Two-day Cannabis Culture Film Festival Kicks Off This Friday

ONEONTA—“Astral Plane Drifter” will headline as the feature film at the Cannabis Culture Film Festival at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 6 at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center. The two-day festival begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 5 with a screening of “The Big Lebowski.” Comedian Rob Cantrell (”The Last O.G.”, “The Colbert Report”) will host the event on both days. Cantrell hosts the “The Cannabis Coffee Hour” on all podcast platforms.

Directed by Scott Slone, “Astral Plane Drifter” (2024, 1:28) is a mix of western, sci-fi, kung-fu, comedy and horror, “about a man called Drifter who goes on an existential journey through a maze of outrageous scenarios with his trusted sidekick … to save the day. The girl. And maybe even the universe!”

The feature film will wrap a day of festival selections from the CCFF team and Film Otsego, co-sponsors of the event with DOSHA Farms Dispensary and Foothills PACC. More than a dozen films have been selected for their CCFF debut in Oneonta on September 6. The films cross genres, but all have to do with cannabis.

“We’re really excited to bring Rob Cantrell and the Cannabis Culture Film Fest to Stoneonta,” Otsego County Film Commissioner Greg Klein said in a media release. “They found a great slate of films for us to show.”

On Saturday, doors open at 12:30 p.m. At 1 p.m., there will be a pitch contest for film or TV ideas about cannabis films or shows. The winner gets consulting meetings with Film Otsego and other media professionals about the project, as well as promotional gifts.

At 2 p.m., there will be a “Cannabis & Creativity Panel” with Cantrell, DOSHA owner Korey Rowe, film maker Elana Frankel (“Cannabis + Creativity”) and festival directors Tim Mattson and David Walters. At 3 p.m. is the Doc Block, with “Hempman vs. the State” and “Rolled with Care.”

A Finnish film directed by Sampsa Huttunen, “Hempman vs. the State” (2021, 28:30) tells the story of “a man who wants to cultivate cannabis openly and without asking for permissions. The film goes through a decade-long story of Finnish farmer Timo Haara’s quest to grow cannabis and its ramifications, showing us what civil disobedience and fighting the system can do to a man.”

Directed by Shaindel Brodie, “Rolled With Care” (2025, 22 minutes) explores “the niche world of professional joint rollers in New York City in 2024. The film dives into the culture and craft behind rolling, featuring interviews with paper brands, influencers, and seasoned rollers who share their stories, techniques, and visions for the future of the industry.”

At 4:20 p.m., the Long Shorts Block features three films, “4/20 Everyday,” “Joint Venture—A Stoner Comedy Odyssey” and “A Strange Trip.”

Directed by Mike L. Hall, “A Strange Trip” (2025, 25:25) follows “an aging hippie father and his stiff, uptight lawyer son who hit the road together for a wild trip to the Woodstock Museum in White Lake, New York.”

Directed by Tyler Justin Pruyn, “4/20 Every Day” (2025, 18 minutes) is a groundhog day for stoners as a man “finds himself in a seemingly never-ending loop on 4/20.”

Directed by Caleb Turner and Kyle Fauber “Joint Venture—A Stoner Comedy Odyssey” (2024, 38:43) looks on as “three naive stoners embark on a strange and perilous odyssey across Los Angeles in a search for weed.”

Klein said he recommends people do not miss the 4/20 Long Shorts Block.

“All the movies are wonderful, but the three films in the 4/20 block are all award-worthy,” he said. “I love the feature and the other blocks, too, but I recommend everyone catch the Long Shorts Block.”

At 6:15, there will be a Short Shorts Block, with films between five and 10 minutes long. The films include: “Runners,” “The Doobey,” “The Magic Seed,” “The High Road,” “Doomers,” and the animated shorts “Gobbits” and “Panic Switch.” After each block, there will be a short question and answer session with the artists, when they are available.

On Friday, September 5, doors open at 7 p.m. The Lebowski screening begins at 8 p.m. There will be trivia and costume contests, with promotional prizes for winners. Directed by Joel Cohen, the movie is about Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges), “a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler who is assaulted as a result of mistaken identity, leading to an adventure.”

After the Friday movie, there will be a special “Hippy Hour,” 21+ only, with a $25.00 ticket. There will be food from Sum Noodle Raman Bar, pre-movie popcorn, samples and promotional products, plus admittance to an outdoor “Hippy Hour Lounge.” Go to https://tinyurl.com/HippyHour09052025 for Hippy Hour passes.

Other than the special Hippy Hour food and pass, the event is free both nights, and all movie screenings and blocks are free. Donations are welcome.

Film Otsego, the pioneer film commission in the state’s Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, is a 501c3 designed to build and grow the film business in Otsego County. Cannabis Culture Film Fest is a traveling film festival founded in 2015, dedicated to cultivating cannabis culture.

The Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center is located at 24 Market Street in Oneonta. DOSHA, Oneonta’s only legal dispensary, is at 76 Main Street.

Go to ccfilmfest.com, foothillspac.org or filmotsego.org for more information or follow @FilmOtsego on Facebook and Instagram.