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History of the Humboldt Film Festival

1967. The Vietnam War was in its eighth year with no end in sight, protests had reached a crescendo, race riots had flared up in major cities across the U.S., and our space race with the Soviet Union had become a powerful symbol of the Cold War.

Amidst all of this chaos, the arts were thriving and expanding in new ways. A San Francisco Be-In launched the Summer of Love, and the first live, international satellite television program featured The Beatles singing "All You Need is Love."

The year in film was exemplary and experimental. A TIME cover story at the time stated, "The most important fact about the screen in 1967 is that Hollywood has at long last become part of what the French film journal Cahiers du Cinema calls 'the furious springtime of world cinema,' and is producing a new kind of movie." Movie theatres were graced with modern classics like The Graduate, Bonnie and Clyde, Belle de Jour, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and Andy Warhol's The Chelsea Girls.

In a year known for its heavy student involvement in activism and the arts, it was the perfect time for a group of undergraduates in northern California to launch the first film festival run entirely by students. This tradition continues at Humboldt State University today, with different student co-directors bringing their unique vision to the festival each year.

LATEST NEWS:

April 4:
Check out this year's Award Winners!

March 9:
Lori Petty, Ry Russo-Young, & Joaquin Alvarado announced as Guest Judges!

February 5:
Don't miss our final deadline for submissions, February 16!

November 23:
We are now accepting online submissions at withoutabox.com!

November 18:
Early "L.A. Time" deadline extended to December 15! See Submissions.