24th Annual Film Festival Announces 2025 Festival Footprint
The San Diego International Film Festival, where culture, coast and cinema collide is back with curated screenings that inform, inspire and entertain. Festival events include the Opening Night Film Premiere & Party the Night of the Stars Tribute, “Party with a Purpose,” Culinary Cinema, Studio Premieres, curated features, documentaries and shorts from Independent Filmmakers around the world as well as parties, panels and networking events. The festival dates are Wednesday, October 15 through Sunday, October 19, 2025.
The festival is thrilled to announce some brand new locations for 2025 Festival events. The Opening Night Premiere and Party will take place at THE LOT, La Jolla and the Party with a Purpose will take place at The Belly Up Tavern, Solana Beach. Additional events and screenings will return to The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, La Jolla and AMC14 hosted by Westfield UTC.
Each year the San Diego International Film Festival receives submissions from over 3,200 independent filmmakers from 85 countries. The San Diego International Film Festival is strategically positioned in October to premiere potential contenders just prior to the industry nominations and awards shows. Through the years, the San Diego International Film Festival has screened premieres that have garnered 36 Academy Awards and 167 nominations.
Tonya Mantooth, CEO/Artistic Director shared“Sharing stories is at the heart of everything we do at the festival. We are grateful we get to do this with our community – exploring stories together, examining issues and finding common ground together. This year – we are particularly excited about our partnership with the iconic House of Pacific Relations in Balboa Park. They are one of San Diego’s great treasures. Their 32 international houses in Balboa Park explore foreign culture and share it with San Diego – which is exactly what we look to do with our International Film track. This partnership brings together like minded people who are curious about the world we share. We are also thrilled that VARIETY has joined us as the Media Partner for the Night of the Stars Tribute, presenting the Gregory Peck Award of Excellence in Cinema. Their partnership adds an extraordinary level of prestige on a national level to one of our most celebrated events- and allows us to expand the reach of all the stories we share. We look forward to unveiling our complete slate of films with the community in early September.”
VARIETY will present the Gregory Peck Award of Excellence in Cinema, one of the Festival’s most prestigious honors. Past recipients include acclaimed talents such as Annette Bening, Laurence Fishburne, Andy Garcia, Alan Arkin, and others, each recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the art of filmmaking.
Each year, the Night of the Stars honors some of the most accomplished actors and filmmakers working today with awards including the Gregory Peck Award of Excellence in Cinema, the Cinema Vanguard Award, Rising Star Award amongst others. This red-carpet event, held at The Conrad in La Jolla, draws filmmakers, actors, industry leaders, and film lovers from around the country.
Selected films for the Foreign Film Track and the entire 2025 Festival Slate will be announced in early September. sdfilmfest.com.
There are a variety of Festival Packages available to suit every budget. Individual screenings can be purchased for $20 all the way up to the VIP Pass Package for $575. Learn more about Festival ticketing options https://sdfilmfest.com/buy-passes/
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