ARTICLE
The lineup of all 75 films of Oceanside International Film Festival - to be shown on the big screen this August - is now complete. For its next installment put out annually since 2009, North County San Diego's largest film festival recently announced the whole schedule of its Official Selections, which will be screened during the course of eight days August 9 through 16. It has been posted along with trailers on its website at www.osidefilm.org. The event will run in the same format and venues as last year, screenings and celebrations taking place at two oldest theaters in town, Star Theatre and Sunshine Brooks Theatre. This year’s highlights include a screening of Guest Feature Film "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" with its creator present, “Deconstructing a Film Score” workshop by Emmy-winning film composer, and special appearances by celebrities. Tickets are now on sale. As before, all proceeds from this annual festival will be used to provide Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation scholarships to graduating high school seniors (not just from Oceanside but from throughout North County San Diego) pursing artistic and performing arts degrees, and to organize more quality events in this city. OIFF is an all-inclusive festival, not limited to any one genre. Among this year’s selections are films by independent filmmakers from Canada, Australia, Colombia, Turkey, China, Israel, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Norway, Portugal, etc. Nearly every continent is represented this year. The festival will publicly screen a good mixture of unique and independent films from many countries, states, and local filmmakers. Movie goers can choose from a variety of screening blocks to suit their tastes: Nature, Sci-Fi, Emotional And Sentimental Appeal, Coming of Age, Comedy, Experimental, Serious Dramas, Romantic Dramas, Experiencing America, Gay and Lesbian, Music, Horror, Animation, Fantasy, Social Injustice, and Student films. Family friendly films and mature PG content are grouped separately. The audience has opportunities to see their favorite celebrity actors on the big screen this time in independent films. In particular, noteworthy performances are by Tom Sizemore and Lochlyn Munro in The Age of Reason (August 11). Viewers can enjoy a cast of their faves with Bailee Madison (known for Bridge to Terabithia, Just Go With It), Hailee Steinfeld (Ender’s Game, Academy Award nominee – True Grit), J.K. Simmons (Academy Award winner – Whiplash, widely known as newspaper boss in the Spiderman series), Jackson Rathbone (Twilight Franchise), James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek), all starring in The Magic Bracelet (August 14). The organizers highly recommend to see Bruce Greenwood in WildLike, Luke Perry in Flat Chested, and also Imminent Threat documentary produced by actor James Cromwell, an Academy Award nominee (all August 15). SYNOPSIS (PARTIAL) The Magic Bracelet (in Narrative Shorts category) is not only as an Official Selection of Oceanside International Film Festival. OIFF’s organizational committee has decided to make Stacy Goldberg, the writer and producer of that story, a recipient of the OIFF Awareness Award for making awareness about an important topic in film and television industry. The festival will recognize her for utilizing great acting talents in association with the high-cause mission: telling the world about the mitochondrial disease through the healing power of cinematic art. OIFF's parent organization Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation / OCAF's mission is to bring quality artistic, visual, performance, and musical arts to Oceanside and the surrounding communities. Its goals are not very much different than those of Make A Film Foundation - that made the movie – especially the part about believing in the miraculous powers of art. Stacy serves on the board of that foundation. The Magic Bracelet is an all-star film from Los Angeles. It is a touching story. This film fulfills the final wish of Rina Goldberg who passed away of Mitochondrial disease just after her 15th birthday and some of her final words to her mom were, "Promise to take care of my film." Stacy Goldberg is the mother of Rina Goldberg. Its script was adapted by Diablo Cody (Academy Award Winner-Juno), it was based on the story by Stacy Goldberg. It stars Bailee Madison (Just Go With It), Hailee Steinfeld (Ender's Game, Academy Award nominee - True Grit), J.K. Simmons (Academy Award winner – Whiplash, widely known as newspaperman J. Jonah Jameson in the Spiderman series), Jackson Rathbone (Twilight Franchise), James Van Der Beek (Dawson's Creek) and others. Festival organizers hope the audience comes out to watch this film along side with others in our Emotional And Sentimental Appeal screening block. WildLike (in Full-Length Narrative Features category) is a film starring Bruce Greenwood. As the plot unfolds, we learn about Mackenzie, a troubled but daring teenage girl, who is sent by her struggling mother to live with her uncle in Juneau, Alaska. Although the uncle seems like a supportive caretaker and friend, the relationship turns an unexpected way and Mackenzie is forced to run. Trying to make her way back to Seattle alone to find her absent mother, Mackenzie only winds up deeper in the Alaskan interior. Lost and with no one else to turn to, she shadows a loner backpacker, Bartlett, an unlikely father figure with scars of his own. Together, they cross the wilderness and discover sanctuary in the last frontier. This film is recipient of Best Feature and Audience Choice awards at a dozen of festivals already. It will have a nation-wide theatrical release in the Fall 2015. Somos Amigos, which means “We Are Friends” in Spanish, (in Narrative Short Films category) is a film from Madrid, Spain, that seeks to explore the limits between friendship and work... if they exist at all. The film portrays a dehumanization in the business system, where layoffs are cheaper than ever and friendships are not valued. According to its director, this is a “film dealing with today’s reality of unemployment and hopelessness, in a comedy tone, because we all could use a laugh”. Flat Chested (in Narrative Short Films category) is a short from Chicago, IL, that spreads awareness about breast cancer. After testing positive for the BRCA gene mutation, the film’s female character has a specific plan to say goodbye to her breasts the weekend before her preventative double mastectomy, but her sister comes to town with a list of her own ideas for the two days. This story raises awareness about BRCA gene testing and preventative breast and ovarian cancer measures through the use of dark comedy. It was extremely important to the filmmaker during the month before production, since one of her sisters was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer, and her other sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. The film features Luke Perry from “90210” TV show. Enhebrado / "Threaded" (in Animations category) is an experimental animation from Colombia which takes place in a dream that gradually turns into a nightmare. It creatively combines the technique of drawn moving pictures and stop motion animation. Two and a Quarter Minutes (in Student Films category) is a serious dramas with an emotional & sentimental appeal by a 15-year old filmmaker from Huntington Beach, CA. The film shows what goes through one’s mind in the two-and-a-quarter minutes, which is how long it takes on average for someone to drown. Tick Tock (in Animations category) is a short from Turkey about an old man, who realizes late in his life that the most important thing in life is not the goal one achieves, but rather the road one takes to be there as long as it is done with hope. The Age of Reason (in Narrative Feature Films) is a film from Santa Clarita, CA, about coming-of-age friends growing up in Southern California. Starring in the film are Tom Sizemore and Lochlyn Munro. Tom Sizemore is well known for appearances in Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, and Point Break, and for his supporting roles in films such as the dark comedy crime film True Romance (1993), the crime film Natural Born Killers (1994), the crime film Heat (1995), the epic war film Saving Private Ryan (1998), the sci-fi thriller Strange Days (1998), the war film Black Hawk Down (2001), the epic war film Pearl Harbor (2001), and for voicing Sonny Forelli in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Lochlyn Munro is known for roles in films most notably Unforgiven, A Night at the Roxbury, Scary Movie, White Chicks, The Tooth Fairy, and Freddy vs. Jason. For television, he is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jack Sheridan in the supernatural drama Charmed. Save The Date (in Student Films category) is a film from Poway, CA, in a fantasy / magic genre by a 7-grade middle school student from Poway Unified School District, San Diego. In this film, when a young boy sets his sights on the wrong girl, it takes a true friend and a little time traveling to set him on the right path. Michael (in Student Films category) from Ramat Gan, Israel, is a serious drama by a student of Tel Aviv University about human nature, dealing with internal drives, morality and violence. Sugarhiccup (in Narrative Short Films category) is a film from Piedmont, CA, is a satire on our digital world and how we are easily susceptible to blurring the lines between truth and perception that social media often is limited to. This film will be shown during Gay & Lesbian screening block at OIFF, as it protraits a love triangle between three females in Northern California. Carry On China (in Student Films category) from Beijing, China, is a serious drama by a college student. It tells a story set in Japan-occupied China during World War II. In 1944, when the tide turned against Japan and the war began winding down. To save his daughter, a Chinese father in this film stuffs her into a large bag disguised as food. Transpose (in Narrative Short Films category) is a sci-fi thriller from Seattle, WA, about three lives, which crash & weave together in one fateful evening with a science-fiction twist. Grave Shivers (in Narrative Shorts category) from Baton Rouge, LA, is a horror anthology that weaves three tales of monsters, killers, and things that appear at night. The director of the film hopes "you enjoy 13 minutes of horror, dread, and wonder." The Sad Snowman (in Student Films category) is a live action debut made by a middle school student from Irvine, CA, about a snowboarder who notices a lone snowman and a simple act of kindness that makes the impossible possible. CLIPS: The following are clips from two Official Selection of OIFF-2015, to be shown on big screen this August. Here is The Magic Bracelet trailer: https://vimeo.com/59861217 and Here is WildLike trailer: https://vimeo.com/107933288 ABOUT OIFF Held every August, Oceanside International Film Festival officially kicks off a season of various film festivals, which are conducted annually in San Diego county and most start in the Fall. Established in 2009 by Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation, OIFF is an opportunity for independent filmmakers to have their work screened and judged. It also gives the film buffs a jump-start chance for viewing local and international films at a place in Southern California known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and artistic freedom. Film industry guests and audience members alike will appreciate the ocean-infused atmosphere surrounding the city, where the festival is held. Tickets can be purchased online. A whole day worth of films is only $15, or $10 for seniors, military, and students including college students. Festival passes for the whole week are available. Call to leave a message at 760-433-3632 or email OIFF@ocaf.info with questions. See www.osidefilm.org or OIFF Facebook page for more info and admission: www.facebook.com/likeOIFF