Featured Image: OIFF 2017
7 Can’t Miss Moments at the Oceanside International Film Festival
Oceanside’s 8th annual cinematic celebration is back August 1st-5th with a robust schedule of 50+ film screenings, two live re-scores of classic films, an awards ceremony and more! We talked with Sterling Anno, Director of Programming, to get a behind the scenes look at what this year’s Oceanside International Film Festival will offer, as well as 7 can’t miss moments scheduled throughout the week. Get ready for one awesome cinematic celebration! For a full list of the daily events taking place throughout the festival be sure to check the 2018 OIFF Schedule.
“The film festival is special for Oceanside because very few cities have their own, city branded film festival… This event is a true celebration of independent cinema” – Sterling Anno
TNT’s Animal Kingdom Kick’s off Opening Night
Wednesday, August 1st, 7:30pm-9pm
The Oceanside International Film Festival will kick off on Wednesday, August 1 with a very special premiere screening of TNT’s crime drama, Animal Kingdom. The Opening Night episode features the directorial debut of star Shawn Hatosy, known by fans for playing the complicated eldest son “Pope” on the show. After the screening, Hatosy will appear in person for a Q & A session with attendees. Joining Hatosy on the Q&A panel will be Animal Kingdom co-executive producer and acclaimed writer Daniele Nathanson. Nathanson has written & produced for SEAL Team (CBS) & Murder in the First (TNT). Attendees will preview episode 11 of the show’s third season (“Jackpot”) of the popular TNT series from Warner Horizon Scripted Television one week before its televised premiere.
This night will also feature the annual red carpet reception of filmmakers, complimentary catering supplied by Oceanside’s local eateries and a wine selection donated by Line 39. This Night is FREE for anyone who pre-purchases a festival pass online before the event!
Environmental Documentary Film Block – Shadow of Drought: California’s Looming Water Crisis
Friday, August 3rd, 7:30pm-8:45pm
Catch the OIFF environmental film block headliner, Palomar College’s trailblazing documentary Shadow of Drought: California’s Looming Water Crisis. Directed by North County filmmaker Bill Wizneski, this winner of six Pacific Southwest Emmys explains that while California recovers from the worst drought in state history, a myriad of impacts resulting from climate change threaten Southern California’s imported water supply. As a shadow of drought hangs over the region, this documentary explores the dire consequences of inaction that lie ahead.
Oceanside Intl. Film Festival Teams up with Oceanside Art Walk
Friday, August 3rd, 8:40pm
Starting at 8:40pm the “An Artist Collective” documentary block will begin. This block of films, all centered around artists and their work, further celebrates creatives of diverse backgrounds, mediums and philosophies. One of the many aspects that makes our own cultural district in Oceanside so unique! The block will include films such as The Beauty Around Us, an introspective look at the process and inspiration behind local artist Stephen M. Jackson as well as Luminaries, a documentary about the Luminaries of Pantheism mural in Venice Beach, California, painted by Los Angeles muralist Levi Ponce, and much more! Be sure to check the OIFF Schedule for a full list of films being shown.
Women of the Industry Discussion Panel Presentation
Saturday, August 4th, 11am-12:30pm
OIFF starts off its Saturday program strong with an in-depth panel discussion with the women whose contribution to the entertainment industry has aided in giving voice, rise & change within a male dominated media. The women’s panel will include:
- The Mistress of Ceremonies Carly Starr Brullo Niles is an award winning filmmaker & founder of Love Machine Films. Carly has been responsible for the creative direction behind hundreds of projects with major motion pictures, independent & feature docs, network tv, and nonprofit, where her works have helped raised millions of dollars. Carly was also recognized by the SD Film Community for her career efforts, winning The Women In Film Award.
- Cirina Catania, Founder/Lead Creative at The Catania Group and partner, Lumberjack System, is a member of the PGA, WGA, and IATSE-Local 600. She is one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival and former Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists. Cirina is based in San Diego, D.C. and Berlin when she is not on the road filming in the Amazon or other exotic locations.
- Teri Gamble is an international performing artist and drama coach and she performed on international stages from Los Angeles to Moscow, Boston and New York. Teri also has her MBA with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Phoenix, which she is happily using as a consultant and board member for Short Round Productions, an international circus company. Teri produces the Horror Movie Survival Guide podcast.
- Gloria Muriel is known for her urban art installations and public murals. Gloria Muriel’s paintings, primarily acrylics, are characterized by their dazzling color and enigmatic, symbol-rich iconography. The work is predominated by images of big-eyed girls, often playing musical instruments; birds, and anthropomorphized nature, like trees and flowers with faces. Most of these compositions have a dense, murky background that suggests tangled vegetation or water. Muriel, a native of Mexico, lives in San Diego with her two daughters and is a graphic designer by trade.
- Aida Soria is a Segment Producer at Fox 5 San Diego with a demonstrated history of working in the broadcast media industry. Aida has a strong arts and design professional skill in Breaking News, Radio, Media Relations, and Journalism.
- Nina Garin produces and edits the KPBS/Arts Calendar. She also writes the weekly KPBS/Arts Newsletter and produces arts segments for Midday Edition. Before joining KPBS, Nina worked for nearly 20 years as an arts and entertainment reporter at The San Diego Union-Tribune. Along with covering the local arts community, she created the “Top Weekend Events” online calendar, profiled influential San Diegans for the “One-on-One” series, and reported live from Comic-Con, New York Fashion Week, and the Academy Awards.
Rodents of Unusual Size Screening
Saturday, August 4th, 2:20pm
From the acclaimed nonfiction filmmakers who brought us Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea and Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, comes their grand return to the big screen with Rodents of Unusual Size.
Synopsis: The residents of Louisiana never know what will attack them next: floods, hurricanes, even monstrous swamp rats. Gigantic orange-toothed nutria are eating up the coastal wetlands, destroying the landscape, and threatening the very existence of the human population. This invasive South American species breeds faster than the roving squads of hunters and trappers can control them. But the people who have lived here for generations are not the type of folks who let their land—and their livelihoods—recede into the Gulf without a fight. Meet fisherman turned bounty hunter Thomas Gonzales and a pack of colorful diehards as they defend their land, culture, and way of life against the unforgiving forces of nature. It is man vs. rodent. May the best mammal win.
Morricone Youth Performs Live Soundtracks to Classic Films!
Saturday, August 4th, 8:15pm – “The Night of the Living Dead”
Sunday, August 5th, 2:15pm – “Mad Max”
Welcome renowned musical act Morricone Youth as they perform live original re-scores to 2 classic genre films: George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead & George Miller’s 1979 dystopian classic, Mad Max. This will be the first time the festival’s program will have included a hybrid musical performance of this type!
“The Night Of The Living Dead,” Saturday night, August 4th at 8:15 pm
Synopsis: A disparate group of individuals takes refuge in an abandoned house when corpses begin to leave the graveyard in search of fresh human bodies to devour. The pragmatic Ben (Duane Jones) does his best to control the situation, but when the reanimated bodies surround the house, the other survivors begin to panic. As any semblance of order within the group begins to dissipate, the zombies start to find ways inside — and one by one, the living humans become the prey of the deceased ones.
George Miller’s “Mad Max,” Sunday night, August 5th at 2:15 pm
Synopsis: In a not-too-distant dystopian future, when man’s most precious resource — oil — has been depleted and the world plunged into war, famine and financial chaos, the last vestiges of the law in Australia attempt to restrain a vicious biker gang. Max (Mel Gibson), an officer with the Main Force Patrol, launches a personal vendetta against the gang when his wife (Joanne Samuel) and son are hunted down and murdered, leaving him with nothing but the instincts for survival and retribution.
It’s Just a Game Screening
Sunday, August 5th, 12:45pm
Synopsis: You wish you looked this cool playing with nerf guns as a kid. Pennsylvania filmmaker Wilder Troxell has put this epiphany to the big screen in quite the ambitious feature. In something you can almost call “Son of Rambo” meets “Rugrats”, this fantasy war film is a heart-melting, coming of age tale hidden in plain sight. Rounding off OIFF’s more family oriented block on Sunday August 5th, be sure to bring the whole family to check this one out. And don’t let the high-tech weaponry deter you in doing so, after all, you just have to remember, It’s Just A Game.
Film Festival Details
Founded in 2009, the Oceanside International Film Festival celebrates and showcases the craft of film making, offering attendees a chance to enjoy carefully selected films in a number of genres from local and international independent filmmakers.
In addition to being a wonderful event for visitors and movie aficionados alike, OIFF is also an important opportunity for creators to have their work judged and screened at a place in Southern California known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and artistic freedom. With submissions beginning shortly after the previous year’s festival, the OIFF utilizes a jury committee made up of 14 passionate individuals that are well versed in the film industry as a whole and specifically chosen to judge various categories of film. Together these jurors narrow down the submissions until a final screening list is determined, with 2018’s schedule featuring over 50 films!
The 2018 Oceanside Film Festival will be held from August 1st-5th, with screenings taking place at the Brooks Theatre in downtown Oceanside. With so much to do in the area consider making an evening of it and dining at a local restaurant before or after the film festival. To see where to eat in Oceanside visit our Oceanside Dining Page.
Brooks Theatre
