SD Film Week features a soccer star stepping up as narrator and producer and a fictional take on high school life in OB

San Diego theater Digital Gym Cinema is known for showcasing independent, international and art house films from all over the world. But for one week in November, it will host an event dedicated solely to locally made films and shorts.

Starting Saturday and continuing through Nov. 15, San Diego Film Week is being held at the independent, nonprofit theater and lounge located in East Village.

“We are the last real art house cinema in San Diego,” Glenn Heath, Digital Gym Cinema’s artistic director, explained during a recent interview. “Our mission is to show films from around the world; documentaries, international films, experimental films, repertory films, you know. And (San Diego) Film Week is part of that mission.”

The festival, held annually since 2017, is the only one of its kind that exclusively showcases the city’s film industry. Though the event is held at Digital Gym, it’s operated by Film Consortium San Diego, a venture that helps promote and sustain local moviemaking.

“It kind of speaks to our mission in supporting local filmmakers and supporting local groups that are trying to find a place to present their work,” Heath said of Digital Gym hosting the film festival, “because outside of the multiplexes, there’s not a lot of options for them.

“We have become a kind of a great spot, a great place for people who are local filmmakers, student filmmakers, (to) screen their films for audiences,” he added.

As part of this year’s event, four feature films and dozens of shorts that have a local connection will be screened under the guidance of the festival’s curator, Film Consortium founder and president Jodi Cilley.

Full-length films

The films to be screened are:

• “Better Call Babs,” a documentary about the life of a local, Babs Fry as she finds redemption while recovering from addiction by dedicating her life to rescuing and rehabilitating lost pets and feral strays. Directed by Cam Lui and Michael Schnee. Run time: 90 minutes. 

• “Backwards Dad,” a fictional drama about a man who develops a condition that makes his mind age backwards. In the film, he races to confront a past love and meet the son he never knew before becoming too young to remember the son at all. Director: Felix Nunez. Run time: 120 minutes.

• “Fair Trade,” about a group of adults who are outcasts in California’s foster care system. They form a covert network to rescue abused children — only to cross a moral line by selling them into what they believe are better families. Directed by Vu Mai and Kevin Blakeley. Run time: 120 minutes.

• “Infernal,” a fantasy film that follows Azrael, a man driven to rescue his wife. His journey through hidden truths and shifting allegiances ignites a struggle that will uncover something far greater than he ever imagined. Directors: Darien Andreas Brown, Brandon Self. Run time: 120 minutes.

Film shorts 

The shorts range in length from two to 20 minutes and also will be screened each day. Some that may particularly resonate with local residents are:

• “Brick By Brick,” a documentary about the Southwestern College women’s basketball team that faces the cancellation of the season due to a lack of players, but is saved when the soccer team volunteers to take the court, even though none of them have ever played the sport. Narrated and executive produced by former San Diego Wave FC and U.S. Women’s National Team star Alex Morgan.

• “Sunset Cliffs,” a drama set in 2004 San Diego, revolving around a handful of students at (the fictional) Ocean Beach High School.

• “Critter Encounters: A Forever Home,” a documentary that follows the work of a wildlife sanctuary in Ramona.

• “Rise Up Industries: Breaking the Cycle,” is a documentary spotlighting a San Diego-based social enterprise that supports formerly incarcerated people as they rebuild their lives through job training and mentorship.

In addition, the San Diego Film Week schedule includes Q&As with filmmakers, panels, workshops and an award ceremony.