THE ROAD BACK: A Mental Health Film Series for the Mind, Body & Soul

Oceanside International Film Festival Presents
The Road Back: A Mental Health Film Series for the Mind, Body & Soul

In honor of mental health week 2025, Oceanside International Film Festival invites our creative community to THE ROAD BACK, a specially curated film showcase celebrating the vital role of the arts in the healing process, mental well-being and the resilience of the soul.

Doors: 5:15PM | Films: 6:00PM

This 76 Minute Showcase features the following short films:

ALONE TOGETHER: After breaking off their budding relationship, Julian and Devon struggle to return to their lonely lives apart. With a unique storytelling device, the audience is able to view two characters' stories at once. Directed by Erin Martinez | San Diego, CA | Narrative Short | 7 Minutes

SEEN AGAIN: A troubled man, trying to make sense of his life while driving through the Arizona desert, encounters difficult memories from his past that appear as a storm of personal objects falling from the sky. This experimental, hand-drawn and collage, 2-D animation explores the power of memory as manifested through objects from our past. Directed by Peter Murphy | Rochester, NY | Animation | 10 Minutes

WILD SEA: Wild Sea delves into the life of Jeff Allen, a trailblazing figure in the world of Sea Kayaking. The film traces Jeff's journey from his formative years to his role as one of the foremost Sea Kayak guides and coaches of our time. As we accompany Jeff on his odyssey, we are immersed in the depths of his past, including his experiences in the military and are granted access to his own personal traumas. The film illuminates the transformative power of the sea as Jeff finds purpose and healing through his connection with the ocean. In particular, his 2004 Japan circumnavigation serves as a poignant testament to the cathartic influence of the ocean environment on his life. Directed by Tom Vetterl | Germany | Documentary | 14 Minutes

OCEAN STATE OF MIND: As adulthood brings increasing complexity, Rhode island surfer Curtis Perdue finds space for his mental health in the icy waters of New England. With a deep love for the ocean instilled by his late father, Curtis aims to inspire lifelong passions in his own children and pass down a legacy of stoke. Directed by Danny Hardesty | Auburn, MA | Documentary | 4 Minutes

RESURRECTION ARTIST: If you died and came back, what would your art look like? Matthew, a doctor and artist drowns during a bodysurfing accident, 10 minutes later he is resuscitated by strangers but is paralyzed from the neck down. After surgery and rehabilitation, he walks out of the hospital. Once home, he must navigate a return to life with a changed body. Matthew explores the significance of his harrowing death experience through creating art, mounts a comeback to his work as an ER doctor, and sets an audacious goal to surf within a year of his death experience. Directed by Scott Fitzloff | San Francisco, CA | Documentary | 22 Minutes

LAST CALL: Last Call tells the story of Kate(Lindsay Duncan), a desperate mother who is trying to reconnect with her son(Tom Holland). Navigating an obvious void, Kate will finally have the chance to ask the questions that have haunted her past and will decide her future. A meditative perspective on the complexity of depression and grief and search for understanding and absolution. Directed by Harry Holland | United Kingdom | Narrative Short | 19 Minutes