Monterey County’s Salinas Valley to be highlighted in “The Long Valley” film premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival

(Monterey County, CA – Jan. 22, 2025) — A documentary short film set in the Salinas Valley has been officially selected for the prestigious 2025 Sundance Film Festival and will have its world premiere during the festival’s celebrated Short Film Program. “The Long Valley” is a 13-minute documentary showcasing the daily lives and landscapes in Monterey County’s agricultural communities.

The film is a 433 Pictures production, co-directed by Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck and Robert Machoian. Ojeda-Beck taught in the Cinematic Arts & Technology department at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB), and Machoian, grew up in King City.

Associate producers were Ana Sanchez, Saul Cardenas, and Chris Carpenter, who has deep roots in Monterey County and teaches at the Cinematic Arts & Technology department at CSUMB. He also serves as a Board Director for the Monterey County Film Commission. LiliArlen Gomez, a recent CSUMB graduate, is credited as assistant camera and has begun working as an administrative associate at the Monterey County Film Commission.

Out of 11,153 submissions to the 2025 Sundance Film Festival only 57 short films were selected, representing work from 28 countries and territories. The “Long Valley” was completed in November 2024 and blends Spanish dialogue with English subtitles. “This project is a love letter to the resilience and dreams of the people who make this region so extraordinary,” Carpenter said.

The film will premiere as part of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, from Jan. 23 to Feb. 2, 2025. The short will also be available for online viewing from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, allowing audiences nationwide to experience its stunning visuals and thought-provoking narrative.

For more information, contact Chris Carpenter at 831-915-3421 or ccarpenter@honestenginefilms.com.