Santa Cruz Film Festival

Every October, as the summer haze gives way to crisp air and golden light, a quiet transformation happens in downtown Santa Cruz. Marquees glow a little brighter, conversations buzz with cinematic speculation, and the streets fill with filmmakers, students, and curious locals all drawn to the same idea: stories have power.

Welcome to the Santa Cruz Film Festival.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, SCFF isn’t just a film festival—it’s a ritual, a reunion, and a creative spark. Launched in 2000 with a mission to champion the moving-image arts in Santa Cruz and the greater Monterey Bay Area, SCFF has spent the last two and a half decades curating a platform that feels both global in vision and deeply local in heart.

From early screenings in tucked-away venues to now hosting more than 2,000 independent films and thousands of cinephiles, SCFF has quietly become one of the region’s most cherished cultural institutions. And it has done so without ever chasing trends or chasing clout. It’s always been about the work—and the people who make it.

Where Creativity Finds a Home

The Santa Cruz Film Festival is an artist-first, filmmaker-forward experience—an ethos that you can feel from the moment you step into a screening. Whether it’s a world premiere from a rising international director or a five-minute short shot by a UC Santa Cruz student, every film is given the same attention, the same space to resonate.

“There’s a hunger here for work that feels real, that feels necessary,” says Logan Walker, SCFF’s Programming Director. “We’re drawn to risk-takers, to poets with cameras, to storytellers who don’t wait for permission.”

And the community shows up for them. From the cozy seats of the Del Mar Theatre to the Colligan and The 418 Project, SCFF venues fill with audiences who are curious, engaged, and deeply appreciative of the craft. The Q&As aren’t just polite formalities—they’re conversations. The applause doesn’t end with the credits—it carries into the courtyard, the coffee shop, the next film.

More Than a Festival—It’s a Scene

What makes SCFF truly unique is its immersive, collaborative vibe. The five-day event isn’t confined to the screen. It’s a celebration of all forms of creativity—musicians performing before a film block, dancers taking over a lobby space, impromptu interviews happening in alleyways and afterparties. This is where connections are made. Where a documentarian meets their future composer. Where a high school student sees something that changes them forever.

It’s not about exclusivity. It’s about invitation.

From experimental films and offbeat animation to urgent documentaries and lush narratives, the SCFF lineup defies neat categorization—and that’s exactly the point. It mirrors the spirit of Santa Cruz itself: eclectic, bold, and deeply human.

Calling All Creators: Submit to SCFF 2025

For filmmakers, SCFF isn’t just a place to screen—it’s a place to belong. Submissions for the 2025 festival are open now, and SCFF is putting out the call for brave voices and boundary-pushing work.

The guidelines are simple: if your film was completed after January 1, 2023, and it moves people—send it in. There are no genre restrictions. Local submissions from Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay Area are especially encouraged. And if you’re an SCFF alum, you can submit for free.

All entries must be submitted through SCFF’s FilmFreeway page via a secure screener link. If your film is selected, you’ll be asked to provide a high-quality digital file (DCP, ProRes, or MP4).

Here are the upcoming deadlines:

• Regular Submission Deadline: April 30, 2025

• Extended Deadline: May 31, 2025

• Late Deadline: June 20, 2025

Selected filmmakers will be notified by July 31, 2025, with the festival slated to run October 8–12, 2025.

No Red Carpet—Just Real Connection

There’s no velvet rope at SCFF. No ego. No pretense. What you’ll find instead is something much rarer in the film world: genuine connection. A filmmaker might end up sitting next to a theater-goer who’s been attending for 20 years. A screening could turn into a spontaneous community discussion. And long after the projector turns off, the stories keep echoing.

It’s about discovery—for filmmakers, for audiences, and for the city itself.

So whether you’re behind the camera or in the front row, SCFF invites you to take part. Because this isn’t just a celebration of film—it’s a celebration of what happens when people share their vision, their voice, and their truth.

SCFF 2025. 25 years bold. Come be a part of what’s next.

Submit: https://filmfreeway.com/SantaCruzFilmFestival
Questions? Email: info@santacruzfilmfestivals.org