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SCFF
SANTA CRUZ
FILM FESTIVAL
What's Happening
YEAR-ROUND
IN SANTA CRUZ
MONTHLY MEET-UP
Filmmakers Mixers
AUGUST 26 - 6:00pm
Join us as we reveal the 2026 festival films and announce the winner of the Screenwriters' Workshop whose film will be produced and shown at SCFF 2026.
SEPTEMBER 23 - Filmmaker Mixer with a guest speaker.
Woodhouse Blending and Brewery
119 Madrone St, Santa Cruz
DINNER AND A MOVIE
Garden Party Under the Stars
September 15, 2026
HOME Restaurant
6:00pm
Sip. Savor. Enjoy.
Hosted by Chef Brad Briske and his team!
A chef inspired dinner, handpicked wine, and good company under the Santa Cruz sky.
Film screening and Q & A with the filmmaker!
Take a set at the table and purchase your ticket today.
THE MAIN EVENT
26th Annual Festival
OCTOBER 14 — 18, 2026
Del Mar · Colligan Theater · Santa Cruz Cinema · The Rio · The 418 Project
Line-up announced August 26
WATCH
INSIDE & OUTSIDE THE FESTIVAL
Off Screen. On Record.
The films are only part of the story.
Dive into filmmaker conversations, industry panels, parties, premieres, events throughout the year, and all the beautifully unscripted moments that happen when the lights come up.
From the theater to the sidewalk, the stage to the afterparty—and from festival week to our year-round gatherings—this is SCFF beyond the screen: creative, curious, a little unpredictable, and unmistakably Santa Cruz.
Watch the films. Meet the makers. Catch the vibe.
SCREENWRITER'S WORKSHOP
FILM FESTIVAL PARTIES
FILMMAKER MIXERS
STAND WITH SCFF
KEEP INDEPENDENT
CINEMA LOCAL
Since 2000, SCFF has screened over 2,000 independent films, including scores of locally-produced works in front of tens of thousands of dedicated cinephiles.
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ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
ARTIST-DRIVEN,
FILMMAKER-FORWARD
Stories Start Here.
The Santa Cruz Film Festival celebrates bold filmmaking, original voices, and the people who bring stories to life—right here on the Central Coast and from around the world.
We’re an artist-driven, filmmaker-forward festival built around discovery, connection, and a shared love of independent cinema. From fearless shorts and experimental work to documentaries and narrative features, SCFF brings fresh perspectives to the screen and creates space for the conversations that happen after the credits roll.
Through our annual five-day festival, year-round screenings, filmmaker mixers, workshops, panels, and educational programs, we bring filmmakers and audiences together in a way that feels uniquely Santa Cruz: creative, curious, welcoming, and just a little unexpected.
Because SCFF is about more than watching movies.
It’s about meeting the people who make them. Discovering a film you can’t stop thinking about. Sharing a drink after a screening. Debating the ending. Finding your next collaborator. Supporting emerging artists. And experiencing great storytelling together.
Local roots. Global stories. Independent voices.
Come discover what’s next—and be part of the story.
CURATED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PROGRAMMING DIRECTOR LOGAN WALKER
2000
ESTABLISHED
2,000+
INDEPENDENT FILMS SCREENED
26th
ANNUAL FESTIVAL
5
SANTA CRUZ VENUES
WHERE IT HAPPENS
Del Mar
Rio Theatre
Colligan Theater
The 418 Project
Santa Cruz Cinema
CALL FOR ENTRIES
SEND US
YOUR FILM
SCFF seeks submissions of powerful films for our 26th annual festival. Films made in or by filmmakers from Santa Cruz / California are highly encouraged.
There are absolutely no hard and fast genre restrictions governing the SCFF curatorial process. As a celebration of recent video, SCFF requires that all submitted work be completed after January 1, 2024.
EARLY DEADLINE
March 31, 2026
REGULAR DEADLINE
April 30, 2026
EXTENDED DEADLINE
May 31, 2026
LAST DEADLINE
August 7, 2026
Premiere policy: the SCFF curatorial process is open to all works regardless of premiere status.
Student & local work: please include proof of enrollment, residency in Santa Cruz / Monterey County, or proof of age.
Alumni: Santa Cruz Film Festival alumni may submit for free — email Logan@santacruzfilmfestivals.org for a code.
Format: submissions are accepted via secure screener link on FilmFreeway (Vimeo or YouTube preferred). No physical submissions.
All dates and details relative to SCFF 2026 are tentative and subject to change.
DON’T MISS THE LINE-UP
Join our mailing list for the 2026 programme announcement, ticket on-sale dates and year-round events.