Call for Santa Cruz Film Festival Entries is Open and Waiting for You!
December 27
Call for Santa Cruz Film Festival Entries is Open and Waiting for You!
2026 Submission Deadlines:
Early: March 31,
Regular: April 30
Extended: May 31
Late : August 7
Looking for bold storytelling, fresh voices, unforgettable visuals, and films that move people
Whether your film is narrative, documentary, experimental, animated, or impossible to categorize — we want to see it. Submit your film and become part of one of the most vibrant independent film communities on the West Coast. The countdown to the 2026 Santa Cruz Film Festival is on!
We’re looking for bold storytelling, fresh voices, unforgettable visuals, and films that move people. From emerging filmmakers to established creatives, we invite you to submit your work and join us on the California coast for five days of cinema, conversation, music, food, art, and community.
The SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL is curated annually under the leadership of Programming Director Logan Walker. Awards are determined by a panel of jurors, comprising local filmmakers, community leaders, & esteemed film educators. SCFF seeks submissions of powerful films for the twenty-fifth iteration of our annual festival. Films made in or by filmmakers from Santa Cruz/California are highly encouraged.
COMPLETION DATE: As a celebration of recent video, SCFF requires that all submitted work be completed after January 1, 2024.
CONTACT: info@santacruzfilmfestivals.org
The Festival is on October 14–18, at the Del Mar, Colligan Theater, Santa Cruz Cinema, Indexical, and The 418 Project with the festival line-up to be announced early September.
- 75+ films
- Industry panels + filmmaker mixers
- Food, wine, beer + cider events
- Screenings, parties, workshops + more
