One Book, One Coast Featuring George Takei
County of San Luis Obispo Public Libraries are joining more than 140 libraries across California, Oregon and Washington for One Book, One Coast, the largest book club on the West Coast.
Community members are encouraged to read and discuss “They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei, Steven Scott, and Justin Eisinger and illustrated by Harmony Becker. Readers can reserve a copy of the eBook, physical book, or Spanish language book at slolibrary.org.
“They Called Us Enemy” is a graphic memoir written for young adults. It recounts Takei’s childhood experience of incarceration alongside more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were U.S. citizens, following Executive Order 9066 in 1942.
George Takei is a renowned civil rights activist, social media icon, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned over six decades. Best known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek, Takei has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television episodes. He has leveraged his public profile to champion social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and marriage equality.
One Book, One Coast runs through May 31 and culminates with An Evening with George Takei on May 31 at the East Los Angeles Library. Registration is required.
Locally, several free events are planned, encouraging discussion about the book which confronts questions of patriotism, family, loyalty, and community. Find out more about these events at slolibrary.org.
‘Sixth Sense’ Actor to Spotlight 32nd SLO International Film Festival
The actor famous for seeing dead people in the film “Sixt Sense” will be honored at the 32nd San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLOIFF) this month.
SLOIFF will present actor Haley Joel Osment the festival’s Spotlight Presentation: Craft in Focus Award. His new film “How to Date Again,” will have its World Premiere at this year’s edition of the SLO Film Fest. The feature film was primarily shot in San Luis Obispo County.
New to the festival this year, the Spotlight Presentation: Craft in Focus Award celebrates standout talent from the festival program through in-depth conversations exploring their past and current work, creative journeys, and perspectives on filmmaking.
The festival runs from Thursday, April 23 through Tuesday, April 28. The Spotlight Presentation, conversation with Haley Joel Osment, and the premiere of “How to Date Again,” are scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at the historic San Luis Obispo Masonic Lodge.
“Haley first captured audiences with his standout childhood performance in “The Sixth Sense,” and we’re looking forward to reflecting on his notable career as well as spotlighting his evolution into comedy and his continued commitment to championing independent film,” SLOIFF Director Skye McLennan.
Osment is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and two-time Actor Award-nominated actor with a robust career spanning across genres. On the TV side, he appears in the latest season of “Poker Face” for Peacock. He can be seen in season two of Tim Burton’s hit Netflix series “Wednesday.”
With a slate of over 100 films from 25 countries including narrative features, short films, feature documentaries, and doc shorts, this year brings two new categories – Episodics and a special award recognizing the Best Genre/Horror Film.
Also on tap are the Festival’s signature events, Surf Nite, the popular Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase, Cal Poly Short Cuts, Music Video Showcase, and Community of Skate.
Additional programs include short films curated by R.A.C.E. Matters, and Filmmakers of Tomorrow, featuring short films by those 18 and under.
McLennan said, “This year our tagline is ‘Where Our Stories Live,’ highlighting that both our festival and San Luis Obispo are home to storytellers and storytelling. We believe film festivals are a powerful opportunity to showcase a diversity of perspectives and stories, and when we share them, we can truly be in community with one another.”
Other feature film highlights include the West Coast Premiere of SLOIFF Alumni Giselle Bonilla’s feature directorial debut and dark comedy “The Musical,” starring Rob Lowe; the Sci-Fi Thriller “April X,” starring Connie Storrie; the Brazilian production “The Blue Trail,” winner of the Silver Bear/Grand Jury Prize at Berlin; festival-circuit award-winning favorite “Adult Children”; Venice Film Festival and Image Awards winner “The Fisherman from Ghana;” and “Valentina,” directed by Tatti Ribeiro, winner of “someone to watch” at the 2026 Independent Spirit Awards.
There will be a special screening of “Left Handed Girl,” the directorial debut of Shih-Ching Tsou and co-written and edited by Sean Baker, her longtime creative partner. The Sunday, April 26 screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director.
Other special presentations include “Sender,” a psychological thriller starring Rhea Seehorn, Britt Lower, and Jamie Lee Curtis; and Billy Wilder’s timeless Noir about Hollywood, “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), newly restored.
Documentary features include “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez,” winner of the Audience Award at Sundance for US Documentary; “Birds of War,” winner of World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award at Sundance; and award-winning “Steal This Story, Please!” that goes behind the scenes with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!
SLOIFF is an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Qualifying Festival. As a result, films that win in the category of “Best Documentary Short” at SLOIFF may be qualified to enter the 99th Academy Awards (2027) making them eligible to win an Oscar. This year’s nine documentary short films include “Love Birds,” documenting the discovery of homosexuality in seagulls that ignited a cultural and political firestorm; “The Right Fit,” about a legendary jean store, its unique owner and its connection to the community; and “Swim Sistas,” a visually stunning love letter to water, sisterhood, and the enduring strength of Black women across generations.
With films from Iran, Brazil, Lebanon, Colombia, Estonia and the U.S. among other nations, the diverse Narrative Short category brings drama, fantasy, horror, science-fiction, romance and comedy to the SLOIFF screens. The French/South African production “Vultures; What If They Bomb Here Tonight,” from Lebanon; the romance “Never Never Never” from the U.K.; the fantasy film “I Have Wings But I Cannot Fly” from the U.S.; the drama “Summer Triangle” from Iran; and from Estonia, a horror film, “Breadsong,” are among the selected films.
New to the festival this year is an Episodic category, with five pilots scheduled to be showcased: the World Premiere of “Too Romantic” starring Rivkah Reyes, the comedies “Dick Bunny” and “Pour Decisions,” the trans drama “One For The Team,” and the world premiere of “Savage” directed by Josh Bowman.
Surf Nite in SLO, the film festival’s signature one-of-a-kind surfing film event, is featuring “The Blind Sea.” This thrilling documentary follows the remarkable career of Australian surfer Matt Formston, a 3-time World Champion with just 3% vision, as he attempts the most dangerous challenge of his life: riding the monster waves of Nazaré. Pushing beyond prejudice and physical limits, Matt chases a world record for the largest wave ever surfed by a vision-impaired athlete. The film is both an adventure and a powerful testament, redefining what’s possible for anyone facing adversity. The evening kicks off with a set by popular local band Riff Tide and guests are encouraged to enjoy drinks and mingle in the Fremont Theater’s art deco lobby prior to introductory comments and the screening of the film.
Complementing Surf Nite is Community of Skate, a much-anticipated event at the historic Bay Theatre in Morro Bay that starts with an exhibition of skateboard designs and live-screen printing by the San Luis Obispo High School Advanced Graphic Design class. Two films will be screened that celebrate the culture, community, and challenges of skateboarding: the documentary feature, “N-Men The Untold Story” with Tony Hawk and Tony Alva; and the documentary short, “Pat Ngoho: A Meditation On Creativity.”
This year, the festival will also present the Music Video Showcase and an opportunity to experience an eclectic mix of creative music videos with an acoustic set at the historic, and dramatic, San Luis Obispo Masonic Hall. With videos from Brazil, Austria, China and the U.S., many of the filmmakers will be in attendance to talk about their work.
Every year, a regional collective of writers, artists, historians, chefs, surfers, and philanthropists sponsors a film series grouped around a theme close to the creative spirit of the Central Coast. This year, they are presenting Between Doubt and Devotion: Three Films in Search of the Sacred, comprised of “The Master” (2012), “Samsara” (2011) and “The Seventh Seal” (1957).
R.A.C.E. Matters teams up again with the film festival to present a program entitled “Stay True.” In an intentionally confusing world, truth matters, including truth to self. These five short films tell stories of people who stay true to what motivates them, inspires them, feeds them, heals them. This program is open to SLOIFF ticket holders and the general public.
Now in its 20th year, Filmmakers of Tomorrow continues to inspire young filmmakers from around the world to share their talents with the SLOIFF audience. This year the showcase presents fifteen short films, from three to seven minutes in length, from elementary, middle, and high school students from Spain, Canada, New Zealand, China, Singapore, and the U.S.
The Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase highlights the work of ten talented filmmakers from Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties. The one feature and nine shorts range from documentary, to comedy, drama and suspense.
Cal Poly Short Cuts features six short films created by Cal Poly students under the mentorship of Professor Randi Barros and James Werner, associate professor of Art & Design. These emotionally charged stories explore love, loss, discovery, and unexpected moments of connection.
A panel of more than 100 screeners evaluated over 2,000 submissions to finalize the SLOIFF Official Selections. The finalists in competition are juried by a panel of film and media professionals, and cash prizes will be awarded during the Closing Night Ceremony on Tuesday, April 28. Full Jury bios are available at www.slofilmfest.org.
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