The Californer - Tonight The 23rd Oakland International Film Festival Closes at Northeastern University with a Spotlight on Existential Storytelling and Resilience

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The climate change fighting work of Japanese Botanist Akira Miyawki headlines the closing films of the Oakland International Film Festival with theme 'Promoting the Planet Through Film.' Screenings start at 5:30 p.m.

OAKLAND, Calif. - Californer -- Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight ~ San Francisco ~ Dallas~~

Posted courtesy of Wright Enterprises Community Spotlight San Francisco ~ Dallas

Oakland, CA — Saturday, September 20, 2025 — The 23rd Oakland International Film Festival (OIFF) began on a powerful note, tackling some of today's most urgent issues—free speech, freedom of the press, and immigration—and it ends just as strongly, with closing-day films that push boundaries, inspire reflection, and pose existential questions.

Day 11: Closing Day Film Lineup (Saturday, September 20)

Venue: Northeastern University, 5000 MacArthur Blvd, Oakland, CA 94612, (formerly Mills College), Littlefield Theater / Concert Hall

Films:
5:30-8:00 p.m.
Making a Mini-Forest (82 min
Theater While Black (19:30)
No (16:00)

8:30-11:30 p.m.
42 Years For Nothing (40)
Through the Body: Story of the International Body Music Festival (94)

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Close of OIFF On a Strong Note

Closing with reflection and hope: Whether through the rebuilding of nature (Making a Mini-Forest), art in community (Theater While Black), stepping outside one's comfort (NO), or life after long-term injustice (42 Years For Nothing), the lineup demonstrates that witnessing is part of healing.

Existential and deeply human themes: Through the Body delves into meaning, mortality, creativity, and community; 42 Years For Nothing confronts loss of time, identity, and what remains when society restores rights but not time.

Intersection of personal & systemic: Each film grapples with individual experience in arenas influenced by justice, environment, art, or trauma—showing not just what people survive, but how they reclaim and rebuild.

The 23rd Oakland International Film Festival is a Wrap Tonight at 11:30 p.m. at Northeastern University
OIFF, from September 10 through today, has been a platform for stories that matter—on issues of free speech, immigration, the press, racial justice, environmental crises, and personal survival. Supported by Mayor Barbara Lee, sponsors, and numerous community partners, the festival has underscored Oakland's role as a cultural force for truth and transformation.

More on The Californer

See something! Say Something! Do Something!—the evolution of change through the Oakland International Film Festival, "Promoting the Planet Through Film."

For Complete News Release with Film Synopses go to:
https://hype.news/wright-enterprises-us/tonight-the-23rd-oakland-international-film-festival-closes-at-northeastern-university-with-a-spotlight-on-existential-storytelling-and-community-resilience-uauodtws

For Tickets / Full Program: www.oiff.org
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