OAKLAND—The Oakland International Film Festival, which starts Thursday at the Grand Lake Theater, may bring together international movies from Namibia to the Basque country of Spain, but a closer look shows that many of the films reflect Oakland itself.
With films touching on subjects from Buddhism to neighborhood development, from Latino leadership in Los Angeles to African-American actresses in Hollywood, the selection for the sixth edition of the festival says much about the interests and diversity of Oakland.
“Oakland is the most diverse city in the nation, so we want it to reflect all the different cultures,” said festival director David Roach.
Opening night will feature a guest appearance by Charles Burnett, who directed “Namibia: The Struggle for Liberation,” starring Danny Glover and Carl Lumbly. The film, funded by the Namibian government, brings together both African and African-American actors to retrace Namibia’s struggle for independence from South Africa. The 160-minute film, like the struggle itself, is a long one, but Roach says the movie is worth it.
Burnett, who grew up in Los Angeles, says his film will show Oakland audiences a part of the world they rarely see.
“Hopefully, younger audiences will experience and feel the resilience of a people who were the underdog in this story,” Burnett said. “It’s an epic film, one that tells the story of human will, the will to be free and to self-govern. It’s not a popcorn movie. It’s dramatic, and told in a way that I hope can touch everyone.”
While it can be difficult to compete with other, better-known film festivals, Oakland can benefit from independent film as much as any other city, Roach said. As an example, he cites “Grass Grows Green,” a 55-minute documentary exploring the army’s recruitment of minorities, to be screened Thursday. The film was pre-screened to high school students at Oakland School for the Arts Wednesday.
“The audience at Sundance is pretty affluent. Is a movie like this really going to affect them like it can affect these students?” said Roach. “What we’re hoping to do is connect audiences directly to these films.”
Oakland’s festival strives to be like Sundance, however, in bringing tourism and business to the city and partnering with neighboring businesses for events. According to Roach, the festival also helps Oakland by creating a platform for local filmmakers.
The closing day of the seven-day festival will highlight Oakland filmmakers, presenting two feature-length films and 11 shorts. In “Angels Can’t Help but Laugh,” directed by Thomas S. Burns, actress Terri Vaughn talks with 25 African-American actresses about their difficult experiences in Hollywood. Vaughn will attend the screening.
The second feature, “Nollywood,” directed by Franco Sacchi, documents the rise of Nigeria’s resourceful film industry, now the third-largest in the world.
Roach, who is the founding director, has seen the festival grow over the past six years. He said progress in technology has opened the film medium to new people and perspectives.
“People are no longer waiting for others to tell their stories,” he said.
The Oakland International Film Festival runs from Oct. 18 to Oct. 24. For a full program of screenings and events, visit http://www.oiff.org.