By Julia Kelm and Ariana Wilson

Laughter and chatter reverberated through the air as Cal Poly Humboldt film majors and cinema enthusiasts piled into the Minor Theatre. From April 23 to 26, the venue served as the heartbeat of the 59th annual Humboldt International Film Festival.

The festival hosted 39 short films that featured a variety of visual and narrative genres. However, on the last day of the festival, the content featured their ‘best of fest.’ Seven films were voted the pinnacle in their respective categories by a panel of three guest judges.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s College of Art, Humanities and Social Sciences Dean, Jeff Crane, spoke about how the festival was a long-standing tradition that helped create a space for students and the community to view and create art. 

“[We’re] reminding the community that universities are much more than just STEM programs,” Crane said. “The arts provide an important service and broaden the way we think about and understand the world; develop empathy.” 

Film provides a medium for tough subject matter to be discussed in a more approachable format. Many of the films at the festival spotlight heavy topics, such as domestic violence, death, aging and care, intergenerational trauma, climate change and artificial intelligence. 

Danica Frey, senior film major and co-director of the award-winning local film, The Void, dealt with intense topics. The film approached topics like parental trauma and learning to heal one’s inner child — a powerful message that was fortunately able to be platformed.

“It’s very surreal to be a student filmmaker and see your film on the big screen with all of these other established filmmakers,” Frey said. “It just feels very validating… you’re actually making steps into the industry.”

Humboldt’s isolated location as one of the most northern universities in California creates surprising opportunities for students that could be harder to come by in areas with more saturation in their chosen career fields. 

“It’s been very rewarding to come here as opposed to a bigger school. You get a lot more personal connections and feedback,” Frey said. “It’s a much more unique look at filmmaking.”

Frey’s co-director and producer, Sara Ortega, a senior film major doubling in communication, has been a part of the film program and festival since 2024. However, it wasn’t until last year that she applied to be co-director of the festival. 

“The reason why I had gotten in was because I really wanted to have a relationship with the advisor, because she’s a producer, and that’s what I’m aiming for,” JUMP Ortega said. “I want to be a film producer, so I knew that working with [the film advisor], I would learn a lot more — which did happen, thankfully.”

Both Frey and Ortega expressed how beneficial the festival was for them, and hope the event will continue for many years to come.

“This festival is growing more and more every year,” Ortega said. “The more people attend, the bigger it can get, and the more opportunity it brings to not just the [local] community, but also to the film community.”

Julia is a journalism major and the co-EIC of the paper. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. She also enjoys going on walks in the forest and taking pictures to relax. If you have a movie you’d like her to review, please email her at jk328@humboldt.edu.

Ari is a senior journalism major and co-EIC this semester, with a deep passion for the environment and conservation. As a scientific diver, she plans to combine journalism with research and conservation work. For inquiries, contact ajw167@humboldt.edu.