17th Annual FILM FEST PETALUMA
A day-long showcase of animated and live action short films with filmmakers in conversation
Shows at 12pm, 3pm, 7pm and 9:45pm
Visit FilmFestPetaluma.com for detailed program information
FILM FEST PETALUMA
May 3, 2025, Mystic Theatre
Film Fest Petaluma returns to the historic Mystic Theatre with its 17th annual showcase of the best short films from around the world. Filmmakers will be in conversation at all four programs (12, 3, 7, & 9:45). Patrons can make a day of the fest with a $50 Shorts Pass or purchase tickets to individual shows.
SATURDAY MATINEE SHORTS – 12pm
THINK BACK
Xander Corl, USA, 15 minutes
SRJC film student Xander Corl’s sci-fi short chronicles the travails of a young man who is enticed to sell a memory to a corporation, only to realize what he’s lost when it’s too late. Awarded Best of Fest at the Sonoma County Student Film Festival.
MY WEEK WITH MAISY
Mika Simmons, UK, 18 minutes
When uptight retiree Mrs. Foster begins chemotherapy she’s thrown together in the treatment room with Maisy, an inquisitive and forthright child that sparks healing and hope in unexpected places.
THE CHILENO VALLEY NEWT BRIGADE
Lori Eanes, USA, 13 minutes
Road mortality and habitat fragmentation has seriously endangered the local newt population during their annual migration to Laguna Lake. San Francisco based photographer Lori Eanes documents the grassroots effort of several Petaluma residents working to save the Chileno Valley newts in this illuminating documentary short.
THE CANON
Martín Seeger, Chile, 19 minutes
Jean, a Haitian migrant in Chili, is admired everywhere he goes. His body represents all the classical values of the academy. However, in the anonymity of his existence, he is also a canon of marginality.
TRAPPED
Sam Cutler-Kreutz & David Cutler-Kreutz, USA, 15 minutes
Working a thankless job while raising a child is just the beginning of Joaquin’s struggles when his job as a high school janitor brings him face to face with the cruel side of privilege. Awarded Best U.S. Short Film at the 2024 Palm Springs International ShortFest.
DOLORES
Cecilia Andalón Delgadillo, Mexico, 9 minutes
When 7-year-old Dolores encounters a fire demon while playing in a corn field, she flees and tumbles into a grave. A dance with the spirits and a curious armadillo call into question whether she will ever escape in this beautifully animated Mexican folktale.
DIENA
Jesse Kreitzer, USA/Rwanda, 8 minutes
FFP Alum Jesse Kreitzer (Black Canaries, 2018) returns to the fest with an austere and visually stunning portrait of a young housekeeper in Rwanda feeling the pressures of domestic servitude while waiting for God to intervene.
PAPER TOWELS
Ethan Kuperberg, USA, 3 minutes
Frustrated with a customer service chatbot, Josh begins to lose his cool. Unfortunately for him, it has dire consequences. Awarded Best Short at the 2024 Aspen Shortsfest.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON SHORTS – 3:00pm
DETENTION
Gus Jordan, USA, 8 minutes
Analy High School student filmmaker Gus Jordan delivers this tale about a high school student battling the odds to make it to his new job despite being unjustly detained. Awarded Best of Fest at the Sonoma County Student Film Festival.
THE FLIGHT OF CHAYKA
Belén Abarza & Eduardo Bunster, Chile, 15 minutes
During rehearsals for the premiere of her first one-woman play, an actress must face the imminent loss of Chayka, a marionette inspired by her grandmother who is the star of the show. Inspired by Chekhov’s The Seagull, FFP alum Belén Abarza & Eduardo Bunster (Teo, 2022) present a visually stunning rumination on loss and the magic of the theatre.
SUPERDUPERMEGAGIGASINGLE
Håkon Anton Olavsen, Norway, 28 minutes
When ski instructor and resort mascot Vebjørn crashes into Polina, one of their guests, sparks begin to fly, forcing Vebjørn to face his poor self image and anxiety around women. Beautifully acted with humor, nuance, and emotional depth, this is a rom-com you won’t soon forget.
FLOSS
Alexander Gustaveson, USA, 12 minutes
Through creative editing and gorgeous cinematography, Petaluma filmmaker Alexander Gustaveson charts the development and eventual unravelling of a relationship marked by dental floss.
MONSOON BLUE
Jay Hiukit Wong & Ellis Kayin Chan, China/Hong Kong, 14 minutes
Set in the cloistered urban sprawl of monsoon-beset Hong Kong, pet store merchant Summer reflects on her troubled past as her goldfish dream of returning to the wild in this visually stunning existential animation.
CHOICE
Marko Crnogorski, North Macedonia, 17 minutes
In this universally relatable drama staged in an impressive single take, a young mother and her toddler face a devastating reality when a new law bans her scheduled abortion.
PORTLAND IS THE NEW PORTLAND
Christopher Scamurra, USA, 17 minutes
A lonely musician in a small town creates a thriving underground music scene by inventing and posing as a multitude of bands. When Rolling Stone Magazine takes notice, his life unravels as he struggles to maintain the facade.
WORLD SHORTS SHOWCASE – 7:00pm
SPIRAL DESCENT
Anna Eisert & Ernest Magallon, USA, 8 minutes
Social pressures and mental health collide in this experimentally structured queer coming of age drama from SSU student filmmakers Anna Eisert & Ernest Magallon. Awarded Best of Fest at the Sonoma County Student Film Festival.
CANINE
Paul Webster, Ireland/Namibia, 16 minutes
Belgian Malinois AK works with K9 Wildlife Project trainer Rory Hennebry to become part of an elite strike team protecting the endangered Black Rhino population in Namibia in this fascinating portrait of canine contributions to international conservation efforts. Official selection of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.
LUNGE
Negar Hassanzadeh, Iran, 15 minutes
When an Iranian fencer is instructed to resign rather than face an Israeli opponent, she must choose between obeying the State and pursuing her lifelong dream in Negar Hassanzadeh’s tense and compelling political thriller.
MANUAL FOR A DIVORCE
Peter Ghesquière, Belgium, 12 minutes
In this exquisitely designed modern folktale, two young siblings decide they can no longer live under the same roof and force their parents to split everything in two… literally.
4TH DEMENTIA
Ian Wexler, USA, 16 minutes
In this absurd and heartfelt comedy about dementia, Nellie travels through the multiverse in search of Lou, her one true love.
29TH OF FEBRUARY
Diego Fandos, Spain, 23 minutes
Tomás wants to celebrate his ninetieth birthday but he has no one to invite…. except his staunchest enemy. Diego Fandos mixes humor and melancholy in this exquisitely acted tale about the plight of lonely seniors.
FISH RIVER ANTHOLOGY
Veera Lamminpää, Finland, 10 minutes
The supermarket is nearing its closing time, and the last customers are queuing for their turn at the fish counter. The agonizing wait offers a chance for existential reflection and a little song.
FAVOURITES
Nick Russell, Australia, 5 minutes
In this biting Australian comedy, two parents face an impossible choice when their family camping trip turns deadly. Nominated for Best Short Film at the 2025 Australian Academy Awards.
LATE NIGHT SHORTS – 9:45pm
DELIRIUM
Josiah Anderson, Brant Ferguson, & Sam Wright, USA, 6 minutes
Two high school friends reconnect over a mushroom journey in this tightly crafted horror short. Awarded Best of Fest at the Sonoma County Student Film Festival.
HOW DID I GET HERE
Kate Hamilton, USA, 18 minutes
Sardonic twenty-something Cynthia walks us through a play-by-play of a recent “squicky” date, requiring her to confront some uncomfortable truths.
VOLCELEST
Eric Briche, France, 15 minutes
In the depths of winter, a little ermine, desperate for food, flees her wild environment and settles near an isolated farm and its chickens. Her arrival quickly turns into an epic battle of man vs. nature in this haunting animated drama. Official selection of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
#INTIMACY
Jared N. Wright & Eric Ivey, USA, 5 minutes
A man seeks relationship advice in this meticulously edited short about dating in the modern age from FFP alum and Sonoma County filmmakers Jared Wright & Eric Ivey (#Relationshipgoals, 2022).
DISECTOID
Lucas Gustavo Rendon, Mahlon Tracy, Gratton Conwill, Grant Tracy, Matthew Fields, & Sam Karpinski, USA, 13 minutes
Arnold Mzera stars in this locally-produced post-modern parody of Alfred Hitchcock Presents that mixes B-movie horror and a grindhouse aesthetic into an anthology horror series that careens off the rails.
A ROSE FOR KATRINA
Harry Quinlan, Australia, 9 minutes
In this impressive one-shot wonder, Michael arrives for a first date with Katrina hoping to make a good impression but instead finds himself the subject of a strange mind game. Official Selection of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival.
CANARD
Elie Chapuis, Switzerland, 9 minutes
Vladimir and Olga raise ducks on a small isolated farm in the countryside. They hope for a child, but this expectation soon turns into a Lynchian nightmare in this superbly animated stop motion short exploring the psychological effects of infertility.
SHELF LIFE
Greg Derochie, USA, 9 minutes
In Sonoma-based filmmaker Greg Derochie’s Hitchcockian horror comedy, a solitary woman (Cindy Troianello) fights her demons in the form of a creature born from leftovers.
DEEP TISH
Dave Paige, USA, 13 minutes
Typically, a massage relieves tension, but unfortunately for A.J. this massage just keeps adding more. Awarded Best Comedy at the 2024 HollyShorts Festival.
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Mystic Theatre & Music Hall
23 Petaluma Blvd N
- Petaluma
Price: $15.00