So many movies, so little time
The fifth iteration of the unpronounceable HISFF, or Healdsburg International Short Film Festival, returns to Healdsburg the weekend of Sept. 25-27. As before, the centerpiece of the festival is the films themselves, 57 short films from 17 different countries out of 398 submissions, highlighting a range of global talent.
That’s a lot to take in in a single sitting—we can thank Kirk and Pamela Demorest for doing that labor, though they spread it out over almost a year of screening. “We start when the last one is finished!” she has said. Yet despite all that viewing, she said, “I am truly amazed that people consistently make excellent short films.”
Again this year, like last, the Short Film Festival takes place at the same time as the Healdsburg Festival of the Arts on Saturday, Sept. 26. In fact the Arts Festival welcomes the Film Festival into its festivities, which include blocking off Center Street and Plaza Street for most of Saturday.
The film festival opens on Friday with a red-carpet kickoff screening at 7pm, followed by an “Opening Night Soirée” at Portalupi Wines at 8:30pm. A rooftop “Sweet and Uncorked” wine-and-desert mixer is lined up for Saturday at 8:15pm at Harmon Guest House, and the awards ceremony takes place at 5pm on Sunday.
All that, plus a book signing with Billy Ray, the screenwriter of The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips. The “meet and greet” takes place Saturday at 11am at the Raven Theater, like nearly all HISSF events. It serves as a book signing in association with Copperfield’s Books for Ray’s new YA novel, Burn the Water. It also gives festival attendees a chance to hear more about Ray’s notable career in film.
He is best known for his screenwriting work on major film projects including Captain Phillips, The Comey Rule, The Hunger Games and the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. All six Hunger Games movies are based on the work of Suzanne Collins. This film is scheduled for release in November 2026.
Ray will serve on the film festival jury for a second year, along with several returning judges including Emmy-nominated actor Ed Begley Jr., original SNL cast-member Laraine Newman, Emmy-winning actor Jeff Kober, and beatnik songwriters Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan, among others. Returning this year is instantly recognizable character actor Jack McGee. Sometimes some of the jurors attend all or several of the film blocks, though others make their selections known through private screenings.
The 57 film entries are organized into eight screening blocks of about two hours apiece over the three days of the festival. Some of them will be placed in special categories, such as Documentary, Women in Film (showcasing female-focused stories), Student and the first annual Cine Latine Spanish-speaking film block.
It’s difficult to pick favorites from the many films, but the Demorests have highlighted a few titles of special interest. Most local is Petaluma’s Sean Restivo, whose 15-minute documentary, Owl Hill, looks inside the owl boxes that Marin County preservationists use to protect the nocturnal predators. Owl Hill will show during the 1pm Sunday block.
From much farther afield is an Irish comedy, Known to the Gardai, in which two local scallywags dare each other to commit an increasingly severe series of crimes. Some of the cast is expected to attend, adding further promise to the opening night screening, Friday at 7pm.
From Iran comes American Dream, a romance in which a singer celebrates her birthday with a date straight out of La La Land. But behind the dazzle, the film asks if love can truly survive when freedom is out of reach. American Dream is one of the films shown in the Women in Film block, at 5pm on Saturday night.
Films range in duration. A micro-short of 41 seconds called The Great Distraction debuts during the Saturday night Student Films block at 7:30pm. The longest film, the 26-minute Magan’s Fare, about a ride-share driver’s dilemma of how far to go to help someone, plays at Friday’s kick-off screening. Coincidentally it features Barkhad Abdi, the Oscar-nominated pirate from the Tom Hanks film Captain Phillips, whose script by Billy Ray was also nominated for an Academy Award in 2013.
Those happy coincidences are among the reasons Kirk and Pamela Demorest keep undertaking this complex yet rewarding endeavor. “For us, it’s all about connection—filmmakers at every stage sharing their work with our community, all packed into one unforgettable weekend,” Pamela said. “It’s why our celebrity judges keep coming back.”
A $100 all-films festival pass costs $100; each screening block is $20 ($10 for students). More details and tickets at healdsburgfilm.com.
