Thirty-eight short films from more than fifteen countries will be on display at the 8th annual Film Fest Petaluma on Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the historic Mystic Theatre in downtown Petaluma. More than a dozen directors have already confirmed attendance at the event including the creators of Bear Story, Gabriel Osorio and Antonia Herrera, the Chilean animation team that won this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Short.
The day long fest will give visitors a sampling of award-winning shorts from prestigious festivals around the globe including Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance. Each of the four programs offer a variety of animation, live action, and documentary content as well as a discussion with the filmmakers. Other confirmed guests include Dive director Matthew Saville from New Zealand, director and choreographer Cylan Shaffer (Pride & Gluttony), actress and filmmaker Johanna Watts (Career Girl), Skinner Myers (Land of Exodus), and Bay Area filmmakers Conner Bell (Chop), and Phil Lorin & Kiel Murray (Green Thumb).
Domestic and international guests will sit alongside four student filmmakers selected from the Sonoma County Student Film Festival on April 1st whose work will also be on display. Featured students include Miles Levin (The Berninator), Rita Amador (La Liberte), Ian Powell (Impressive Stacks), and Luc Londe (Or).
Programs take place at 12:00pm, 3:00pm, 7:30pm, and 10:30pm. Additional events hosted by Santa Rosa Junior College in the days preceding the fest may be announced in the coming weeks.
Tickets for the fest range from $10-$15 and are available at McNear’s Restaurant, Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma, or online through the Petaluma Film Alliance and Mystic Theatre websites. All-day passes may be purchased for $30. Programs are recommended for 15 and over (17 for the late show which features edgier fare).
Visit FilmFestPetaluma.com for the complete film schedule and ticket information.
