The Carmel International Film Festival is back for it's third year (October 1-October 4), once again hosted by film and television professional Annette Andersen Caton and film director/producer/writer Lawrence Roeck.This year's jury is star-studded: Actress Francis Fisher, whose work includes roles in "Unforgiven," "Titanic," and numerous television series; Academy Award winning actor, Timothy Hutton ("Ordinary People," "Taps," "The Falcon and the Snowman"); award-winning director, producer, and writer, Stephen Gyllenhaal whose career spans more than four decades in film and television; cartoonist, writer, illustrator, and co-founder of Bongo Comics, Bill Morrison, who has also worked on "The Simpsons;" and Stephen Nemeth, an accomplished producer, actor, and director of independent narrative features and award-winning documentaries and the founder of Rhino Films.
It all begins Wednesday, September 30 with a Kick-Off Party and Opening Night Gala from 6-9pm at Mission Bistro in Carmel featuring the Brews Blues Band followed by industry panels, film screenings and audience Q & A's on subsequent days and evenings through October 4th at the Golden Bough Theatre.
In the meantime, I was given a sneak peek of some of the films we can look forward to, and, you are in luck! I am going to share my sneak peek of three narrative short films with you that are scheduled to show at the Festival. I have always been a fan of "shorts" and miss the fact that movie theatres don't routinely show them anymore along with the feature film like they used to do back when I was young. Short films often have huge impact. So I was looking forward to seeing these...and I was not disappointed.
Something Pointless (2026)
A sad young boy and an old man make a connection over what might be considered "something pointless."Owen Teale ("Game of Thrones") plays Aldous Evans, an elderly man with failing health. Facing his mortality, he comes up with a theory. To take a break from the madness that often surrounds us in everyday life, it is important to do something each day that is completely pointless, with no end in mind, and in so doing, be able to see how wonderful everything else can be. One pointless meaningless act each day will make you appreciate the million and one other things in life just a little bit more.
So Aldous starts painting eggshells and affixing them to a desolate wall.
In the meantime, there is a young boy (Leo Harris) who is being bullied at school. He never smiles. The Headmaster (Sule Rimi) of the school is so concerned about the boy that he calls in his parents asking them if the boy smiles at home. The parents are shocked at the question but when the Headmaster asks them what makes the boy smile, they can't think of anything.
So we have a young boy who never smiles and a dying elderly man who come together during what is supposed to be a pointless act but ends up having a big point.
This award-winning Welsh film, written by Neil Graham and David Cormican and directed by Asa Bailey is beautifully produced, thoughtfully directed and wonderfully acted to create a lyrical reminder that sometimes the most pointless things go on to become the most point filled.
And this movie also makes a big point about filmmaking as well. Sometimes a 14 minute film can get to the point and make a profound statement and linger in one's mind longer than many feature length films. That's why I enjoy short films so much.
Rosy the Reviewer says...a beautiful 14 minutes reminding us that we never know how our seemingly small acts can affect the lives of others.
The Liars of Black Mountain Road (2026)
When a couple run over a dog in their car, their true selves emerge.
Abbie (Millie Gibbons) and Ethan (Nolan Gould) are driving along a desolate stretch of California when Ethan hits a dog and kills it. They are traumatized but Ethan checks the dog's collar for a tag so he can call the owner. He wants to do the right thing. He finds the phone number and calls and Abbie notices that Ethan implies to the dog's owner that he found the dog, not that he hit the dog. Abbie calls him on it, saying he isn't taking responsibility for hitting the dog, and he disputes her, saying the owner knows he hit the dog. But Abbie won't let up about it. Surely he must tell the owner that he, Ethan, was the one who hit the dog. She can't let it go and takes a hoity-toity superior attitude while Ethan insists he is a good person and is doing the right thing. No one saw him hit the dog. Most people would just leave the dog on the side of the road, right?
Based on the real life experience of director Parker Croft, who also wrote the screenplay with Gould - thank goodness the dog Croft hit didn't die - this twelve and a half minute film, asks - Is Ethan a good person even though he doesn't admit he was the one who hit the dog? Or is he a person who avoids the truth? And what does Abbie really think of Ethan if she is so quick to judge him? And is Abbie a good person to so easily throw Ethan under the bus? Is their relationship going to survive this incident?
Excellent acting, first-rate production values and taut, thoughtful direction combine to create a "fly on the wall" feeling as we observe these two trying to navigate this incident. The tension is palpable. I felt like I was in the car with them. And it will make you ask yourself...what would I do in a situation like that?
Oscar-nominated actress Abigail Breslin is one of the Executive Producers and the film won the Grand Prize for Short Film of the Year at the 2026 Veneto International Film Festival and that was well-deserved.
Rosy the Reviewer says...it's amazing the impact a twelve and a half minute film can have.
Redlining (2026)
The story of a white family and a black family and a house.
You may or may not know what "redlining" is. If you don't, here is the short version. It is a term coined in the 1960s by sociologist John McKnight to describe the discriminatory practice of banks that classified certain neighborhoods as "hazardous," or not worthy of investment due to the racial makeup of the residents, thus making it difficult for those residents to get mortgages. But it wasn't just a practice involving mortgages. It also involved denial of credit in general and denial of health care and insurance as well and, it wasn't just about race, either. There was also discrimination against sexual orientation and women. Redlining was a pervasive practice of systemic discrimination that had a wide-ranging impact on American society, and despite legislation against redlining ("The Fair Housing Act of 1968," and 1974's "Equal Credit Opportunity Act"), it still exists today on some levels, with discriminatory lending patterns, systemic disparities persisting in modern housing practices and basic underfunding in minority neighborhoods. Redlining has also historically contributed to the long-term decline of low-income inner-city neighborhoods and the complex issue of generational wealth.
And this 18-minute short film powerfully dramatizes this issue.
Written by actor and comedian Jason Stuart and actress Lee Garlington, who also both star (and directed by Stuart), this is the story of the Gurney family, who are white, and the Williams family, who are black, who all live together on a piece of property in Savannah, Georgia in 1974. All seems tranquil on the outside but inside the house there is drama, and when Gloria Gurney (Alexandra Paul), the matriarch, dies in 2014, the ownership of the house is called into question.
The ensemble cast is excellent and stars some veteran actors. Jason Stuart, who plays Andrew Gurney, is a character actor and stand-up comic. He had roles in the 2016 version of "The Birth of a Nation," "Kindergarten Cop," and other feature films. Lee Garlington, who plays Andrew's sister, Katie, is an Emmy-nominated actress who has had recurring roles in "The West Wing," "Will & Grace," and other notable series. And Alexandra Paul has come a long way since "Bay Watch." Here she begins as a 40-year-old chainsmoker and ends as a 75-year-old chainsmoker. Kareem Ferguson (Clayton Williams) was featured in HBO's "Winning Time" and Ryan Murphy's "Monster," and Dalilah Ali Rajah who plays Barbara "has guest-starred on every Shonda Rhimes series on TV."
Rosy the Reviewer says...a talented cast telling a story that touches on generational wealth, prejudice, homosexuality, women's rights and discrimination...all in a powerful 18 minutes.
I hope this sneak peek piqued your interest to join me at this year's Carmel International Film Festival to see these and more great movies, not to mention the opportunity to mingle with some film folks.
For more information and tickets, visit www.ciffest.com. See you there!
See You Next Time!
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And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in. Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critics Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE: IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around. It's worth it)!
