Time Film / Event
ALL DAY THEME: OUR ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
ALL DAY ARTIST LOUNGE
Available for filmmakers and artists to network between scheduled panels, meetings, and parties.
Location: Circle Theatre
OPEN TO ALL PASS HOLDERS
9:00 AM-
11:30 AM		 BEST SHORT FILMS – continued
9:00 AM The Knocker
Directed by Sara Caldwell and Walter Gorey
In 1830s Manchester, a young mother must confront the malevolent presence of ‘The Knocker’ to protect her family, amid the relentless struggles of urban cotton mill workers.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 19:18
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
9:25 AM The Nightcap
Directed by Scotty Cornfield
Some dates are better than others. This one turned out to be a real killer.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 03:04
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
9:40 AM Death is a Favor
Directed by Cecilia Kim – first-time filmmaker
Drew has had it with her 93-year-old mother-in-law, Nai Nai, who seems to have a vendetta against her and dead set on ruining her marriage to her husband Jack. How much more can Drew take before she snaps?
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 09:59
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
10:00 AM Corked
Directed by Lori Shockley
Corked is a dramatic short film set in 1970’s Northern California wine country. It’s based on the true story of one young women’s struggle against the status quo. Jane Dunlap is at the crossroads of asserting her independence in the male dominated industry. Which direction will she choose?
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 11:44
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
10:15 AM Dissonance
Directed by Angelo Spano – first-time filmmaker
A struggling pianist reconciles with his past as a musician.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 09:18
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
10:30 AM Robo
Directed by Gracie Simmonds
Stars Dana Powell (Modern Family, Bridesmaids). When given a chance at the job of a lifetime, a community theatre director whips her cast in to shape.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 05:20
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
10:40 AM Guru$$
Directed by Chris Johnson and Erik Passoja
Stars Erik Passoja (NCIS, The Flight Attendant). Guru$$, a music video created by a fictional character, is about a woman who tries to take a shortcut to enlightenment, gets caught up in the glitz, and ends up with nothing. Yes, it is a comedy….and it is also a cautionary tale.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 04:00
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
10:50 AM Little Matchmakers
Directed by Rachel Borders
Stars Academy Award-nominee, Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, King of the Gypsies, Star 80, The Righteous Gemstones) and Penny Johnson Jerald (The Orville, Castle, 24, The Larry Sanders Show). Summer and Sienna’s grandfather has been lonely since their grandmother passed away. The girls decide to find him a new match, which includes sneaking into a senior speed dating event.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 11:44
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
11:05 AM Death Pays Flora a Visit
Directed by Tanna Frederick
Stars Academy Award-nominee, Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, King of the Gypsies, Star 80, The Righteous Gemstones) and Mimi Kennedy (Midnight in Paris, Mom, Dharma & Greg). In this both dark and uplifting comedic short film, Death (Eric Roberts) pays an unsuspecting Flora (Mimi Kennedy) a visit telling her it’s her time. However, Flora doesn’t want to go. There’s still so much she needs to do. And in surprising and satisfying turn of events, Flora wins the day.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 11:41
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PRESENTATION: ERIC ROBERTS; ELIZA ROBERTS TO ACCEPT THE AWARD ON HIS BEHALF.
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
11:30 AM-
12:00 PM		 BREAK
Runtime: 30:00
12:00 PM-
2:05 PM		 BEST SHORT FILMS – continued
12:00 PM Procession
Directed by Bruce Tetsuya
Procession is an intense, intimate, and poetic retrospective vision that tackle themes of generational trauma, horrors of history past, and memory. The film follows a young Japanese American girl, June, living in rural Colorado during the week her family is issued the executive order 9066, to be moved to incarceration camps. We then jump to the early 2000s, where June is now in her 70s, and is going on a bus pilgrimage back to the site she was wrongfully incarcerated at as a child.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 16:45
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
12:00 PM-1:00 PM FILM & TELEVISION INDUSTRY PANEL WITH Q&A:
PROTECTING DIGITAL IDENTITY: A FRAMEWORK FOR THE AGE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Led by Erik Passoja (Actor, Co-Chair SAG-Aftra LA New Technology Committee).
Location: Circle Theatre
Runtime: 60:00
SPONSORED BY SAG-AFTRA SF/NOR CAL
OPEN TO ALL PASS HOLDERS
12:25 PM Spam Risk
Directed by Alessandra Carlino
Isolated and grieving, a young widow answers a phone call from an unknown number that just might save her life.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 20:00
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
12:50 PM How The Rose Reaches
Directed by Belle Adams
Stars Belle Adams (Bless This Mess, Perry Mason, The Sex Lives of College Girls) and Katelin Chesna (The Resident, True Blood). Talulah, pregnant with her first born, wrestles with the reality of motherhood as she is confronted with memories of her own, mentally unstable mother.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 17:34
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
1:15 PM FILM & TELEVISION INDUSTRY PANEL WITH Q&A:
PRODUCING: THE ART OF CREATING FILM & TELEVISION
SPECIAL GUEST, Mark Mancina (three time Grammy Award-winner and Composer of The Lion King, Moana, Speed, Twister, Tarzan, and Con Air) is reunited with the screenwriter of Speed, Producer/Writer Graham Yost (Silo, Emmy-nominated for Slow Horses, Emmy-nominated for The Americans, Sneaky Pete, Justified, Emmy Award-winner for The Pacific, Emmy-nominated for Band of Brothers, Emmy-nominated for From the Earth to the Moon: Part Two—Apollo 1, Speed) and Actor/Writer/Producer Mark Duplass (Peabody Award-winner for Somebody Somewhere, Emmy-nominated for The Morning Show, Emmy Award-winner for Wild Wild Country). Moderated by Director/Writer/Producer Lawrence Roeck and Producer Adrian Clark.
Location: Circle Theatre
Runtime: 30:00
OPEN TO ALL PASS HOLDERS
1:15 PM Fault Line
Directed by Lauren Himmelvo
A sweeping drama, Fault Line takes us on an odyssey of loss in the far west Texas town of Marfa.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 38:09
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
2:00 PM A Disturbance in the High Desert
Directed by Brynn Mitchell
In the isolated high desert of the 1920s American West, queer lovers Mare and Gemma have carved out a fragile existence on their remote ranch. But after Gemma is assaulted one night by a familiar figure, the boundaries between right and wrong begin to blur. As the truth comes to light, loyalties are tested and moral certainties unravel. Set against a striking but unforgiving landscape, A Disturbance in the High Desert examines the cost of survival, the ambiguity of justice, and the limits of love when betrayal hits close to home.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 09:43
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
2:15 PM Something Blue
Directed by Samantha Nisenboim
Stars Emmy Award-nominee, D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place, Barry) and Mary Holland (The Big Door Prize, The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window, Physical). A bride, struggling with cold feet, finds herself at a crossroads moments before the ceremony.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 09:58
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
2:30 AM-
3:00 PM		 BREAK
Runtime: 30:00
2:30 PM FILM & TELEVISION INDUSTRY PANEL WITH Q&A:
THE ART OF CINEMATOGRAPHY
Featuring Dean Cundy (Emmy-nominated for The Mandalorian, Jurassic Park, BAFTA-nominated for Apollo 13, Academy Award-nominated for Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Moderated by Director/Writer/Producer Lawrence Roeck and Producer Adrian Clark.
Location: Circle Theatre
Runtime: 30:00
OPEN TO ALL PASS HOLDERS
3:00 PM PRIOR TO SCREENING, BARRET O’BRIEN WILL FILL THE AUDIENCE IN ON WHERE THIS EPISODE TAKES PLACE WITHIN THE SERIES
The Long Long Night
Directed by Barret O’Brien
Stars Peabody Award-winner & Emmy Award-winner, Mark Duplass (Somebody Somewhere, Creep, Good American Family, The Morning Show, The League), Barret O’Brien (The Lemurian Candidate, Above the Trees, Othello), and Emmy Award-nominee, Karen Pittman (The Morning Show, And Just Like That, Yellowstone, Homeland). It’s been six months since that disastrous night in the motel and these two guys are nowhere near over it. 
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 22:47
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
3:30 PM-3:40 PM BREAK
Runtime: 10:00
3:40 PM-6:15 PM BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE FILMS
3:40 PM Magic Hour
Directed by Katie Aselton
Stars Emmy Award-nominee, Daveed Diggs (Hamilton, The Little Mermaid, Snowpiercer, Star Trek: Prodigy), Katie Aselton (The Morning Show, Government Cheese, The League), Emmy Award-winner, Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond, Tangled, Ratatouille), and Emmy Award-nominee, Susan Sullivan (Dharma & Greg, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Castle, Falcon Crest). Erin and Charlie escape to the desert to navigate an unexpected and challenging new phase of their relationship. Filmed entirely in California.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 01:20:00
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
4:00 PM FILM & TELEVISION INDUSTRY PANEL WITH Q&A:
SOUND & MUSIC: THE MAGIC OF MOVIES
Featuring Marlon E. Espino (Cry Macho, Juror #2, Invictus) and Steven Ticknor (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Flags of Our Father). Moderated by Director/Writer/Producer Lawrence Roeck and Producer Adrian Clark.
Location: Circle Theatre
Runtime: 30:00
OPEN TO ALL PASS HOLDERS
5:05 PM-5:15 PM BREAK
Runtime: 10:00
5:15 PM Trash Baby
Directed by Jacy Mairs
Stars Esther Harrison, Chloe Kramer, and Eddie Wollrabe. Stevie is stuck at home for yet another sweltering summer in Pine Park. She soon crosses paths with wild not-so-child, Edie, and finds herself grappling with the natural desire to grow up and the reality of what we lose when we do.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 01:39:00
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW
7:00 PM-7:15 PM BREAK
Runtime: 15:00
7:15 PM-10:00 PM VIP FILMMAKER PARTY, FUNDRAISER & SILENT AUCTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MARK DUPLASS & KATIE ASELTON, AND THE SOUL POINTS FUND
In the spirit of compassion artists displaced by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake found when arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CIFFest is proud to partner with The Soul Points Fund. In 1906, Carmel-by-the-Sea welcomed artists and writers displaced by the San Francisco earthquake and the massive fire that followed. Carmel became the most prolific art colony in the world and the nature of this village was forever changed.Nearly 80 years later, another tragedy has struck at the heart of our creative California community—this time to the south. As we gather in Carmel-by-the-Sea to celebrate the magic of film, many who work in the film and TV industry in Los Angeles continue to suffer. Most were already struggling after two years of COVID shutdowns and two major industry strikes. The LA fires, one of the costliest natural disasters in American history, hit film and TV workers especially hard.Of the nearly 13,000 homes lost to the LA Wildfires in January 2025, many belonged to film and TV industry workers who were already struggling due to production slowdowns and relocation of film and television shoots to other states. Many find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet and some of the most vulnerable are “below-the-line” crew members such as grips, electricians, carpenters, set decorators, sound engineers, costume designers, makeup artists, and editors. Work still remains scarce for many.CIFFest is partnering with The Soul Points Fund to raise funds for families still in need across Los Angeles who were affected by these recent fires and provide them with essential resources. To distribute aid, The Soul Points Fund has partnered with local grassroots organizations—schools, churches, and parent groups—to identify fire victims who may not be accessing traditional relief efforts. Some are struggling with online applications, while others fear real estate developers exploiting their situation. By working directly with trusted community leaders, they ensure every donation reaches those most in need. The Soul Points Fund is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, so your donation is tax-deductible. Every single penny donated goes directly to fire victims.

SILENT AUCTION – Film and TV memorabilia from within our own creative community. The fundraiser will also receive a portion of the sale of a rare Marey/Demeny movie camera—from circa 1895—one of the oldest movie cameras in the world, on display at CIFFest 2025.

Location: Circle Theatre
Runtime: 02:45:00
SPONSORED BY MIRRORDOG PRODUCTIONS
OPEN TO ALL PASS HOLDERS
7:15 PM-9:20 PM BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILMS – continued
7:15 PM Rescued Hearts
Directed by Krisanna Sexton
Explores the profound and often miraculous connection between humans and horses. Inspired by a life-changing moment—when a 7-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spoke his first words while interacting with a horse.
Location: Founders Theatre
Runtime: 01:58:00
SCREENING SPONSORED BY THRIVING WITH HORSES INC.
FILMMAKER Q&A TO FOLLOW