OCEANSIDE — The 14th annual Oceanside International Film Festival is set to kick off with a red carpet premiere on Feb. 18 at the historic Sunshine Brooks Theater.
This year’s festival will feature 43 films by local and global directors, covering topics ranging from surfing and environmental advocacy to grief, LGBTQ+ resilience, veteran reunions and racing across the country.
The number of films surpasses last year’s record-breaking 41 submissions. The boutique festival organizes films into thematic blocks based on submissions rather than rigid genre categories.
“The festival is specially curated at the mercy of what the world is producing that year,” said OIFF co-programmer Sterling Anno. “We gather what we have and find a thematic connection through lines that create an overall story.”
The festival traditionally features a yearly surfing-themed block curated by OIFF Executive Director Lou Niles.
Tuesday’s red carpet premiere will feature “The Cigarette Surfboard,” a film that follows a young designer crafting a surfboard from thousands of cigarette butts collected from California beaches.
On Thursday, Feb. 20, the first surf-themed block will highlight international surf shorts, including “Amazigh,” which follows an indigenous Amazigh woman in North Africa breaking societal expectations to pursue her passion for surfing, and “A Letter From Antarctica,” documenting surfers searching for new waves at the bottom of the world while forming lasting friendships.
Friday’s lineup continues with surf features and shorts, such as “Big Waves Will Rise You,” a film about 22-year-old Sam Carton’s journey to surf and become a photographer after choosing to amputate her leg due to complex regional pain syndrome.
The day will be headlined by “The Shape of Things: The Dick Brewer Story,” a film about legendary surfboard designer Dick Brewer, directed by Bob Campi and written by California Surf Museum Executive Director Jim Kempton.
The festival will feature an LGBTQ+-themed film block for the first time on Wednesday, Feb. 19.
“This year, we gathered a wonderful collection of LGBTQ+ shorts and curated the block celebrating the theme,” said OIFF co-programmer and creative director Carly Starr Brullo Niles, noting that while LGBTQ+ topics have always been part of the festival, this is the first year they’ve been grouped into one block.
Many film blocks will offer question-and-answer sessions with directors or stars after screenings.
One of the festival’s world premieres is “Foxtrot: Operation Reunification,” an 80-minute documentary following a group of veterans stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton during Operation Desert Storm. The film details how they set up a life-saving hospital, treated hundreds of casualties, and later returned to the U.S. to face a new battle: post-traumatic stress disorder. The veterans find healing through reconnection and friendship.
“I think it’s important that the people of North County understand that a group of people are bringing never-before-seen cinema from all over the world to right here in Oceanside,” Brullo Niles said.
Some festival selections are homegrown, like “Ambush at St. Mary’s,” filmed at St. Michael’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Carlsbad. Scheduled for Wednesday, the film follows two outlaws disguised as priests during a chapel robbery, only to have their plan disrupted by a seeking parishioner.
The film, written and directed by Anthony Parisi, digital media manager for the church, showcases local talent alongside international cinema.
Some films feature big-name actors, including Tom Holland, best known for playing Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland stars in Last Call, a 19-minute film about a mother trying to reconnect with her son. The film was directed by Holland’s younger brother, Harry Holland, and debuted at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.
While San Diego County hosts several film festivals, the Oceanside International Film Festival is one of the few in North County.
“We want people to know they have one right in their backyard going for 14 years with no end in sight,” Anno said. “We want people to come out and enjoy some wonderfully and authentically crafted art right where they live.”
Organizers plan to continue the festival for years to come and expect it to grow.
“We take pride in our 14 years, and we look forward to advancing and growing with every year,” Brullo Niles said.
The Oceanside International Film Festival opens Feb. 18, with a red carpet event at 5 p.m., followed by the opening feature at 6 p.m. The festival continues from 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday, Feb. 22, doors open at 11:30 a.m., with Foxtrot premiering at noon. The awards show begins at 7:30 p.m.
For the full schedule and tickets, visit osidefilm.org.
