The 24th Oakland International Film Festival - Day 3, Sept 11 - 8:30 PM

Director: Na Forest Lim

Runtime: 00:20:00

Inspired by the visionary philosophy of James and Grace Lee Boggs, In Love & Struggle celebrates Detorit’s enduring spirit of freedom Dreaming. The film illuminates Detroit’s rich history of grassroots activism and ongoing community transformation—showing the reality and everyday practice of a quiet revolution in action. The film invites viewers to reflect on their own being and becoming — to recognize their agency, practice the future they want to see, and tap into the power of neighborly love

Director: Ziyi Zeng

Runtime: 00:14:59

Grappling with dementia, eighty-year-old Kang longs to return to China. When a yellow crane appears, memory and reality blur — guiding his spirithome in a final goodbye seen only by his granddaughter.

Director: Joslyn Rose

Runtime: 00:14:44

David, a once-brilliant jazz musician, can no longer hear music. Doctors search for a diagnosis while debating whether his condition is neurological or psychological, but answers remain elusive. As pressure mounts to institutionalize him, David is guided through an unconventional therapy that pulls him into memories of faith, discipline, and unresolved trauma. Moving between a hospital, a chapel, and the past, David confronts the voices that shaped him and the fear that silenced him. When he finally stops searching for proof and allows himself to listen inwardly, sound returns in an unexpected way, raising questions about perception, healing, and whether truth needs to be witnessed to be real.

Director: Thomas Grascoeur

Runtime: 00:14:00

(Pronounced: see mule tin nay) Our younger selves begin with hopes and dreams of a spectacular future. But as the years pass, circumstances shift, doors close and the demands of life often interrupt, or even extinguish those early visions. What if we could step outside that relentless busyness and, for a moment, revisit those dreams and imagine the person we might have become. That’s what Simultané is about. It’s a contemporary story that also pays subtle homage to favorite films of the 1950s...think the charm of Audrey Hepburn plus the spirit and energy of Katharine Hepburn. Simultané is set against the radiant palette of the Côte d’Azur and accompanied by original music inspired by Gershwin and Rachmaninoff. The film is also influenced by the French artist Sonia Delaunay, particularly her idea of simultané: when contrasting colors are placed side by side, each becomes more vivid and more alive. That visual and emotional principle became a metaphor for the film itself.

Director: Mandela Van Peebles

Runtime: 00:07:18

contagious reminds us that it’s the simple things in life that matter— a smile, a helping hand, a kind gesture— in this story about human connection. After all, love is contagious.

Disclaimer: Schedule subject to change