Held August 3 to 10, 2014, Oceanside International Film Festival is an annual event put out since 2009 in San Diego County’s Northernmost city, Oceanside.

One of recipients of OIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Awards this year is an American film and television actor Saginaw Grant. Saginaw Grant is a Native American actor, traditional dancer, and motivational speaker, respected member of the Sac-n-Fox, Iowa, and Otoe-Missouria Nations. Grant has appeared in numerous films and television shows. He played Chief Big Bear in the 2013 film The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp. The same year, he was featured in Breaking Bad. He is also known for acting and representing his nation in other TV shows: The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1993), Baywatch (1997), My Name is Earl (2005), Saving Grace (2007), etc. Oceanside International Film Festival also plans to have a Native American Indian element, in full regalia, on stage live at Star Theatre right before Saginaw Grant’s ceremony at Closing Awards Gala taking place 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm on Sunday, August 10, 2014, at Star Theatre, 402 North Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054.

Grant's grandfather Kirvin was a strong medicine man and his other grandpa Saginaw (whom he is named after) was also a very spiritual man. They taught Saginaw their customs, culture, and traditions, and the importance of their Native American way of life. As a result, Saginaw witnessed many special ceremonies and events taught to very, very few.

In The Lone Ranger, the audience discovers Grant's character when John (played by Armie Hammer) & Tonto (Johnny Depp) are held hostage by the Comanche tribe that signed a treaty where they let the railroad travel through their land. It is there when Tonto's life is explained. Chief Big Bear (Grant) tells John of how Tonto became estranged from the Comanche tribe. When he was an Indian boy he led two soldiers toward a river where rock 'silver' was in abundance. They killed his family. Tonto nearly lost his mind, painted his face, and finds a dead crow floating in a river. Throughout his travels he feeds the dead bird on his head. As John & Tonto search for Butch they end up in many situations until Rebecca & her son are kidnapped. The Comanche tribe is betrayed as the Railroad Company continues on toward the West. John wears the 'mask' as Tonto helps him begin his destiny as “The Lone Ranger.” Chief Big Bear & his 1,000 warriors attack the railroad.
 The audience gasped when Chief Big Bear was attacked in this movie.

Oceanside International Film Festival will honor hard-working Saginaw Grant with a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution in film and television industry. The festival organizers are particularly thrilled to welcome Saginaw Grant in association with this place in San Diego known for profound Native American history - Oceanside is rich with history of Luiseno Band of Native American Indians based from around Mission San Luis Rey. Other film industry's stars are expected to make a surprise appearance at the festival.

Oceanside International Film Festival is conceived and once again underwritten by Oceanside Cultural Arts Foundation / OCAF, which is OIFF’s parent entity, the same 501c3 non-profit organization that has conducted Oceanside Days of Arts for 22 years. This year will be the 25th year OCAF has brought quality artistic, visual, performance, and musical arts to Oceanside and the surrounding communities. Its Film Festival showcases narrative features, documentaries, shorts, animation, and student works from filmmakers who have not yet signed distribution agreements and look for recognition among wider audiences. All proceeds go towards scholarships and for the purpose of putting out more public events by OCAF.

Film industry guests and audience members alike will appreciate the ocean-infused atmosphere surrounding the city, where the festival is held. Located in the most Northern part of San Diego county and within a short drive from Los Angeles and Orange counties, Oceanside offers miles of sandy beaches ideal for sun-worshiping and surfing. Between screenings, movie aficionados will be able to visit the famous bungalow house featured in “Top Gun” (starring Tom Cruise), California Surf Museum, or the longest wooden pier on the western United States coastline – all downtown Oceanside within walking distance from OIFF-2014. Oceanside is also home to a harbor bustling with restaurants and entertainment, and to the historic Mission San Luis Rey, the largest building in California when completed in 1700’s and the most prosperous of the state’s 21 missions, thus earning the name “King of the Missions”.

This year festival’s organizational committee and Jury consists of almost 20 film passion-driven individuals, who have been meeting monthly since September 2013 (!) to make sure this year’s August event is another success. Among the submissions are works by independent filmmakers from all over the world. Nearly every continent is represented this year. The committee is excited to have at their disposal two wonderful venues downtown Oceanside for the purpose of publicly screening films. Firstly, it is historic Star Theatre. It was opened in 1956 with capacity for 986 people. Now, with 440 stadium-style seats and no obstructed views, it boasts a “California Historic Landmark” marquee decorated by multi-colored lights, and a beautiful round ticket booth as a centerpiece at the entrance that brings a sweet movie-going nostalgia to many North County’s old timers. Then the audience will get a chance to become familiar with the historic facility of
 Sunshine Brooks Theatre, built in 1936 originally with 659 seats, now with capacity of 200. The Brooks is the oldest standing theater in Oceanside.

For submission details, educational workshops, festival schedule, or complete list of award categories, please go to www.ocaf.info or www.facebook.com/likeOIFF