The 14th Annual Oceanside Intl Film Festival Has Arrived! Kicking off Tuesday, February 18th and Running Through Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 at The Brooks Theater, OIFF ’25 is Proud to Present 5 Days of Cinema, Art & Community right in the Heart of one of California’s 14 Designated Cultural Districts. Championed by the Universal Topics of Environment, Acceptance, Individuality & of course, The Surf, we Invite both Filmmakers and Film Goers alike to Experience what 2025 has to Offer for Attendees of OIFF. Presented by our Sponsors at Visit Oceanside, we thank you for Supporting the Voices of Independent Film as well as for Supporting Cinema Houses in Times of Need. We’ll see you at the Movies.

Schedule of Events

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025

DAY OF SHORTS PROGRAMS

5:30PM – INNER-RUPTION // NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM

This collage of dramatic shorts explores the outer tribulations of life & how they can disrupt, if not dismantle a peace sought after from within. A breathtaking mix of talent from around the globe, this emotionally driven program shares a universal language of perseverance through the intense struggle it so often requires.

5:30PM – PIECHT

For 17-year-old Johanna, a vacation in idyllic Piecht is anything but relaxing. While her mother dreams of an ecological alternative life, a real nightmare unfolds for Johanna as she is confronted with a far-right community and their backwards ideas. She bravely tries to get to the bottom of what is happening, but encounters brutal resistance (30 Min, Germany)

Director/Writer: Luka Lara Steffen

Cast: Johanna Pfeffer-Alida Stricker, Ursula Pfeffer-Corinna Nilson, Veronika Baldur-Kerstin Thielemann

Producer: Sophia Lorena Gamboa Huamán

6:00PM – SOLID

Coles, recently uncoupled, returns from a night out at a friend’s bachelorette party. Scared of being alone in her new apartment, the emptiness of which reminds Coles of her breakup, she spends the day avoiding the inevitable, attempting to connect with others as a means of distracting herself. That night, a brief but resonant interaction with her neighbor Alice helps Coles realize that settling in after a breakup is supposed to be painful. (14 Min, United States)

Director: Grace Gregory

Writer: Audrey Corsa

Cast: Audrey Corsa, Nicholas Podany, Rosanny Zayas, Eric Harper, Jill Remez

Producer: Eunice Park, Eloise Descleves, Grace Gregory

6:15PM – AN EXAM’S JOURNEY

An experimental film exploring the human struggle as seen through the allegoric perspective of a young man taking an academic examination. Metaphorically charged & saying multitudes albeit with limited dialogue, Carl Bengtsson invites you to witness the difficult trek encountered along An Exam’s Journey. (16 Min, Sweden)

Director/Writer: Carl Bengtsson

Cast: Markus Joelson, Jacob Lundgren

Producer: Carl Bengtsson

6:30PM – METRONOME

András, a single parent, struggles to find a way to connect to her daughter, Anna as they are both occupied by the everyday challenges of their own individual lives. (18 Min, Hungary)

Director: Péter Lehr Juhász

Writer: Péter Lehr Juhász

Cast: András-Artúr Kálid

+LOVE // SHORTS PROGRAM

+ LOVE offers a curation of narrative & nonfiction shorts delving into the discussion of identity, societal acceptance & the catalyzing of community. These four works told through the LGBTQ+ lens each take their own unique approach in addressing that regardless of our individual qualities, love is the ubiquitous connective tissue that make us one.

7:15PM – ¿QUÉ ES UN NIÑO? (WHAT IS A BOY?)

In the face of toxic masculinity in Latino culture, a masculine-presenting Queer Latino struggles with their gender identity while striving to appear and be accepted as a man through working out and joining the military, the character hides their queer identity, ultimately leading to them discovering the true meaning of embracing their authentic self. (5 Min, United States)

Director/Writer: Cristian Jesus Vega

Cast: Luca Orozco, Reed Flowers, Art Hatley, Derek Rasmussen, Jacob Alfaro, Micah Stamps, Juan Dominguez, Cristian Jesus Vega

Producer: Ash Sokhom

7:20PM – LET IT KILL YOU

When a disillusioned soldier unearths an alleged enemy combatant from a tomb, he fights to prove the man’s innocence, only to discover his new friend may have been buried alive for a reason. (15 Min, United States)

Director/Writer: Adam Cornue

Cast: Adam Huss, Adam Bucci, Dionne Gipson, Jaime Avera, Ingrid Gillming, Alex Suarez, Colton Little, Cord Jackman

Producer: David Cornue, Margaret Scarborough, Brian Nolan, Adam Bucci, Adam Huss, Livi Zheng

7:35PM – MOTHER

In San Francisco, a city known for its queer community and bustling gay nightlife, there hasn’t been a lesbian bar for almost a decade. Driven by nostalgia for a time when queer women had spaces, Malia Spanyol, a self-identified dyke, sets out to build one for the next generation of women. (23 Min, Documentary, United States)

Director: Meg Shutzer, Brandon Yadegari Moreno

Producer: Meg Shutzer

8:00PM – THE LAST TAKE

Facing the end, a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood must reconcile with the only man he ever loved. (14 Min, United States)

Director/Writer: Brian Foyster

Cast: Robert John Burke, Brian Foyster, Josh Trant, Liam Burke, Richard Fancy, Austin Basis

Producer: Michael McCartney, Pam Foyster, Melissa Sullivan, Yvette Brooks, Atman, Matthew DeGannon, Robert Clohessy, Robert John Burke, Russel Platoff

THE HERE & AFTER // NARRATIVE SHORTS PROGRAM

THE HERE & AFTER provides a mixed medium examination into the unknown after life, as well as the human response to loss and our own unique means of processing the void left in its wake. As well as stories of perspective & resilience which shed light upon the eventual acceptance that lie at the end of each tunnel.

8:55PM – MILIMO

In an attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea for a better future, the tragic fate of the young Ahmadou is sealed. He risks his life, only to be rewarded with a brutal glimpse into the afterlife. As his sister grieves and begins to support his transition through her prayers, two

fishermen discover the young man’s body before drowning. The story is a cautionary tale, journeying through the vast cosmos of West African lore, Incorporating some of the most ancient stories that have been told since the dawn of human existence. (3 Min, Animation, Congo)

Director: Kemane Bâ

Writer: Kemane Bâ

Producer: Niwel Tsumbu, Kemane Bâ

9:00PM – LOCALS ONLY

When the body of a missing girl washes ashore, a lifeguard must act fast to hide the truth about what real predators are lurking at the water’s edge. (5 Min, United States)

Director: Taryn O’Connor

Writer: Taryn O’Connor

Cast: Eloise Payet, Angela Batuure

Producer: Tom Kalnas

9:05PM – THE ACT OF CRYING

A Chinese man who can’t cry works with an acting coach for an upcoming “project”. (18 Min, United States)

Director: Xiayang Li

Writer: Xiayang Li

Cast: Richie Johnson, Anthony Lien

Producer: Adam Bloodgood, Zizheng Liu, Ifeanyi Ezieme

9:23PM – UNSAID

A biracial man finally gets the courage to tell his grandmother how her racist part affected him… at her funeral. (12 Min, United States)

Director: Monique Moses

Writer: Robert King

Cast: Robert King, Caitlin McGee

Producer: Melisa Breiner-Sanders, Shannon Taylor

9:35PM – CANTA SANTIAGO

A young mariachi faces his first performance alone but discovers his brother has always been by his side. (12 Min, United States)

Director: James Valdez

Writer: James Valdez

Cast: Jacob Estrada, Eduardo Togi, David Saucedo

Producer: James Valdez, Joel Vazquez, Gabriel Chavarria

9:45PM – AMBUSH AT ST. MARY’S

Two outlaws disguise themselves as priests for a robbery at a desert chapel, but their

plan is disrupted when Hannah, a parishioner, comes by looking for help. (14 Min, United States)

Director: Anthony Parisi

Writer: Anthony Parisi

Cast: Jeremy Hoffman, Kate Hackett, Luke Barnett, Richard Riehle

Producer: Anthony Parisi, Sarah Parisi

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Date: February 18 -22, 2025