BEST OF THE INT'L SHORT FILM FESTIVAL at Raven Theater in Healdsburg

The BEST OF THE FILM FESTIVAL was held in Healdsburg at the Raven Performance Art Theater on the last Sunday in February. There were 3 time slots; 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Each screening offered 6 short films from various international filmmakers and a Q&A, "talk back" with festival founders Pamela and Kirk Demorest following each series. The films cannot be longer than 15 minutes to qualify. One of the films, "Angst" submitted by a local, Santa Rosa filmmaker was one 1 minute. (I felt it was 1 minute too long.) The various genres included drama, comedy, dramedy, animation and documentaries. In addition to local submissions from Petaluma and Santa Rosa, foreign countries were represented: Russia, Spain, South Africa, UK, Germany, France, Nepal, Finland, Sweden and Italy. I attended the 4:00PM screenings. I will describe the 2 short films I felt were preeminent. The first film was from a local, Petaluma filmmaker. It was the animated, "Lightheaded" which was 5 minutes long and the documentary with mixed live footage and animation, "Wild Salmon" which was 14 minutes in length. "Lightheaded" was visually stunning. Anthropomorphic candles  illuminating billowing desert sands provided a keen sense of shadowing, melting, and humor. Astral objects zoomed past 3 candles who looked at each other questioningly. The most adventuresome decided to pursue what looked like a shooting star to where it was headed. Curiosity snuffed out the pursuing candle as it melted down. The 2 hesitant candles decided to investigate their mate and its fate. One candle derived  dire consequences but the one who went to school on the other two and with resourcefulness managed to find success. There was no dialogue, nor was it needed in this clever and luminous animation which conveyed wonder, dismay and ingenuity. My favorite film was the last one shown (probably it was considered foremost by most of the panel). It was "Wild Salmon from the UK," directed by Karen Arieli and Saul Freed. Listed in the program as a doc., I would clarify it as a nature/fantasy film, following the dramatic and harrowing life and consummate life cycle of wild salmon in human form. Marianne Faithfull passed away earlier this year. Faithful, a British actress and singer narrated the film. She's considered among the 1st female artists of the "British Invasion" and known as Mick Jagger's partner (1966-70). Her haunting voice adds to this hypnotic, unique film which begins enigmatically. It's not clear what we're witnessing. We discover we're watching a female, wild salmon from its nascent being into a salmon in human form through her life cycle including her spawning and demise. The film navigates us through lush natural habitats and into terrifying and often gruesome deaths that befall salmon in the wild. The anthropomorphic salmon is part fish and part scuba diver replete with engorged red lips and expressive eyes which conveyed strong emotions and determination from behind her scuba mask. I contend this is a film that advocates for being vegan.  I didn't know it at the time I saw the film, "Wild Salmon" won the Grand Jury Prize at the Healdsburg Film Festival.  In addition, this ingenious film won this year's Fantasy Filmfest, and Animation Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Pain d'Or for Best Short Film. It won my awe and continued vow not to eat any fish, meat or fowl.