Schedule
The 13th HIDFF (MAR 2026)
13th Season Schedule
This event will be held at the Sherry Theater in North Hollywood on March 8th 2026.
For details on the venue location, see our Festival page.
BLOCK E - March 8th at 7:25pm
Highly Explosive (Germany)
In the heart of Hamburg, the discovery of an unexploded World War II bomb not only leads to a large-scale evacuation but also triggers an emotional state of emergency. As residents are forced to confront their long-suppressed fears and traumas, unexpected encounters arise amid the chaos—meetings that would never have happened under normal circumstances.
Written & Directed by Kerstin Polte
Cast: Anne Ratte-Pollte, Haley Louise Jones, Claudia Michelsen, Barbara Nüsse, Ivar Wafaei, Bernhard Schütz, Karl Markovics, Lukas von Horbatschewsky
Ethel & Ernie (USA)
A heartwarming comedy about the unlikely friendship between Ethel Lennon, a 73-year old who has lost her driver’s license & freedom after multiple car accidents, and Ernestine “Ernie” Brown, a 30s PilipinX in-home caregiver, who loves her job but is lonely and misses her family in the Philippines.
Written & Directed by Julia Wackenheim
Cast: Ellen Boscov, Nikki McKenzie, Julia Wackenheim, Jaime Moyer, Aldo Uribe, Rachael Drummond
BLOCK D - March 8th at 5:25pm
Better Days (France)
Suzanne, a widowed mother of three still grieving for her husband, has turned to alcohol to ease her pain, but is having an increasingly tough time maintaining a functioning façade. Until an accident on the way to school changes everything!
Directed by Elsa Bennett and Hippolyte Dard
Written by Elsa Bennett, Hippolyte Dard, Louis-Julien Petit
Cast: Michele Laroque, Valérie Bonneton, Sabrina Ouazani, Clovis Cornillac
Self in Echo (China)
Xuyuan, a withdrawn young woman, attends her grandmother’s funeral and finds herself surrounded by estranged relatives. Overcome by loneliness and emotional detachment, she feels adrift, as if her emotions exist outside the mourning around her.
Written & Directed by Yixian Guo
Cast: Xingxing Xu
BLOCK C - March 8th at 3:30pm
Tree of Fire: A Story of Love and Resilience (USA)
Tree of Fire is a heartfelt story of loss, survival, and spiritual connection. After a devastating fire, a once-thriving oak – blessed by Avatar Meher Baba – rises from the ashes to offer love and solace. The tree’s survival becomes a living symbol of resilience and Divine love. Through personal testimonies and breathtaking imagery, the film invites viewers to rediscover their own capacity for healing, transformation, and spiritual awakening.
Directed by Margaret Magnus and Ben Hoffman
Written by Margaret Magnus
This Is Me (USA)
A young man with Down syndrome talks about what it's like to have Trisomy 21.
Written & Directed by Dashiell Meier
Cast: Dashiell Meier
#FareLife (USA)
A peak inside the lives of Connecticut strangers from all walks of life as they ride from place to place with everyone's favorite FareRide driver, affectionately called “buddy”.
Directed by Brian Hogan and Tyler Stirling
Written by Brian Hogan
Cast: Brian Hogan
Kabul, City of Dreams (France)
A documentary film that takes us into the lives of two young Kabulis, Nilab and Nader. Through the eyes of Paeman Arianfar, we discover how these two strong souls do not let themselves be defeated by any physical or social handicap. In this emblematic city of Afghanistan, before its capture by the Taliban, they make sure to overcome the difficulties that come their way. The film follows them over the course of a day, like the last day of freedom for Afghan youth before the night of the Taliban.
Written & Directed by Paeman Arianfar
BLOCK B - March 8th at 1:20pm
Radio Sky (USA)
As Mac chews on a chicken leg in his rundown one-bedroom, with ankle monitors on his legs, breaking news erupts from the television that NASA has lost contact with astronauts in space. The notorious hacker, under house arrest, springs into action, hacking the ISS and discovering one astronaut alive, first-time astronaut Rose Finley, terrified and alone, held hostage by a ruthless Russian billionaire claiming the U.S. stole proof of his alien life. Risking everything, Mac secretly contacts her father, Joseph Finley (Dennis Haysbert), NASA’s Director of Communications, and together they must quietly plot her escape without alerting NASA, so Mac won’t violate his probation or lose her forever.
Written & Directed by Carlitos Do Souto
Cast: Dennis Haysbert, Desiree Ross, Eliza Roberts, Carlitos Dosouto, Circus Szalewski
Nina's Files (Ukraine/USA)
A Slavic woman is forced into a covert mission in New York City, navigating shifting identities, danger, and hidden family ties. A four-episode independent spy thriller filmed on-location across NYC.
Directed by Khrystyna Komarovska and Ardian Maliqi
Written by Khrystyna Komarovska
Cast: Khrystyna Komarovska, Daniel Mercado, Dan Chen, Maksym Kots, Alex Pita, Ilir Berisha, Bujar Sadikaj
Coast Contra - DON'T WORRY (USA)
Music video directed by Badr Ezzat, a self-taught interdisciplinary creative who aims to broaden his horizon through different ways of storytelling.
Written & Directed by Badr Ezzat
Cast: Taj Austin, Ras Austin, Eric Jamal, Mario Lozano Mosquera
BLOCK A - March 8th at 11:45am
Cast Aside the Clouds (Canada)
Explores the power of love, faith, and resilience. Set in Tehran, the film follows the journey of Layla Khosravi and Dr. Sasan Naderi, as they navigate the complexities of love and faith in a world divided by religious prejudice.
Directed by Mary Darling
Written by Mary Darling and Clark Donnelly
Cast: Parmiss Sehat, Behtash Fazlali, Shirin Youssefian Maanian, Anthony Azizi, Vassilis Koukalani, Cybele Hay, Djavad Djavahery, Panta Mosley, Dana Haqjoo
KAS:ST - LEGACY (France)
A poetic reflection on exile, resilience, and human connection. Directed by Daniel Alpernia, the film follows souls in motion—displaced yet determined—seeking light through struggle. With powerful visuals and a transcendent soundscape, it honors those who carry their past forward in hope of a better tomorrow.
Written & Directed by Daniel Alpernia
AWARDS PRESENTATION
Awards will be presented at 9:30pm on March 8th.
Previous season schedule
