Balboa Del Mar Film Festival

Tag Line:
Short Films. Big Ideas. Small Budgets. All Ages. Real Connections.

Mission Statement:
The Balboa Del Mar Film Festival seeks to support and promote emerging, independent, and non-dependent filmmakers for short subject films created with little to no budget and to showcase student filmmakers of all ages. (Youth to Seniors.) We want to share original stories with the community and with filmmakers who value the spirit of independent film.

We want to provide a platform for filmmakers of all levels of experience from student films, including both "film school" and "pre-film school" (Youth / 17 and under) to indie filmmakers. Creativity and quality are the guiding criteria, not prior experience.

Presented at the beautiful Lido Theater in Newport Beach, California in July 2026, the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival will present short format films (20 minutes or less). Encouraged subjects (but not limited to) include: Animation, Documentary, Action, and Fiction.

The event will host a casually catered "meet and greet" and award ceremony for the filmmakers in attendance. This is open to public attendees as well. Come ask your favorite filmmaker questions in a friendly, relaxed environment.

There will be trophies for the awards in the categories below, as well as awards for Audience Favorites. (Unfortunately, we cannot provide cash prizes.)

A word about the venue: if you are in Southern California and love Art Deco, the Lido Theater is a must see! It combines classic Art Deco style architecture and design with marine themed tile murals and a dramatic hand-painted ceiling.

The Lido Theater truly is a time capsule from the golden age of Hollywood.

For further information about the Lido Theater and its history, please see:
https://www.TheLidoTheater.com

The Balboa Del Mar film Festival is a proud member of the Film Festival Alliance and is a Federally recognized 5013(c) non-profit organization. EIN: 39-3576212

So filmmakers and film lovers, you are invited to participate in and attend the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival!

Winners will be awarded for:
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Cinematography
Best Director
Best Editor
Best Music
Best Screenplay
Best Sound
And Audience Favorite

Best Animation
Best Action / Sports
Best Comedy
Best Documentary
Best Drama / Fiction
Best Horror
Best Thriller
Best Science Fiction

Best Student Filmmaker (17 & Under)
Best Student Filmmaker (18 & Older)
Best Regional / Local Filmmaker (Southern California)
Best Non-Regional Filmmaker (USA/Canada)
Best International Film

Each winner will receive a small trophy prize, presented at the post festival screening "Meet & Greet". All festival attendees along with the filmmakers are invited to this casual event. All filmmaker attendees to the festival are provided with admission ticket and "+2" tickets.

Judging by our panel in each category is done on a weighted z-Score rank of 1 to 10. All films submitted will be viewed 100% of duration by the judging panel. (Unless deemed inappropriate to be programmed.)

You do NOT need to apply or pay an extra fee for every category to be considered. One submission fee per film applies to all categories.

- [ ] Each film submitted is limited to 20 minutes or less, including titles and credits. ("20 minutes or less" is 00:20:59. 00:21:xx is not qualified)
- [ ] Not all films submitted will be shown.
- [ ] Not all films shown will win.
- [ ] Submission fees are not refunded if your film is not selected.
- [ ] NO AI of any kind to be utilized.
- [ ] Film must have been created in last 3 years.
- [ ] Student Youth Film (17 & younger)- film must have been made when you were a minor. It's on the honor system. Nothing to prove.
- [ ] Film School student (adult) - proof of enrollment in last 3 years required. (Just send us your film school name student ID number. )
- [ ] Film must be complete when submitted - No "works in progress" nor changes after submission. Sorry, you are locked in.
- [ ] If the film is the premiere, just let us know. If not, that's OK.
- [ ] No vertical, portrait or 9:16 ratio submissions.
- [ ] No adult only themed, overt sex, hate speech or violence. (Minors may be present.)
- [ ] Subtitles required if not in English.
- [ ] Film is to be uploaded to FilmFreeway or a Vimeo link to be provided to the festival judges.
- [ ] Accepted formats for judging are MP4, MOV, AVI. If accepted we will ask for Apple ProRes 422HQ or equivalent for the DCP.
- [ ] If selected, you must provide artwork for a "movie / lobby poster". High resolution / print ready (PNG/PSD), for 14"x36" lobby card we will have printed for you. (Will be used to locate you for the post screening "Meet & Greet" if you attend the festival.)
- [ ] The Festival Director reserves the right to revoke screening or awards. All decisions are final.

MORE...
Copyright release. Original works only. You, the filmmaker, must attest that you have full rights to all material shown, including but not limited to the screenplay, music and sound. If selected, you the filmmaker, must sign a Copyright Waiver and Indemnification form in order for your film to be shown. Again, no AI to be used.

Unlike Douglas Adam's quote, "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.", here the deadlines are etched in stone.

The festival has permission to use clips and images of your film before, during, and after in order to promote the festival. If selected, we may ask you for a trailer in which to promote your film and the festival. Trailers may appear on the festival website BalboaDelMarFilmFestival.com.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Kevin McDevitt

Had a great time screening "Bike Short" at the beautiful Lido Theater in Newport Beach, and were so honored to take home the Audience Award for Best Comedy! Blake and the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival team were so welcoming and put a lot of work into making it a special day for everyone who attended.

July 2026

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Addie Knoll

I had such a great experience with the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival. From the beginning, the communication was warm, thoughtful, and encouraging, and it was clear how much the team cares about the filmmakers they support.

One thing that really stood out was how much effort the festival put into promoting the selected films. Throughout the festival they were very active on social media, sharing updates and highlighting the filmmakers and their work. It was exciting to see that level of enthusiasm and support.

The personal communication from the programming team also meant a lot to me. Thank you to Blake and the entire Balboa Del Mar team for creating such a welcoming experience. I hope to have the opportunity to share another film with you in the future.

July 2026

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Mike Anderson

Hi Friends, This post is a recap of the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival this past Saturday evening, July 11th at the Lido Theatre in Newport Beach. Blake Lane was directing the first annual film festival of short movies with an wide assortment of subject matter of all kinds…it proved to be a fun night with entertainment coupled with informative selections of short documentaries and more. Personally, I would never have thought I’d see my business card on the screen at the old time favorite theatre of Newport Beach with all its history. And, all this was just steps away from the Nautical Flagpole I built and installed in 1989, it seems as though the past and present have come full circle. The staff were very welcoming. All the cinema goers seemed to be like - minded people who were friendly and interesting to talk to.
Thanks Blake, hope to see you next year.

July 2026

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Ricardo Poeira

We had a wonderful experience with the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival. Our student's short film "An Adventure Through Cinema" was selected for the inaugural edition, and we felt genuinely welcomed throughout the entire process.

Communication with the festival team was excellent! Friendly, responsive, and truly supportive. Even though we couldn't attend in person, the organizers kept us informed and made us feel like part of the event. They showed great appreciation for our student's work, which meant a lot to us.

We also loved the festival's mission of supporting independent filmmakers and showcasing films by creators of all ages. It's inspiring to see a new festival with such enthusiasm, professionalism, and passion for cinema.

We highly recommend the Balboa Del Mar Film Festival and wish the team every success in the years ahead. We hope to attend in person in a future edition!

July 2026

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Balboa Del Mar Film Festival