.

Sirens
Director: Rita Baghdadi
Countries: Lebanon/USA; Running Time: 78 min

Fresh from Sundance 2022. On the outskirts of Beirut, co-founders and guitarists of the Middle East’s first all-female metal band wrestle with friendship, sexuality, and destruction in their quest to become thrash metal rock stars. A beautifully wrought and surprising portrait.

They/Them: One Climber’s Story
Directors: Blake McCord, Justin Clifton
Country: USA; Running Time: 72 min

They/Them follows Lor, a trans climber embarking on a journey to piece together one of the hardest and most inspiring routes of their life. By embracing the strength in vulnerability, Lor has found the space to thrive and build a climbing community that others like themself can call home.

Through Their Eyes
Director: Ben Proudfoot
Country: USA; Running Time: 70 min

A collection of four wonderful short films produced and directed by SLO Film Fest alum and Oscar Nominee Ben Proudfoot with Breakwater Studios, chronicling the lives and fascinating stories of four individuals who were almost a household name! THE FIRST REPORT, THE UNCHOSEN ONE, THE SILENT PULSE OF THE UNIVERSE, and 2022 Oscar Nominee THE QUEEN OF BASKETBALL all come together in a heartfelt and memorable collection showing us all how to keep pushing forward even when you feel unseen.

CAL POLY SHORT CUTS

Cal Poly Short Cuts
Running Time: 85 min

Solecita
When a new family moves into the neighborhood, an unlikely friendship forms between two young friends, but not everyone is happy about it.

Poetic Projection
Two young adults go on a date and have wildly different interpretations of how it’s going.

August
When a troubled teenage girl with dreams of travel plots to leave her home and cross state lines for the first time, a young boy in the house across the street threatens to hold her back.

On That Note
A twenty-something loner finds an uncommon bond with his noisy, curmudgeonly neighbor.

All I Want for Christmas Is The Truth
A determined young boy tries to find out the truth about Santa Claus, despite his mother’s attempts to stop him.

Two Things
A middle school boy explores the awkwardness of puberty, sexuality, anger, sadness, and love.

MAKE YOUR MOVE PROGRAM

Camp Yoshi
Directors: Faith E. Briggs, Tyler Wilkinson Ray
Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

After moving to Oregon and falling in love with the ability to explore the outdoors with ease alongside his wife and two kids, Rashad Frazier knew he had to extend the invitation to others. Driven by the magic of his experiences, his background as a chef, and his love of good food and connecting people to incredible places that open up to conversation, he created Camp Yoshi.

Egúngún (Masquerade)
Director: Olive Nwosu
Country: Nigeria/UK; Running Time: 15 min

Exploring home, memory, identity, and the many versions of ourselves that haunt us, Egúngún follows Salewa as she returns home to Lagos for her mother’s funeral. Being in a place where she once had to hide herself, she runs into an important person from her past and is prompted to go in search of her own peace.

The Fourth (World Premiere)
Director: Johnny Kirk
Country: USA; Running Time: 12 min

Fun and games on the Fourth of July take a serious turn for Rey and his friends when they are stopped by police at a local gas station. Based on real-life incidents, the story examines the trauma of being in the shoes of the young men stopped.

Moving Meditation
Directors: Eric Johnson, Joseph Fletcher
Country: USA; Running Time: 10 min

In a story of adversity, resilience, and ultimately, self-love, Eric Johnson, a youth growing up in Washington D.C., finds a place of belonging within the skateboarding community. But his identity as a black skateboarder puts him into a circumstance that almost costs him his life.

Not Just a Name
Director: De’Onna “Tree” Young-Stephens
Country: USA; Running Time: 23 min

Following the stories of Shiquita, Fulani, Naauh’Mocquaii, and De’Onna, Not Just A Name explores and highlights the trials and tribulations of African Americans with cultural and unique sounding names as they deal with microaggressions and the painful and triumphant origin of their identity.

ADDITIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURES

A Love Song
Director: Max Walker-Silverman
Country: USA; Running Time: 81 min

This whimsical romance from Sundance 2022 stars Dale Dickey and Wes Studi as two childhood sweethearts, both widowed, sharing a night by a lake reminiscing about their lives, losses, and loneliness. Shot on 16mm film, it’s both naturalistic and vaguely surreal, blurring our sense of time and beauty, loss and vivacity, the grandiose natural world and intimate humanism.

The Falconer
Directors: Seanne Winslow, Adam Sjoberg
Countries: USA/Oman; Running Time: 100 min

Inspired by true events, two best friends — Tariq and Cai — from different backgrounds conspire to steal animals from the zoo and sell them on the black market to raise money for Tariq’s sister’s divorce because of an abusive marriage. They are forced to wrestle with morally complex choices that reveal the vast distance between their worlds. One of the first feature films shot entirely in Oman.

Hard Shell, Soft Shell
Director: Emma Benestan
Country: France; Running Time: 100 min

It’s Dirty Dancing Algerian-style! Oyster farmer Az thinks he’s made it, but when an elaborate proposal goes awry and his girlfriend Jess breaks his heart, Az is forced to confront his understanding of what happiness really looks like – both hers and his own.

Homebody
Director: Joseph Sackett
Country: USA; Running Time: 75 min

9-year-old, gender-queer Johnny loves their babysitter – so much so that they’ve meditated their spirit into her body! Part Freaky Friday, part Being John Malkovitch, this charming comedy will take you on a journey that begins in excitement and quickly turns chaotic when the pressures of pretending to be someone else stack up fast!

My Dead Dad
Director: Fabio Frey
Country: USA; Running Time: 93 min

In this charming coming-of-age film, Pedro Correa stars as a young skateboarder who discovers his estranged father has died, leaving him the responsibility of managing an apartment complex in Los Angeles. Forced to grow up quickly, he learns about the dad he never knew through the building’s eclectic tenants and a brief trip to San Luis Obispo (Booboo Stewart, Chris Pontius, Simon Rex, Raymond Cruz).

Princess
Director: Peter Luisi
Country: Switzerland/Ukraine; Running Time: 101 min

When the younger sister of Josef, an alcoholic who has given up on life, moves into his house, an unexpected friendship develops between him and her 4-year old daughter, Nina. Thirty-five years later, the two meet again and with Nina in trouble, Josef embarks on an opportunity to repay her for the kindness she gave him when he was in need.

Sweet Disaster
Director: Laura Lehmus
Country: Germany; Running Time: 90 min

Uniquely whimsical, imaginative and enchanting, Sweet Disaster follows as Frida unexpectedly becomes pregnant and tries to reunite with the baby’s father who broke up with her for another woman. Though health problems force Frida to rest, she’s determined to get him back using absurd, exaggerated and hilarious methods.

Wildhood
Director: Bretten Hannam
Country: Canada; Running Time: 100 min

Set against the wilds of the Canadian Nova Scotia landscape, Wildhood is the beautiful and captivating odyssey of a closeted First Nations youth in search of identity and belonging. Impulsive two-spirit Mi’kmaw teen Link and his little brother Travis escape their abusive father and set on a journey to reclaim his heritage while finding love along the way.

You Resemble Me
Director: Dina Amer
Countries: Egypt/France/USA; Running Time: 91 min

After two sisters are torn apart on the outskirts of Paris, the eldest, Hasna, struggles to find her identity, leading to a choice that shocks the world. This film masterfully deconstructs one of the darkest issues of our time through a blend of psychological thriller, social drama and investigative documentary to tell an intense story about cultural and intergenerational trauma, family, love, sisterhood, and belonging. Executive Produced by Spike Lee.

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

A Crack in The Mountain
Director: Alastair Evans
Country: Hong Kong; Running Time: 115 min

Shown through stunning cinematography, Hang Son Doong in Vietnam is the largest cave in the world and full of extraordinary natural beauty. When plans are announced to construct a cable car within the cave to promote tourism, environmental activists worry it will destroy its delicate ecosystem, while the local community, crippled by decades of war and flooding, is unsure how to proceed. Will big development bring profit or loss?

Alien On Stage
Directors: Danielle Kummer, Lucy Harvey
Country: UK; Running Time: 86 min

Why do pantomime when you can do Alien? An extremely amateur drama group of UK bus drivers spent a year creating a serious stage adaptation of the sci-fi horror film, Alien. With wobbly sets, awkward acting and special effects requiring more luck than judgment, will their homemade homage wind up all right?

The Automat
Director: Lisa Hurwitz
Country: USA; Running Time: 79 min

Fresh from the 2021 Telluride Film Festival, and featuring interviews from Mel Brooks, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Colin Powell, The Automat tells the 100-year story of the iconic Horn & Hardart restaurant chain where generations of Americans communally sat together to eat and drink coffee. Famous for its fresh-cooked meals out of a vending machine and now the inspiration for Starbucks, we watch a business climb to its peak and then grapple in forever-changing America.

Cat Daddies
Director: Mye Hoang
Country: USA; Running Time: 89 min

A tender portrait of men and their furry friends. Following a group of firefighters, a stuntman, truck driver, disabled homeless man, tech worker and schoolteacher, Cat Daddies is a refreshing and timely exploration of modern masculinity and the unlikely bond between man and cat.

Daughter of a Lost Bird
Director: Brooke Pepion Swaney
Country: USA; Running Time: 66 min

Named after the term for Native children adopted out of their tribal communities, Daughter Of A Lost Bird follows Kendra Mylnechuk Potter, who was adopted into a white family and raised with no knowledge of her Native parentage after the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 became law. This beautiful and intimate film follows Kendra on her journey to find her birth mother April, also a Native adoptee, and return to her Lummi homelands in Washington State.

Fireboys
Directors: Drew Dickler, Jake Hochendoner
Country: USA; Running Time: 88 min

For these young men incarcerated in California, fighting fires as volunteers is another chance at life. Immersive and personal, this coming-of-age story follows young men from prison who fight wildfires and eventually find their way back to their homes on the outside while examining a correctional path that is both hopeful and destructive.

Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard
Director: David Grubin
Country: USA; Running Time: 94 min

This documentary chronicles Tamara Lanier’s lawsuit to force Harvard University to relinquish specialized photographic prints of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty; the prints were commissioned by a Harvard biologist to “prove” his racist theory that Africans are an inferior species. The lawsuit makes the explosive issues of white supremacy, institutional racism, and reparations vividly personal.

Havana Libre
Director: Corey McLean
Country: USA; Running Time: 82 min

After years of surfing being illegal in Cuba, a group of diehard Cuban surfers rise up against their government to legitimize the sport. This spirited and powerful journey chronicles their fight in the face of political oppression while confronting outdated ideologies along the way.

Holy Frit
Director: Justin Monroe
Country: USA; Running Time: 120 min

In this fast-paced race against time, a talented, yet unknown artist bluffs his way into winning a commission to make the largest stained-glass window of its kind. The problem is, he doesn’t know how to make it. His only hope is to find and persuade a famous glass maestro to teach him his secrets.

Lady Buds
Director: Chris J. Russo
Country: USA; Running Time: 96 min

After the widely praised decision to legalize cannabis in California, six courageous women come out of the shadows of the cannabis underground to forge a path to legalization and risk everything for a piece of the American Dream in the very market they helped create.

My Childhood, My Country – Twenty Years in Afghanistan
Directors: Phil Grabsky, Shoaib Sharifi
Countries: UK/Afghanistan; Running Time: 90 min

Filmed across 20 years in one of the most embattled corners of the globe, My Childhood, My Country is a real-life epic of boyhood and manhood as we follow the journey of an Afghan youth growing up in a land ravaged by war. Resilience, humor, poverty and adventure honor this universal story of youth alongside an inspiring insight into just who the Afghan people are.

One Pint at A Time
Director: Aaron Hosé
Country: USA; Running Time: 89 min

Generating tens of billions of dollars annually for the US economy, and despite beer’s Egyptian and African heritage, today Black-owned breweries make up less than 1% of the nearly 9,000 breweries in operation. Eager to shift the historical perception of who makes and drinks beer, brewers, brand owners and influencers across the country are reshaping the craft beer industry and the future of America’s favorite adult beverage.

The Seeds of Vandana Shiva
Directors: Camilla Becket, James Becket
Country: Australia/USA; Running Time: 82 min

When you control seeds you control life on earth.” The Seeds of Vandana Shiva tells the remarkable life story of Gandhian eco-activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, how she stood up to Monsanto and became its worst nightmare, rose to prominence in the ecological food movement, and is inspiring an international crusade for change.

NARRATIVE SHORTS

Al-Sit
Director: Suzannah Mirghani
Country: Sudan/Qatar; Running Time: 20 min

At Last
Director: Lorena Gordon
Country: USA; Running Time: 13 min

BJ’s Mobile Gift Shop
Director: Jason Park
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

Break Any Spell
Director: Anton Jøsef
Countries: Canada/USA; Running Time: 13 min

Coming Out
Director: Cressa Maeve Beer
Country: USA; Running Time: 2 min

Georgia
Director: Jayil Pak
Countries: South Korea/USA; Running Time: 30 min

Little Sky
Director: Jess X. Snow
Countries: USA/Canada; Running Time: 14 min

No Spectators Allowed
Director: Kanani Koster
Country: US; Running Time: 16 min

North Star (World Premiere)
Director: P.J. Palmer
Country: USA; Running Time: 30 min

On / Off
Director: Nicolas P. Villarreal
Country: Argentina; Running Time: 7 min

She Dreams at Sunrise
Director: Camrus Johnson
Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

Snorrie
Director: Victoria Warmerdam
Country: Netherlands; Running Time: 12 min

Synthetic Love
Director: Sarah Heitz De Chabaneix
Country: France; Running Time: 24 min

The Night I Left America
Director: Laki Karavias
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

The Test
Director: Jessica Smith
Country: Australia; Running Time: 8 min

Training Wheels
Director: Alison Rich
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS

Águilas
Directors: Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Maite Zubiaurre
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

Bring Them Home
Directors: Rike Boomgaarden, Tamara Jay
Countries: USA/Mexico; Running Time: 29 min

Échale Ganas: The Villa’s Tacos Story
Director: Shirley Yumeng He
Country: USA; Running Time: 29 min

Inside the Beauty Bubble (World Premiere)
Directors: Cheryl Bookout, Cheri Gaulke
Country: USA; Running Time: 32 min

Neurodivergent
Director: Afton Quast Saler
Country: USA; Running Time: 25 min

One All the Way
Director: David Baram
Country: USA; Running Time: 24 min

The Beauty President
Director: Whitney Skauge

The Yellow Panther: The Life of Richard Aoki
Director: Orion Huang
Country: USA; Running Time: 24 min

CENTRAL COAST FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE

Winter’s Ball (World Premiere)
Director: Gardner Grady Hall
Countries: Dominican Republic/USA; Running Time: 102 min

An American minor league baseball player thinking he’s about to get his first promotion to the big leagues is instead sent to the Dominican Republic to play Winter Ball and find his baseball heart. This coming-of-age story acts as a love letter to the Dominican Republic and a culture that celebrates life in a way that has helped shape some of the greatest baseball talent in the world.

The Accessible Outdoors
Directors: Mitchka Saberi, Francisco Lopez
Country: USA; Running Time: 15 min

The Candle and the Curse
Director: Anuja Ganpule-Sheorey
Country: USA; Running Time: 99 min

Freedom of Flow
Director: Jo Anna Edmison
Country: USA; Running Time: 9 min

Into Flight Once More
Director: Adrienne Hall
Country: USA; Running Time: 69 min

The Journey (World Premiere)
Director: Pauahi Alfaro Kinimaka
Country: USA; Running Time: 11 min

Next in Line (US Premiere)
Director: Alex Raban
Country: USA; Running Time: 3 min

Not One More
Director: Cameron Leingang
Country: USA; Running Time: 32 min

Painter of Dreams
Directors: Gabriel J Medina, Marcus Cisneros
Country: USA; Running Time: 17 min

Someone Will Assist You Shortly
Director: Jon Levenson
Country: USA; Running Time: 14 min

Tom Myers: Made in Paso (World Premiere)
Directors: Libbie Agran, Tim Clott
Country: USA; Running Time: 22 min

Underdogs
Director: Alex Astrella
Country: USA; Running Time: 16 min

MUSIC VIDEOS

Attention
Director: Juan Leon
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

Decoration
Director: Julien Chavaillaz
Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min

Hey Zoe (World Premiere)
Director: Xander Bissell
Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min

Omen
Director: DRUST
Country: UK; Running Time: 5 min

Prittyboi
Director: Nicolas Collins
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

Quiet Nights
Director: Paola Ossa
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

Tatehuari (World Premiere)
Director: Sarah Whelden
Country: USA; Running Time: 5 min

Tell Me a Story
Director: Sasha Solodukhina
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

Ten Degrees of Strange
Director: Lynn Tomlinson
Countries: USA/UK; Running Time: 4 min

The Sky Belongs to No-One
Director: Manuel Del Valle
Country: Mexico; Running Time: 7 min

Thirsty
Director: Josh Peterson
Country: USA; Running Time: 4 min

Wildones
Directors: Michael Rodrigues, Tarryn Hatchett”
Country: South Africa; Running Time: 3 min

FILMMAKERS OF TOMORROW

HIGH SCHOOL

Apple Crumble
Filmmaker: Kate Saltel
4 Min. | Austin, TX

The Bridge
Filmmaker: Calvin Clizer, Shreya Mehta
7 Min. | Richland, WA

Cloudy Dream
Filmmakers: Rayhaneh Einollahi, Bahareh Einollahi
5 Min. | Iran

Flat Line
Filmmakers: Abby Estrada, Elijah Sylvester-Johnson
4 Min. |Roanoke, VA

A Letter to You
Filmmakers: Estrella Barcenas, Ana Marroquin Tercero, Debra Sani, Skarlet Barba
7 Min. | Los Angeles, CA

The Letter
Filmmaker: Cameran Grace Ford
3 Min. | Mill Valley, CA

Limitless
Filmmakers: Brissa Campos-Silva, Alique Tufenkjian, Alyssa Ho
9 Min. | Los Angeles, CA

Ruth And Nick: A Confectionery Tale
Filmmaker: Carter Rostron
7 Min. | Kansas City, MO

Take Heart!
Filmmaker: Lilith Jörg
8 Min. | Germany

MIDDLE SCHOOL

A Midnight Snack
Filmmaker: Liam W. Lui Martin
6 Min. | New York, NY

The Unknown
Filmmaker: Luca Pierce
8 Min. | Del Mar, CA

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Bad Bugs
Filmmaker: Bryn Wright
2 Min. | Carlsbad, CA

Clumsy Cops
Filmmaker: João Paulo Khoder Dolher
2 Min. | Brazil

The Legend of The Gold Ruby
Filmmaker: Benny Barnett Eldridge
8 Min. | San Luis Obispo, CA

THE REEL CHALLENGE

The Balloon Chase
Filmmaker: Benny Barnett Eldridge

Birthday Boy
Filmmaker: Cary De Grosa

Bubbalicious Day – A Story of Friendship
Filmmaker: Tina Green

Cake Smash
Filmmaker: Alex Raban

Claire
Filmmakers: Ryan Grau, Janelle Christa

Closure
Filmmakers: Maryann Talino (Ninjam.A.E), Eric Scott

Deflated
Filmmaker: Alex Farrington

The Distraction
Filmmaker: Victoria Christine Marchetti

Do You Mind?
Filmmakers: Aleksandr Milovidov, Britta Berg-Johansen, Jonathan Leventhal

Eternal Eyes of The Soul In Dreary Light
Filmmaker: John Silva

Mylar
Filmmakers: Mason Ritterbuck, Aidan Callarman

Now Trending
Filmmakers: Dylan Ferrara, William Ferrara

PKS Pancake
Filmmaker: John Gange

Stuffie Race
Filmmaker: John Gange

Whiplash
Filmmakers: Maximilian Joshua Martin, Robert Oliver

A Wizard’s Ruff Morning
Filmmakers: Xander Wynne Bissell, Wesley Fidencio Price, Eric Santana Mattson

Writer’s Block
Filmmaker: Mark Santos