Oceanside Film Fest: The Road Back – A Mental Health Series for Mind, Body & Soul

In honor of Mental Health Week 2025 Oceanside International Film Festival—in partnership with Oceanside Theatre Company—invites our creative community to THE ROAD BACK at the historic Brooks Theater (217 N. Coast Highway Oceanside CA) a specially curated film series celebrating the vital role of the arts in the healing process mental well-being and the resilience of the soul.

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 | United Kingdom | 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

Also check out other Arts events in Oceanside, Entertainment events in Oceanside, Health & Wellness events in Oceanside.