Annual short film showcase returns

The old adage about good things sometimes coming in small packages is about to be proven again. Film Fest Petaluma — a lively local showcase of short cinematic gems presented by the Petaluma Film Alliance — is once more taking over the Mystic Theatre on Saturday, April 30, for a long, event-packed day of short, excitement-packed films. Film Fest Petaluma is the only North Bay event where high school and college film students can share the stage with a panel of Oscar-winning filmmakers from around the world — in between viewing nearly three-dozen films in just one single day.

A total of 35 cinematic films, running between one and 24 minutes, encompassing both animated and live-action works, will screen in front of a live in-person audience as the film festival, now in its 14th year, rebounds from two disappointing seasons in which the popular event was either canceled or re-envisioned as virtual format. The 2021 festival was entirely virtual, with a number of participating filmmakers Zooming in their appearances. The 2022 fest will be a return to normal, bringing in directors from around the U.S., South America and Europe, most of them participating in on-stage interviews and post-screening Q & A sessions.

“We’ve confirmed several domestic and international filmmakers that will be in attendance,” said organizer Mike Traina, who teaches cinema studies at the Petaluma campus of the Santa Rosa Junior College, and oversees the Film Alliance’s spring and fall cinema exhibitions series, which pair unique feature films with engaging special guests and panels of experts. Said Traina, “We're excited to once again be hosting community conversations around cinema and film education.”

The basic format remains the same.

Four completely different programs will be offered over the course of the festival, beginning with a Matinee Shorts program at 12 p.m., followed by the Afternoon Shorts at 3 p.m., World Shorts at 7 p.m. and a somewhat edgier Late Night Shorts program at 10 p.m. The show is designed so ticket-holders will have time for meals or a drink next door at McNear’s in between programs. In addition to catching the works of Sonoma County filmmakers, attendees will be treated to films from over a dozen countries, including a number of Oscar nominees and winners at the recent Sundance Film Festival.

Local movie-makers, experienced and just starting out, are well-represented this year.

Petaluma’s Sabrina Bomberg, of Casa Grande High School, will show the animated short “Made of Memories,” while Sonoma County’s Andrew Carniglia, Matty Denison and Rik van Hoorn, all studying film at Santa Rosa Junior College, will be on hand to present “A Period in Time,” “Night of a Witch" and ”Lost and Found,“ respectively. Former SRJC student Andrew Wynkoop will be there as well, sharing a tasty little horror short named ”The Nightmare Experiment.“

Sonoma County’s Ally May will present her Petaluma-shot film, “The Last Picture,” and Santa Rosa-based filmmakers Jaric & Jared Wright and Eric Ivey will present “#RELATIONSHIPGOALS.”

Emma Williams, another SRJC student, was selected as this year’s student screenplay winner. Filmmaker Fabio Frey, who will be presenting his newest feature “My Dead Dad” on April 13 at the weekly SRJC Cinema Series, is producing and directing Williams’ script.

As for the guests coming in from elsewhere, the line-up Traina has created has plenty of start power.

“Please Hold,“ shows as part of the 7 p.m. World Cinema program, is a 2022 Oscar nominee by KD Dávila, about a young man whose life is changed suddenly when he is the victim of ”automatic justice.“ Dávila and writer/producer Levin Menekse will join in a post-program conversation after the screening.

”The Night Train“ and ”The Successful Thawing of Mr. Moro“ are both from Swedish filmmaker Jerry Carlsson. The Chilean duo of Eduardo Bunster and Belén Abarza will be in town with a ”cautionary sci-fi fable“ named ”Teo,“ about a couple visiting a gene-editing clinic in hopes that the perfect child might be designed just for them.

Then there’s “Wold in Dude’s Clothing,” by Canadian filmmaker Solmund MacPherson, about a wolf who finds an empty human skin in the forest, and dons it so that he can join polite society.

These are just a few of the many nuggets of cinematic invention that have been collected to welcome local short film fans back to the theater after a very long time.

All-day passes are $35. Tickets for individual shows range from $10-$15 and are available at Petalumafilmalliance.org and McNear’s Restaurant (next to the Mystic). Programs are recommended for 14 and over (17 for the late show).

Visit FilmFestPetaluma.com for the complete line-up of films and guests