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About Us
Our Mission
The 2025 Davis Film Festival takes place SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2ND FROM 2-10 PM at the Veteran's Memorial Theater, 203 E. 14th Street in Davis, CA. (PLENTY OF FREE PARKING). Films from around the world and our own backyard. Narrative, documentary, animation, experimental. Shorts and features. Now accepting web series too. BUY TICKETS ONLINE HERE OR AT THE DOOR. Festival Director: Judith Plank
Native Land Acknowledgement: We should take a moment to acknowledge the land on which we are gathered. For thousands of years, this land has been the home of Patwin people. It has been cherished and protected, as elders have instructed the young through generations. We are honored and grateful to be here today on their traditional lands.
Our Festival
Tickets go on sale August 15, 2025 at filmfreeway.com and on our website. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Prices are $10 General for afternoon films, $10 General for evening films. Students w/ID and Senior tickets are $8.50 for each section. Festival Pass is $15.
We want to thank our Festival Sponsors: Davis Food Co-op, Davis Media Access, International House, The Avid Reader, Strands Salon, Sudwerk, and Judy Reynolds Low-Salt Recipes. For more information email davisfilmfest@gmail.com or call 530.383.1711.
Our Program
Each film director in the festival will receive one Festival Pass, to use as they wish. Doors open at 2 pm on Sunday, November 2nd. Films start at 2:30 pm after a short Welcome from the Festival Director. All children under 12 get in free to the Sunday afternoon family friendly films. Sunday evening films are for mature audiences only. There are eight easels available for use if filmmakers wish to show their movie posters in the lobby. This year there will be awards for various categories of filmmaking including Best Actor and Actress, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay. Films will be judged by a juried panel of experienced filmmakers and writers. (Attention filmmakers: you or someone from your team must be present to accept your award. If you have questions, please email us at davisfilmfest@gmail.com).
Finally, we are still looking for volunteers for this year's festival. Volunteers take tickets, hand out programs, work at the concession booth and show people their seats. Each volunteer will receive one Festival Pass. If you are interested in volunteering, please email us or call 530.383.1711. The film schedule for November 2, 2025 will be published here no later than October 15th. (For a list of films from the 2023 and 2024 Davis Film Festivals, click on our Facebook link below).
2:20 pm. WELCOME! A few announcements.
2025 FILMS TBA
2024 FILMS
2:15 pm. "Edson's Gravy" Dir. Ryan Kittleman 2:22
Based on Russel Edson's classic poem "Gravy" this film is a whimsical ode to a timeless condiment. (Richmond, CA)
2:20 pm. "The Nature Girl" Dir. Antonio Capreta 9:32
The Nature Girl is the story of a brave and courageous young girl, abandoned by her parents at an early age, who ends up living on the streets in urban chaos. Her spirit is tested as she saves lost and injured animals with acts of heartfelt kindness to brazen rescues. (Bay Area)
2:30 pm. "Worms" Dir. Aden Bertisch 9:43
Since the age of five, Ronny has been eating worms, a strange yet surprisingly healthy habit. Now in his freshman year of high school, Ronny faces a dilemma: will he find social acceptance with this unusual habit or not? Caution for kids under 12: some strong language. No worms or insects were harmed in the making of this film. (Sherman Oaks, CA).
2:40 pm. "Angel's Overpass" Dir. Alfred Hernandez 5:45
A visual piece that poetically juxtaposes images of man-made architecture with the architecture of nature. (Bay Area)
2:50 pm. "Amelia runs through a meadow." Dir. Saurav Mohapatra 12:16
An elderly woman, suffering from Alzheimer's, tries to recreate a happy memory from her childhood before she loses it. (Bay Area)
3:05 pm. "Through a Child's Eyes" Dir. Kat Silva 5:57
Hear firsthand from 9 children across the country as they wrestle with the emotional and physical challenges of the Covid-19 outbreak. (CO)
3:15 pm. "Granite and Marble" Dir. R. Paul Villaluz 10:00
A "charmed" young boy races against the clock to win the love and friendship of his angry and cold-hearted adoptive teenage sister before a major Sacramento event concludes or risks being turned back into his true self.
3:25 pm. "For Love or Rock" Dir. Tony Pacheco 11:49
Corey must succeed no matter what. Miri must not let anyone break her heart. As their relationship reaches its tipping point, they must choose between their ingrained beliefs, and the undeniable connection that binds them. (Sacramento)
3:40 p.m. 20 Minute Intermission (Concessions for sale in the lobby).
4:00 pm. "The Jacket" by Cheryl Wynton (10:00)
After finding a woman's jacket left at his house years earlier, a man goes in search of its owner, hoping to rekindle their romance. (Sac)
4:10 pm. "Motel California" Dir. E.M.Hodge (6:17)
Questions like Why Are We Here and What is the Meaning of Life are all answered, sort of, in this first ever web series submission to the Davis Film Festival. (Sacramento)
4:20 pm. A Journey Home: The Story of Sahaya Vietnam Dir. Andy Lauer 24:24
Forced to flee Vietnam as a child, Chung Truong went on to create a beautiful life and family in the U.S. But as career and family were settling in, an emptiness overtook him, eventually leading him back to the country he barely remembered but ran deep in his blood. There, he connected with a team of courageous nuns and dedicated volunteers. Together they built a house for an impoverished family. Then another. Soon there were hundreds. Educational programs would follow. And a ripple effect that would change the lives of thousands... (U.S.)
4:45 p.m. Awards Ceremony and Q and A with filmmakers.
5:30 to 6:30 pm Dinner Break. Music by According to Bazooka. Concessions will be sold in the lobby. Popcorn, pretzels, pizza, candy, protein bars, coffee, tea, sodas, water. We will also have 3 short films that will show for free during the dinner hour for those who would rather watch movies than eat: "Son-Mat" by Haaram Kim (8:44), "Te Amo Papa" by Dave Brown and Jake Zieman (7:45) and "Life, Love and the Pursuit of Comics" by Jacob Michael Keller (5:40). These films will start at 6 pm.
6:35 pm Welcome Back/Announcements
6:40 pm "The First Rule" Dir. Saurav Mohapatra 6:30
A love song/homage to classic black and white Hollywood crime-noir films from the fifties. (Caution: gun violence) (Bay Area)
6:50 pm. "Vasomotor Rhinitus" Dir. Mikheil Gabaidze 14:58
An employee at a European governmental institution accidently sneezes on his boss at the Opera and spends the rest of the film trying to apologize. (Georgia--Europe)
7:05 pm Ten-minute intermission (You may purchase a separate ticket for the viewing of "Sally" if you wish. See our Tickets link for info).
7:15 pm "Sally" Dir. Deborah Craig 1:36:26
She spearheaded the 1970s and 80s lesbian feminist movement and worked shoulder to shoulder with Harvey Milk to defeat the Briggs Initiative, which would have kept LGBTQ teachers out of the classroom. She made an indelible impact on LGBTQ equality and women's rights and was a brilliant superstar who inspired thousands. So how come you've never heard of Sally Gearhart? (SF)
"Sally" just took home the Best Documentary Award at the Out at the Movies International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC as well as Best Documentary at Reel-Q LGBTQ Film Festival in Pittsburgh, PA. A portion of this film's ticket sales will go to Davis Phoenix Coalition.
8:50 pm. Q AND A SESSION WITH THE DIRECTOR + AWARDS
9:40 pm. It's a WRAP! See you next year!
THANK YOU
Thank you to Corinne and her talented Veteran's Memorial Theater team for supporting us again. Thank you to our Festival Sponsors: Davis Food Co-op, Davis Media Access, The Avid Reader, International House, Sudwerk, Strands Salon, and Judy Reynolds Low Salt Recipes. Thank you to Temple Coffee in Davis for donating the coffee and to Woodstock's for the pizza. Thank you to my intern Jacqueline Salas for helping with publicity and promotion, updating our website, and doing other important tasks. Finally, thank you to the film audience and to all the filmmakers themselves for helping to create another memorable Davis Film Festival experience.
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