12th Annual Film Festival
Last updated 1/14/2025 at 8:05am
The Borrego Springs Film Institute is proud to present the Twelfth Annual Borrego Springs Film Festival which will take place on January 15 – 19, 2025. Featuring five days of exceptional independent films, community panels at the Borrego Springs Library, not to mention top-notch parties, galas and award ceremonies with attending filmmakers and festival pass-holders; the 12th BSFF opens on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, with a day of free screenings - no tickets necessary - at the Library, and continues Thursday through Sunday, with screening Blocks presented at BSPAC, and concluding with an Awards Ceremony at the theater, on Sunday evening, January 19, 2025.
Festival passes and tickets for individual screening Blocks at BSPAC are for sale now at borregospringsfilmfestival.org, and a complete schedule of the Screening Blocks can be found there, along with film descriptions and trailers. But here are some of the highlights:
FILMS
This year we're screening 93 films, with a wide range of styles and genres, and we've got several BSFF alumni filmmakers returning to the festival with brand new shorts to debut to our audience! Here are some of the films that I'm personally looking forward to seeing on the big screen:
Zero Sum, by writer/director Ryan Lampe, tells a complex story about a college professor asked to defend the chair of his department against a vicious smear campaign. With fully developed characters and a script that doesn't speak down to the audience, the film has a powerful theme: doing the right thing in the face of certain failure. – BSPAC | BLOCK B | Thursday, Jan.16th | 12:30 - 2:00PM
Thin Air, an animated short, by Mary Posatko, Chance Davis, and Afton Quast Saler, is an impressive work, with beautifully rendered stop-motion animation, that talks about mental health and negative inner voices. The film is both cutely nostalgic and a bit unsettling. But the message of hope for inner peace is clear and powerful. -- BSPAC | BLOCK C | Thursday, Jan. 16th | 2:30 - 3:45PM
Right to Privacy concerns an abortion provider who has a charged encounter with a volatile protester and then finds herself facing an unpredictable moral dilemma. Directed by Julie Herlocker, a seasoned post-producer in network television, the film has a professional sheen that underscores the drama and successfully portrays one person's reality on the political front lines of abortion access. – BSPAC | BLOCK D | Thursday, Jan. 16th | 4:15 – 5:45PM
The documentary short film Dale, directed by Justin Streichman, is about classical violist Dale Hikawa, who was the first Asian American woman to join the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She played with the orchestra for 43 years, serving as acting principle of the viola section. She's an interesting character, to say the least. Both amusing and profound, Dale talks about the Japanese concept of Ikigai, meaning "reason for being", and gives us a glimpse of her enormous talent and humanity along the way. – BSPAC | BLOCK F | Friday, Jan. 17th | 10:00 - 11:30AM
Actor and director, Bob Celli returns to the BSFF with Because I Love You, a short that explores themes of marital fidelity, jealousy and obsession. The "Hitchcockian" psychological underpinnings of the plot are delivered with sure-footed direction, good characters, and strong acting performances, making for a thoroughly enjoyable ride! – BSPAC | BLOCK H | Friday, Jan. 17th | 2:45 – 4:15PM
Cereal is one of those short films that connects with the heart and holds on. The story is universal – a family confronting the death of a beloved family member – which writer/director Lala Halsema manages to tell with grace and professionalism. The cast is top-tier, and the film tells its story with beautifully natural intimacy that never veers into melodrama. – BSPAC | BLOCK H | Friday, Jan. 17th | 2:45 - 4:15PM
There's a lot to unpack in God & Buddha Are Friends. Written and directed by Anthony Ma, the film follows a young boy who receives a jade dragon necklace from his Buddhist mother and then spends the day with a devout Christian family and a pastor that believes his jade is a devil's totem. The provocative storyline is well delivered with strong, grounded performances, but the effect of the adult's zealotry on the 7-year-old protagonist is riveting. – BSPAC | BLOCK H | Friday, Jan. 17th | 2:45 – 4:15PM
Perennial favorite Devon Scott returns with Aunt Cindy and The Alchemist, using found footage – vintage reels of super 8- and16-millimeter film – that the filmmaker purchases, catalogs, and then uses to create the stories. Aunt Cindy tells a story about an ordinary family whose lives take a surprising turn, after a family member takes a driving tour through Italy, and another family member reveals an important truth. – BSPAC | BLOCK K | Saturday, Jan. 18th | 12:30 – 1:45PM
The Way We Speak is the debut feature, from filmmaker Ian Ebright, who already seems to be a seasoned pro. The film stars Patrick Fabian (Better Call Saul) as Simon, an egotistical essayist on futurism and atheism, who gets into a multi-part public debate against a highly intelligent, best-selling Christian author. The merits of Simon's argument soon give way to his obsession to prove he is the better person. Faced with the inevitable death of his ailing wife, Simon is forced to face his unresolved grief and reach across the aisle for genuine human contact. – BSPAC | BLOCK M | Saturday, Jan. 18th | 5:00 - 6:30PM
BSFF fan-favorite Pat Battistini is back this year with two short comedies on the schedule, including another installment of his Italy-set mystery/comedy series, Ms. Rossi Meets the Mob. It's delightfully clever and the characters and locations can't be beat. The other Battistini short is called The Allergy Table and features a cast of child actors playing a nerdy group of school kids with severe food allergies that sit at an isolated table, but act like members of The Fight Club. The performances are strong, considering their ages, and the comedy is smart, cute, and subversively outrageous! – Ms. Rossi Meets the Mob: BSPAC | BLOCK J | Saturday, Jan. 18th | 10:00 – 11:30AM || – The Allergy Table: BSPAC | BLOCK P | Sunday, Jan. 19th | 3:00 – 4:15PM
Filmmaking team – Molly Muse and Britt Harris – return with Ghost Town, a short with a strong mix of humor and foreboding, shot on location at Bodie State Historic Park, CA, to great effect. The real-life ghost town photographs beautifully, the cast members (the filmmakers themselves) are on point, and the plot moves from light character comedy to creepy psycho horror, like any good ghost story should! -- BSPAC | BLOCK O | Sunday, Jan. 19th | 12:30 – 2:30PM
PANELS
This year we have a terrific slate of Filmmaker and Community Panels being presented at the Borrego Springs Library, beginning Thursday, January 16th and finishing on Saturday, the 18th. All Panels are free and open to the public – no tickets necessary.
Panel #1| Library | Thursday, Jan. 16th | 11:30AM – The Low-Fi-Low-Budget-Low-Down: Roundtable moderated by independent filmmaker Brian Russell. Discussing the strategies, advice, equipment, and craft required to create an independent film on a shoestring, or maybe even no strings. This strategy session (and/or commiseration filmmaker support group) is open to all attending filmmakers and the public. Filmmakers will share their hard-earned wisdom, success, traumas, and victories. The biz keeps shifting. Let's get together and learn how to steady our balance.
Panel #2 | Library | Friday, Jan. 17th | 11:30AM – The Borrego Springs "Hawk Watch" Panel: Join documentarians Alicia Wszelaki and Matt Nothelfer as they share the stage with local Hawster extrodinaire Hal Cohen. Also on the panel will be Katie Quint, The Research Director of the Wildlife Research Institute, San Diego County Park Ranger Charles Gailband, and even an avian special guest! This earnest group of enthusiasts, researchers, and scientists will share their anecdotes about the local spring hawk migration in Borrego Springs, and information about the new documentary Hawk Watch will be included. Note: Hawk Watch will screen in Block N on Sunday, Jan. 19th at 10:30 am.
Panel #3 | Library | Friday, Jan. 17th | 1:45PM – Elevating Brand Narratives Through Film and Media: An Tran, an award-winning director and producer, creates powerful brand-sponsored documentaries that inspire change and celebrate creativity. For Tomorrow, sponsored by Hyundai, follows grass-roots innovators shaping a sustainable future. Moving Pictures, sponsored by ARRI, interviews legends like Roger Deakins and Rachel Morrison, offering an intimate look at the art of cinematography. In this session, we will talk to An about how storytelling and brand collaboration can drive impactful global conversations.
Panel #4 | Library | Saturday, Jan. 18th | 11:30AM – AI in Filmmaking: Tools, Ethics, and the Future of Creativity: Featuring speakers Marianne Parker, Christian Cicerone, Toy Lei, and moderator Xenia Lappo. As artificial intelligence becomes an essential part of the filmmaking process, its impact is felt across various areas of the industry – from costume design and special effects to directing and storytelling. This panel gathers voices from different aspects of film to explore how AI is reshaping creativity and collaboration. From enhancing practical workflows to raising ethical questions about artistic authorship, we will examine the opportunities and challenges AI presents to filmmakers today.
Panel #5 | Library | Saturday, Jan. 18th | 1:45PM – Film Marketing: How to Market Your Movie to the Right Audience: Featuring production designer, set decorator, and entertainment marketer Geonni Sigl, who founded Onni Creative and currently oversees daily operations and business development, leading the team's creative efforts across all mediums. Prior to founding her own company, Geonni was director of marketing for United Artists Releasing, leading theater marketing campaigns for indie and big budget films, including House of Gucci, No Time to Die, Respect, Licorice Pizza, Creed II, The Addams Family, and Booksmart.
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
In addition to great films and panels, this year's BSFF also features an expanded list of Awards to be presented to the films our judges have chosen as the best in their categories. The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, January 19 at 5pm at BSPAC.
One of those is the "Laara Award," honoring the memory of BSFI committee member Laara K. Maxwell and sponsored by her family, a $1000 cash prize will be awarded to the most uplifting film of the festival (all categories eligible).
Another is the "Callo Award," sponsored by The Laureen and Joyce Callo Foundation, a $1000 cash prize for the Best Female Director of an American based narrative film (feature or short).
Founded in 2013, the Borrego Springs Film Festival has been at the forefront of showcasing exceptional independent films, documentaries, animation, and shorts, playing an important role in cultivating artistic talent, creating a vibrant film community, and drawing cinephiles from around the world to picturesque Borrego Springs, California.
In 2024, our parent organization, the Borrego Springs Film Institute (BSFI), began presenting movies at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center (BSPAC), free of charge, every other Wednesday night to enthusiastic audiences. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we plan to continue the bi-weekly free movie program in the coming year!
All of us at the BSFI are really looking forward to another terrific Film Festival this January, and we encourage everyone to buy their festival passes or screening block tickets, converse with attending filmmakers at the screenings, and see some of the very best independent cinema being made today. Come join us at the movies!
Festival and Block passes are available at borregospringsfilmfestival.org