SDSFF
San Diego
Short Film Festival
An Intimate Short Film Festival,
listed on IMDb, the San Diego Short Film Festival celebrates the art of storytelling through short films, showcasing the work of talented filmmakers from around the world. From thought-provoking dramas to captivating animations, the festival presents a rich tapestry of storytelling, offering a platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their craft for fellow film enthusiasts.
Jun 29, 2024
Quarterly Film Screening Awards
& Annual Film Festival
Sep 28, 2024
Dec 28, 2024
Mar 29, 2025
Testimonials
FESTIVAL JUDGES
01
Short Filmmaker
James Kirby
Chief Judge
James Kirby is an unapologetic award winning amateur filmmaker from Des Moines, IA., although he is currently working in San Diego, CA.
Kirby proudly acknowledges his directorial acumen to be on a sliding scale somewhere between Ed Wood and Akira Kurosawa. Bringing to bear decades of cinephilic experience and a degree in theatre arts, Kirby is earnestly seeking to improve with each project and to simply tell and watch interesting stories.
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Stephanie Murdock
Judge
Stephanie Murdock is a screenwriter from Killingly, CT and a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. She is a published film critic, with articles appearing in the the Washington Post, the Newark Star Ledger and the film criticism website, The House Next Door. She recently worked as the technical advisor and liaison for the U.S. Navy’s entertainment division on a variety of television and film projects. She appreciates short films that demonstrate creativity under duress – whether that’s due to makeshift equipment, low/no budgets or compressed shooting schedules.
02
Screenwriter
Mark Solomon
03
Executive Producer
Judge
Mark Solomon is a producer of short films. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Mark currently resides in Denver, CO. Mark is also a business coach, public speaker and an aficionado of the silver screen. Mark knows what it takes to amuse an audience and how to spark their imagination. Story telling is both art and science. When done correctly, you can entertain people, teach them a lesson or even inspire them to greatness.
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Bruce Green
Judge
Bruce Green is a Hollywood character actor. Film credits include the Coen brothers’ True Grit (2010). Television credits include NBC's Parks and Recreation and The CW’s Supernatural. He lives in Los Angeles.
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04
Actor
05
Comedy Filmmaker
Thomas Harlow
Judge
Thom is film fanatic and award-winning filmmaker from Des Moines, Iowa. Thom was raised by Lucas, Spielberg, and Lynch and as teen he was regular at various Midwestern theaters and video stores (special shoutout to Showtime Video). He started making films on a Super 8 camera he picked up at a thrift store for $2 (finding film was not easy). He’s currently in the tech field and still writing.
Chief Judge
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Ayana Pitterson
Master of Ceremonies
"The Thrifting Diva" Ayana Pitterson was born in Trinidad and raised in New York City. An influencer and expert in the world of second-hand shopping, Ayana launched the Facebook group Thrifting Divas, which is home to a dynamic community with over 100,000 followers across various social media platforms, including the successful YouTube channel, THRIFTING DIVA. Ayana shares a wealth of tips, tutorials, and inspirational content aimed at living fabulously on a budget.
Lifestyle Influencer
06
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Agenda
Short Film Screenings & Events
June 29th
Quarterly film Screening Festival
11:45 am
Opening Ceremony
12:00 pm
Block I: Micro-Short Films
1:30 pm
"Vestige" by Yu-Hsuan Teng
"The Flower Bike Man" by Courtney Kerr
"Dreamscape" by Diego Antonio Garcia
"Meal Ticket" by Adrian B. Herrera
"The Girl Who Faded away" by Brent Heise
"The Final Stop" by Oleksii Babenko
"Clean" by Ryan Kenton
"Infinity!" by Benjamin To
"Woven Together" by Marcelo Bengoechea
"5 Inches Under" by Suzanne Kathleen Brimley
"Ephemeral" by Hannah Notsch
"Man of Action" by Heba Alwan, Olivia Santiago & Brody Pleasants
Intermission
1:40 pm
Block II: Short Films
"Our Time" by Sandesh Bharthur
"Safer Stuff: Green Chemistry Gets Down to Business" by William Hemminger
"Neighborhood Alert" by Ngozi Onwurah
"Vasomotor Rhinitis" by Mikheil Gabaidze
"Dear Watsonville" by Sandra Lucille
3:10 pm
Intermission
3:20 pm
Block III: Short Pride Films
"Second Thought" by Chris Stanley
"Glimpse" by Earl Paus
"It's In You" by Robert Johnson
"Lines of a Woman" by Melissa Gagliardi
"What To Expect When You're Not Expecting" by Jackson Tropp
4:30 pm
Q & A with Filmmakers
Social Reception
Festival Rules
Awards & Prizes
All films submitted will be watched and selected or not selected for inclusion in the festival by an impartial selection committee of festival programmers, filmmakers, industry professionals, cinephiles and short film aficionados. Not all selections will be screened at the festival.
NOT SELECTED - We thank you for submitting but your film was not selected at this time.
SELECTED - Your film was chosen by our selection judges but is not eligible for screening or an award. You are authorized use of the SDSFF Selected laurel.
NOMINEE - Your film was chosen for inclusion and is eligible for an award(s) but may not be screened at the festival. You are authorized use of the SDSFF Nominee laurel.
HONORABLE MENTION - Your film was chosen for inclusion and scored among the top films without winning an award and may not be screened at the festival. You will receive an Honorable Mention certificate (PDF) and authorized use of the SDSFF Honorable Mention laurel.
FINALIST - Your film has not won an award, but may be screened at the festival. You will receive a Finalist certificate (PDF) and authorized use of the SDSFF finalist laurel.
WINNER - Your film has won an award and MAY be screened at our festival. You will receive a Winner certificate (via U.S. post) and authorized use of the SDSFF winner laurel.
Winners will be announced the day following the screening. Official Selection will authorize and permit SDSFF to use excerpts of the submission, including film trailers, stills, promotional materials for promotion activities related to the festival.
SDSFF accepts Short Films: up to 40 minutes in length. All entries must be in English or have English subtitles.
There may not be a winner or even a selection for any particular category. The decisions of our judges are final and unappealable --So PLEASE DO NOT ASK!
Any film genre category submission includes 1 free technical category submissions (your choice) per filmmaker, if desired. To submit, email your desired selections to the SDSFF after your genre category submission fees are paid. Additional technical categories may be selected for regular submission fees.
Pornographic entries will be disqualified without return of submission fees.
All entries MUST have an online screener via the FilmFreeway platform. FilmFreeway is the ONLY way to submit your film. If selected for screening, it will be required for the filmmaker to submit a DCP for exhibition purposes. Great care and precaution are taken when handling your DCP film once submitted to SDSFF but SDSFF accepts no liability nor responsibility for lost or damaged files that are submitted to us. Delivery cost will be paid by the filmmaker, including the cost of shipping the DCP back to the filmmaker.
(Schedule and showtimes subject to change without notice)
Gallery
San Diego Short Film Festival
"Pick up a camera. Shoot something. No matter how small, no matter how cheesy, no matter whether your friends and your sister star in it. Put your name on it as director. Now you're a director. Everything after that you're just negotiating your budget and your fee."
-- James Cameron
San Diego Short Film Festival
Experience the power of storytelling through the art of filmmaking, where creativity knows no bounds and diverse voices find expression. Join us at the San Diego Short Film Festival to celebrate the magic of cinema.
With a focus on creativity and innovation, the San Diego Short Film Festival aims to inspire and connect filmmakers, providing a platform for them to share their unique perspectives and creative visions with a global audience.
From thought-provoking dramas to captivating animations, the festival presents a rich tapestry of storytelling, offering a platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their craft and connect with fellow film enthusiasts.
