San Diego's autumn movie calendar has its big moment next week. The San Diego International Film Festival returns for its 25th edition, running from Tuesday, October 13, to Sunday, October 18, and the whole thing is put on by the nonprofit San Diego Film Foundation. It's one of the city's most prestigious annual cultural events, and this year's theme leans into the milestone: 25 years of the power of film.
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The festival opens with its most glamorous night on Tuesday, October 13, at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla. That's the red-carpet evening, with the Gregory Peck Excellence in Film Award, an elegant reception, an awards ceremony, music, dancing, and an after-party. The following night, Wednesday, October 14, the action shifts to The LOT in La Jolla for another red-carpet premiere, complete with cocktails, appetizers, an exclusive studio screening, and a lively after-party.
The bulk of the screenings happen from Thursday through Sunday, October 15 to 18, over at the AMC14 at Westfield UTC in La Jolla. That's where you'll find the acclaimed studio premieres, bold independent films, powerful documentaries, and award-winning shorts, with filmmaker Q&As and panels woven in. If you're looking for the social side of things, The Fest Lounge runs Friday through Sunday at that same AMC14, with complimentary wine, beer, spirits, and light bites, plus filmmaker panels, happy hours, live music, DJs, and conversations.
The anniversary gets a late-night celebration on Saturday, October 17, with '25 Years After Dark' at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, a high-energy party with DJ PJ da DJ, award-winning filmmakers, and The Mustache Bash Band. The festival then closes on Sunday, October 18, with Culinary Cinema, also at the AMC14 at Westfield UTC, which pairs breakfast bites and a food-inspired film with chef-crafted tastings, wine, and cocktails.
Beyond the screenings, there's a quieter side to the festival. The San Diego Film Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, runs 'FOCUS on Impact,' a free, classroom-ready film library curated with short films, discussion resources, and guided tools to help teachers engage students in dialogue through film and critical thinking. It's the kind of program that gives the festival some legs beyond a single week of premieres.
If you're planning to go, it helps to know where everything lands. The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center is at 7600 Fay Ave in La Jolla, The LOT is right nearby at 7611 Fay Ave, and Belly Up Tavern is at 143 South Cedros Ave in Solana Beach. The AMC14 at Westfield UTC rounds out the list in La Jolla. A long list of sponsors backs the whole thing, from Preloader, Cultural Affairs, and Westfield to ABC10 as the education partner, along with The LOT, Belly Up, Catamaran, Lodge at Torrey Pines, Bahia Resort, CBS8, NBC, Discover magazine, SD Magazine, and Kendra Scott. With a quarter-century of history behind it, the 25th edition is shaping up to be one of the bigger ones.
Published Date
6 October 2026
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