since 1967…
The Humboldt International Film Festival has been a beacon for extraordinary filmmaking talent from across the globe. In its 58th year, we continued this proud tradition, inviting you to celebrate an incredible array of films and filmmakers. Along with our four main categories of Narrative, Experimental, Documentary, and Animation we are bringing back our Spotlight Films, this year we focused on films that explore the theme “Into The Woods Somewhere.”
We were thrilled to welcome three guest judges to the fest: Latajh Weaver, Julian Doan, and Kat Ball.
Schedule
Thursday April 23
7 pm
Narrative Program
Minor Theatre
Arcata, CA
9 pm
Opening Night After Party at the local cider bar
828 1 Street
Arcata, CA
FRiday April 24
3 pm
Guest judge panel
Passions & Paychecks: Finding the Balance
Art B 102
Cal Poly Humboldt
7 pm
Documentary Program
Minor Theatre
Arcata, CA
Saturday April 25
3 pm
Animation Program
Minor Theatre
Arcata, CA
7 pm
Experimental Program
Minor Theatre
Arcata, CA
SUnday April 26
3 pm
Spotlight Program: Into the woods somewhere
Minor Theatre
Arcata, CA
7 pm
Best of fest program
Minor Theatre
Arcata, CA
9 pm
Closing Night After Party at
the Wild hare
828 1 Street
Arcata, CA
Art B 204
Cal Poly Humboldt
monday April 27
8 am
Character Design Workshop with Kat Ball
HIFF Guest Judges
LaTajh Simmons-Weaver is an Oakland-based screenwriter, director, and producer, named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Their work employs humor and irony to highlight underrepresented Black queer narratives. They have produced films for The Guardian, the Museum of African Diaspora, and the SF Queer Arts Foundation. Their films, Budget Paradise (SFFILM) and Hold Me Close (Sundance), premiered in 2025. They also served as associate producer on Earth Mama (A24), which premiered at Sundance in 2023 and won a BAFTA.
Latajh Weaver
Julian Doan is a writer/director preoccupied with the mundane, ironic, and absurd. His short films RASPBERRY (Sundance 2021) and LONG’S LONG LOST & MINI MART (Tribeca 2025), are the first 2 of his “dead dad trilogy”, to be completed with his 1st feature HALF SWEET (Gotham Project Market 2021): a Tati-esque satirical tragicomedy about a family keeping a dying father alive against his will. Together, these films all explore the commodification of grief. He’s also an editor and assistant editor with credits such as THE SYMPATHIZER, IN TREATMENT, MAINSTREAM, and WILD WILD COUNTRY. He’s a recently converted cat daddy.
Julian Doan
Kat Ball is an animator originally from New York City, currently living in Los Angeles. She is a character designer on the Netflix animated series Long Story Short and seasons two & three of Tuca & Bertie. She is the founder & curator of the animation screening series Loose Frames, which aims to uplift independent animators locally and internationally. She is also on the board and the Fellowship Program Director of the 501(c)3 non-profit Silver Lake Shorts.