WEDNESDAY
LIBRARY | BLOCK #1 | 10AM | FREE
We follow a medical practitioner and the people who seek him out, entering a world where medicine, trust and conviviality intersect.
DOCUMENTARY | 8:22 | YOUNG FILMMAKER
Francine is on her way to her father’s funeral, accompanied by her husband, José. A rebellious spark, long dormant, ignites.
SHORT | 22:27
Two brothers are high school wrestlers. Their competitiveness is pitted against them by their over demanding father.
SHORT | 19:45 | YOUNG FILMMAKER
Deszy was hopeful about love. When her first date with her new boyfriend isn't what she thought, she learns that love is found from beyond.
SHORT | 3:01
When Mitchell ignores his fathers advice to turn down the volume of his music, he soon finds out he can lose more than his hearing.
SHORT | 9:21
LIBRARY | BLOCK #2 | 12PM | FREE
When a demon is proposed to by his girlfriend, he must choose between her and his parents. Her secret agenda might destroy them all.
SHORT | 10:10 | STUDENT FILM
On the night of July 20, 2002, "Jimmy," a teenager of Angolan origin, was murdered by a 24-year-old Spanish man.
SHORT | 18:24
On the Day of the Dead, a 10-year-old kid anxiously awaits his grandfather’s visit from the afterlife in order to finally meet him.
SHORT | 15:30 | STUDENT FILM
After her mother’s death, Sabrina seeks out their heritage, hoping it will reveal the woman she never fully understood.
DOCUMENTARY | 14:58
In 1942, Marie lives in a remote Alsatian village. The war has affected her family, leading her older sister Suzanne to join the resistance.
SHORT | 14:59 | STUDENT FILM
An immigrant struggles in an abusive marriage. When her daughter gets bullied, she must decide what kind of example she wants to set.
SHORT | 13:00
LIBRARY | BLOCK #3 | 2PM | FREE
While scavenging for spare parts, a lonely robot discovers someone who desperately needs his help. So he comes up with a plan.
ANIMATION | 11:00
In the dead of night, two teenagers venture into the forest and find a mysterious cave — where the torchlight awakens desire.
SHORT | 14:53 | STUDENT FILM
A dark, comic trip into the absurd. Ride the roller-coaster healing journey with Emily and think about shedding your own feathers.
SHORT | 16:30
A girl from India’s hinterlands finds the courage to challenge gender norms to achieve her dream of becoming a pilot.
DOCUMENTARY | 11:10
Inside a foster home, Gabin and Inès are aging into adulthood. They long to be ordinary teens, in a world that won’t wait for them.
SHORT | 16:05 | STUDENT FILM
Joanne Chory is in a race against time as she re-engineers super plants to fight climate change and reshape our future.
DOCUMENTARY | 22:00
LIBRARY | BLOCK #4 | 4PM | FREE
A family on the verge of auctioning a masterpiece must confront one last hurdle in the shape their daughter's new art critic boyfriend.
SHORT | 20:54
When two co-stars unexpectedly meet before an audition, Eleanor must learn to embrace her individuality to secure the part.
SHORT | 12:22 | STUDENT FILM
After delivering a rousing speech on immigration, Rep. Jim Coolidge goes to sleep - only to wake up on the wrong side of the border.
SHORT | 11:55
A young boy is confronted with his future and the decisions he must make to fulfill his destiny at the 1955 Formula 1 Grand Prix in Argentina.
ANIMATION | 14:50
A narrated poem to be interpreted differently between viewers. It asks the question, "What does it truly mean to live and to love?"
ANIMATION | 2:21 | STUDENT FILM
When a female veteran’s boyfriend gifts her her dream plane repair shop, past traumas resurface, challenging her sense of morality.
SHORT | 15:00 | STUDENT FILM
THURSDAY
THEATER | BLOCK A | 10AM | PASS HOLDERS
An actress recites her resume while lamenting the loss of her career. Her film director commiserates, unexpectedly risking a similar fate.
SHORT | 5:24
Two teenagers struggle with the problem of social acceptance. Will they learn empathy, the ability to identify with someone and share their feelings?
SHORT | 5:43 | YOUNG FILMMAKER
Marriages now have an expiration date. A couple wants to renew their contract, but finds the process is more than expected.
SHORT | 23:10 | STUDENT FILM
Benji and Rainy enjoy an idyllic day while all the while struggling to come to terms with the inevitable reality waiting for them.
SHORT | 8:55
A Black Rail guides us through former plantations, revealing how landscapes engineered by enslaved people have become a refuge.
ANIMATION | 5:10
A New Yorker introduces her niece to her beloved city. A doughnut and a view ignite memories of her greatest, but luckiest, loss.
SHORT | 8:00
LIBRARY | PANEL#1 | 11:45AM | FREE
Following a screening of Maxwell's Movie Night, our prestigious panelists grapple with the vital role of cinema in society.
PANEL #1 | 11:45AM | LIBRARY
THEATER | BLOCK B | 1PM | PASS HOLDERS
Two middle-aged besties who find themselves back in their hometown, as they give up the traditional idea of "happily ever after".
FEATURE | 1:26:00
THEATER | BLOCK C | 3PM | PASS HOLDERS
Otis, a beloved puppet on a long-running children’s show, faces an existential crisis just before the series’ milestone 300th episode.
SHORT | 18:00
As crippling debt mounts, a down-on-his-luck addict tries to save his family’s failing ice cream shop, but his slacker sister gets in the way.
SHORT | 8:35
A cowboy in love with a star embarks on a musical journey through outer space for a chance to finally meet his cosmic love.
ANIMATION | 5:28
A neurodivergent theater troupe embarks on a trailblazing school tour with the help of their theater director.
DOCUMENTARY | 17:00
When a single mom discovers her mother is stalking a young opera singer, she realizes it's time for her to get brave and get out there.
SHORT | 9:32
THEATER | BLOCK D | 5PM | PASS HOLDERS
When incarcerated mothers and their children meet to play in a museum, separation gives way to connection, and a future feels possible.
DOCUMENTARY | 22:46
On his dying day, a reclusive war poet encounters a mysterious woman who awakens the memories and love he buried long ago.
SHORT | 27:52
A diabetic boy and an elderly baker forge an unlikely friendship. They discover healing, hope, and their passion for baking.
SHORT | 26:40
INFORMAL HANG OUT @THE DIVE BAR | 6:30PM | FREE
FRIDAY
THEATER | BLOCK E | 10AM | PASS HOLDERS
An exorcist tries to help a man rid his house of a ghost, only to find that his client’s relationship to the tormenting spirit is … complicated.
SHORT | 11:11
One man’s peaceful morning goes up in smoke after the arrival of a defective toaster and the unhelpful hotline that comes with it.
SHORT | 8:20
A pious sister and her inflexible brother mourn the passing of their mother. Based on Guy de Maupassant's short story 'Dead Woman's Secret'.
SHORT | 10:00
Friends spend their last summer holiday around the house. Their bodies start to morph. Puberty seems determined to interrupt their bond.
ANIMATION | 9:41
A woman spirals between past and present during an interview for a news channel, revealing the hidden cost of a life she can’t leave behind.
SHORT | 15:34
Liz has just picked up the kids for her weekly carpool. Little does she know that this will be a drive she’ll never forget.
SHORT | 12:21
LIBRARY PANEL #1 | 11:45AM | FREE
Propmaster, Fabricator, and Historian Michael Corrie preserves not only the history of props, but shares his craft with the public.
PANEL #2 | FRIDAY 11:15AM | LIBRARY
THEATER | BLOCK F | 1PM | PASS HOLDERS
A young girl journeys to a new life with her mother who wears a simple scarf. It becomes a comfort as the girl purses her future.
ANIMATION | 6:00
A stuffed rabbit holds temporal magic. This special power helps mend a minderstanding between a daughter and father.
SHORT | 20:56 | STUDENT FILM
A delivery guy thinks he’s been kidnapped. He’s in for a night filled with screams, tears, and laughter on the streets of Lyon.
SHORT | 19:27 | STUDENT FILM
After an evening at the bar, Juliette, a 20-year-old young woman some what out of step with the world, decides to go home.
SHORT | 15:23 | STUDENT FILM
THEATER | BLOCK G | 3PM | PASS HOLDERS
A young man leaves home with the promise of a job in Thailand only to be abducted and enslaved to scam Americans.
DOCUMENTARY | 20:30
A teen sneaker designer struggles to realize his dream when pulled down a divergent path by his friend and business partner.
SHORT | 15:51
When a depressed Veteran receives a devastating diagnosis, he must accept the help of his cousin or risk becoming another statistic.
SHORT | 23:00
One woman's life altering choices as well as her unbreakable sense of purpose reverberates through generations.
SHORT | 18:02
THEATER | BLOCK H | 5PM | PASS HOLDERS
When a SEAL recon team encounters a displaced Iraqi refugee, they must confront their own humanity and the consequences of war.
SHORT | 24:00
At the height of the Vietnam war, an American USO dancer and a young Vietnamese orphan find common ground in a mother's love.
SHORT | 15:35
V-LIG-K9293 - A distinguished professor proudly presents his groundbreaking theories on language during an online lecture.
SHORT | 5:55
To marry his Jewish girlfriend, Isaac agrees to adult circumcision to win her father’s approval, only to find out what sacrifice really means.
SHORT | 12:30
BSFF GALA @RAM’S HILL | 6:30PM | FULL FESTIVAL PASS, FILMMAKER PASS, VIP PASS ONLY
SATURDAY
THEATER | BLOCK I | 10AM | PASS HOLDERS
An investigative journalist on the trail of a number of missing women finds herself lost on a desolate snowy road, but she's not alone.
SHORT | 15:10
Roz quietly struggles with the direction her life has taken when a chance encounter with an unusual muse presents an unexpected path.
SHORT | 14:53
A Jewish teen actor faces off with her mother and plastic surgeon on the day of her rhinoplasty, only to learn unsettling truths about assimilation.
SHORT | 12:33
A museum is chasing fame with a priceless painting that has never been seen. It just needs to be guarded from the guard.
SHORT | 12:21
The true story of James C. Richardson, a young bagpiper who risked his life to bring a glimmer of hope amidst the horrors of WWI.
SHORT | 12:35
A woman returning home to care for her ailing father confronts a collapsing infrastructure and the emotion of her new reality.
SHORT | 17:22
LIBRARY PANEL #2 | 11:45AM | FREE
In this panel, go “hands on” to discover how VO, ADR, Foley, and Music come together to make stories resonate, literally.
PANEL #3 | SATURDAY 11:45AM | LIBRARY
THEATER | BLOCK J | 1PM | PASS HOLDERS
After learning a friend is thinking about suicide, Makoto, a shut-in, must try to save her while being unable to leave the house.
FEATURE | 1:42:00
THEATER | BLOCK K | 3PM | PASS HOLDERS
Two friends who made a successful kid’s video, work to capture the same magic. That is, if they can keep from killing each other.
SHORT | 19:50
A bird explores his home. But, something doesn't seem right. Noises and lights in the distance seem to be coming faster and faster.
ANIMATION | 2:26 | STUDENT FILM
A mother, immersed in a euphoric day with her young daughter, is suddenly interrupted by an unsolicited guest.
SHORT | 15:00
& Da 5 Bullet Holes - A talented MLB prospect spends the day with his mentor from the Big Brothers of America Program.
SHORT | 23:00
An unexpected guest upends the lives of an Argentine family over the course of an intimate birthday dinner one icy Chicago night.
SHORT | 15:47
FILMMAKER NETWORKING EVENT @YELLOW WOMAN RANCH | 4:15PM | FILMMAKER PASS and VIP PASS ONLY
THEATER | BLOCK L | 5PM | PASS HOLDERS
David, a neurodivergent music lover, is getting ready for a date. His brother Alexandre takes him to visit his girlfriend Yasmine.
SHORT | 19:00
John Muños grew up on “Hero Street”. He was among 740 U.S. troops killed on Korea’s “Bloody Ridge.” His body was never recovered.
DOCUMENTARY | 29:35
In this film created via the classic stop-motion animation technique, a quirky scientist attempts to “re-animate” roadkill. No pun intended?
ANIMATION | 2:22 | STUDENT FILM
Tess, a space explorer, discovers a new world full of wonders that remind her of her home planet that she left behind.
ANIMATION | 9:04
SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY @PCR | 6:30PM | FULL FESTIVAL PASS, FILMMAKER PASS, VIP PASS ONLY
SUNDAY January 18th
THEATER | BLOCK M | 10AM | PASS HOLDERS
Vivid portrait of a photographer who has faced life-threatening challenges to capture her intimate images of newborn animals in the wild.
DOCUMENTARY | 48:30
When a tech enthusiast subscribes to a Drone Butler service, he’s quickly enamored with it, until it begins to cross disturbing lines.
SHORT | 22:30
An estranged relationship comes to a head when a woman escapes from an assisted living facility to look for her husband.
SHORT | 11:08
An scientist doing pollution research is forced to make a moral choice after becoming the target of a mining company.
SHORT | 10:15
A grumpy mailman receives letters from a seven year old girl. Each letter draws him in, until the last one changes their lives forever.
SHORT | 17:30
THEATER | BLOCK N | 1PM | PASS HOLDERS
Inspired by their autistic daughter, and driven by frustration with healthcare, Laurie and Louie try to make a special needs center on a rural farm.
FEATURE | 1:30:00
THEATER | BLOCK O | 3PM | PASS HOLDERS
After a trauma a man decides to confront his fiancé. Can they repair the relationship or should they call off their wedding?
SHORT | 5:48
How the government sabotaged the first nuclear-bomb-epic. And how they fight Hollywood, even as technological dangers still surge.
DOCUMENTARY | 22:20
Ali dreams of becoming a performer like her mom. She and her friends find a way to perform music. BORREGO SPRINGS ANNUAL COMMUNITY FILM
SHORT | 12:47
A local hero bakes cookies and bikes through Santa Barbara to give them away. His sharing makes the world better, one cookie at a time.
SHORT | 1:30
Down at the local watering hole a grumpy old timer and a musical bartender start a petty and complaint fueled rivalry.
SHORT | 15:40
After hearing about a film competition, Everly takes a leap of faith and makes her first animated short with her friend’s help.
SHORT | 19:30