Attendees gather at last year’s North Bay Art & Film Festival at the Commanding Officer’s Quarters. This year, the movies will be screened at the Clocktower while the workshops will return to Carter’s Biz Cafes at the Commanding Officer’s Quarters. (File photo)

(This article has been updated from the print edition.)

It’s a film lover’s chance to experience cinema paradiso in Benicia as Carter’s Biz Cafes hosts the North Bay Art & Film Festival.
The festival is an annual three-day event which screens films created by independent filmmakers and select artists from around the globe. Independent filmmakers created the festival with the goal of showcasing and screening new movie creators.
The first night of the festival begins Friday, Oct. 6. The event is called “Casablanca Casbah” and styled after the classic 1942 film “Casablanca.” This day begins at 6 p.m. and goes until 9 p.m. Carter’s Biz Cafés will host the event. French-Moroccan cuisine prepared by Chef Eileen and Baker Sy will be served at the event. Attendees also have the chance to be photographed with the festival’s filmmakers while live jazz music plays through the night. Additionally, they will be able to play blackjack and roulette games with the winnings benefiting Benicia Ballet.
Saturday, Oct. 7 kicks off the second off day of the festival and the first one to feature films. The day will feature a workshop titled “Documentary Filmmaking: Telling the Stories That Need to Be Told” at Carter’s Biz Cafes. Beginning at 11 a.m., the screening of movies will begin. The day will have three screenings at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and will feature such films such as Deborah Ray-Sims’ “Choices,” “Onere” by Kevin Pontuti and “Iman and the Light Warriors” by Osahon Tongo will be screened. There will also be movies by international directors, including “The Bus Trip” by Swedish director Sarah Gampel, “Hada” by Spanish auteur Tony Morales and three films by French filmmaker Izumi Gautier. Saturday closes with a screening of five award-winning short films at 7 p.m.
The Film festival concludes Sunday, Oct. 8. The day will feature two workshops:  “Using Sound and Music to Create Successful Films at 12:15 and “The No. 1 Secret to Finding Investors for Your Next Film” at 1:30 p.m. The final sets of films will be screened at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.. Films to be shown on Sunday include Daniel Lachman’s “Dated,” “Swan Lake” by Iranian filmmaker Saeed Mayahy, “The Makeover” by Emily Markoe, and “Romantic Suicide of Travius Smith III” by Benicia High School senior Waseem Vydyarakath. An award ceremony and “It’s a Wrap” awards reception will be held at 4 p.m.
There will also be two opportunities to experience virtual reality. Jayson Tang’s VR film “A Tango in San Francisco” will give viewers a chance to see a 360 degree performance by San Francisco Ballet principal dancer Pascal Mollat. Similarily, Dawnrunner, Inc. will be showcasing James Fox’s VR film “Inside the Schizophrenic Mind” that puts the viewer in the shoes of a person experiencing a schizophrenic episode in public so that caretakers of people with schizophrenia can have a firsthand experience of what those afflicted will go through.
The historic Clocktower, located 1189 Washington St., will host all the screenings at the film festival. The workshops will be held at Carter’z Biz Cafes in the Commanding Officer’s Quarters at 1 Commandant’s Lane. Ticket prices for the festival are start at $15, but various options can be found at the festival’s website. For more information, go to northbayartfilmfest.com.

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