Schedule

The 7th HIDFF (FEB 2023)

7th Season Schedule
This event will be held at the Sherry Theater in North Hollywood on Sunday Feb 5th (Day 1) and Monday Feb 6th (Day 2).
For details on the venue location, see our Festival page.

NOTE: Films listed with "HYBRID" next to the title are included in both the in-person screenings as well as the virtual portion of our hybrid format this season. Virtual screenings take place at HID.FestQ.com starting Feb 25 to Mar 4.

BLOCK A - Day 1 at 4pm

Fishing Sleep (HYBRID)
A woman who suffers from insomnia chooses to go fishing, only to meet a strange young girl at the river.
Directed by Yue Zhang
Written by Yue Zhang
Cast: Jianying Chen

Dawn: A Charleston Legend (HYBRID)
The story of Dawn Langley Simmons, one of the first transgender and interracial marriage pioneers, who lived in a grand mansion filled with antiques and a hidden garden, but ultimately lost it all in order to become who she was inside; a woman, wife and mother.
Directed by Ron Davis

Awadagin Pratt: Black in America
Awadagin Pratt: Black in America confronts issues of privilege and racism in America and tells a personal account of an all-too-common experience for many people of color in America and worldwide.
Directed by Michelle Bauer Carpenter
Written by Awadagin Pratt
Cast: Awadagin Pratt

BLOCK B - Day 1 at 5:25pm

Chromosomally Enhanced: What's Your Superpower?
A touching and inspirational journey through the daily lives of children and young adults living and thriving with Down syndrome and their families.
Directed by Keith Famie

Dani's Twins (HYBRID)
A documentary about the pregnancy and early parenting journey of Daniela Izzie, one of the few quadriplegics in history to ever give birth to twins.
Directed by Brad Allgood and Steve Dorst
Cast: Daniela Izzie, Rudy Izzie

BLOCK C - Day 1 at 7:15pm

Call Me Soraya (HYBRID)
Soraya feels like a girl, but anatomically she is a boy. Over a period of six years, a touching film was made which, beyond the individual fate, contributes to the debate about transidentity and homophobia.
Directed by Daniel Stadelmann
Written by Daniel Stadelmann

BLOCK D - Day 2 at 12:40pm

Thirst
A short film about sexual equality, following a woman on a journey of self-exploration as she seeks what previously felt out of reach: pleasure.
Directed by YUCA
Written by YUCA
Cast: Angelica Pimenta

Okay
A glimpse into the life of an Iranian-American woman, as she teeters on the brink of crisis following a run of unfortunate events as her dreams of becoming a Hollywood movie star begin to disintegrate. She says okay to everything and everyone – at the cost of not being okay herself.
Directed by Yasmine Aker and Elliot Knight
Written by Yasmine Aker
Cast: Yasmine Aker, Medise Bathaie, Mariana Brassaroto, Holly Kaplan

DejaVu (HYBRID)
Eric, a Scientist, and his daughter Grey, are quarantined at home due to a highly unusual phenomenon in the Universe.
Directed by Alex Rios
Written by Alex Rios
Cast: Maurice Moore, Olivia Whitney

Eye of the Veil (HYBRID)
After the sudden death of her pregnant partner, a closeted attorney must embrace her sexuality and humanity, as she seeks custody of their newborn.
Directed by Dorothy A. Atabong
Written by Dorothy A. Atabong
Cast: Dorothy A. Atabong, Cynthia Chalifour, Yemie Sonuga, Claudelle Tremblay

Panah (HYBRID)
Panah, a Middle-aged transgender male parent, is trying to leave Iran, in order to have sex reassignment procedures. He receives a phone call that his visa and medical docs have been rejected. Now, his only hope and motivation is to once more see his son, and be accepted by him for his authentic true self.
Directed by Fatemeh Ghadirinezhadian
Written by Masoumeh Bayat
Cast: Nasim Adabi

BLOCK E - Day 2 at 2:20pm

Layers of Lies
Firefighter Sam Kashani intervenes in a desperate hostage situation between business rivals while evacuating a burning office complex in Tehran, almost losing his life. He starts a new life overseas in Finland where he meets his future wife, Emma. Years later when he returns to Iran, Emma is kidnapped. Sam finds himself at the center of a revenge plot and must take matters into his own hands to rescue her.
Directed by Ramin Sohrab
Written by Ramin Sohrab and Christopher Larsen
Cast: Ramin Sohrab, Jessica Wolff

BLOCK F - Day 2 at 4:00pm

Being with You: The Power of Self-Compassion (HYBRID)
A documentary film exploring the importance of self-compassion, the science behind it, and its social impact on society.
Directed by Pam Austin

AWARDS PRESENTATION

Awards will be presented at 5:25pm on Day 2.

Previous season schedule