The BSFF is a FILMMAKER-CENTRIC festival. You will experience an extremely well-attended-in-person-event. As a 501(c)(3) organization, our task is to create wonderful art experiences for you and our desert community.
The BSFF is now rolling into our second decade. We're well established and having an incredible time. We feature single-venue-screenings, great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, our Saturday party, panel discussions, workshops, and a grand award ceremony.
And, through the generosity of the Laureen and Joyce Callo Foundation, the BSFF is now offering a $1,000 cash prize to female directors!
Additionally, for our 2024 season, we've expanded our awards and submission categories. It's an inclusive opportunity for you to receive the recognition independent filmmakers so well deserve. Check out the new selections and share your craft with us!
The BSFF takes place in one of the most beautiful locations in the world, Borrego Springs, CA. Our vibe is desert eclectic. Vintage trailers, refined mid-century modern neighborhoods, primitive pup-tent camping, or even world class resort living, Borrego Springs showcases it all.
If you're making your first film or your twentieth, we want you here. Our selection committee embraces it all. Everything from highly crafted films to sentimental favorites are part of our programming.
We excel simply because we truly offer a great time, remarkable local attendance, and we go out of our way to accommodate our filmmaker guests.
You’ll meet and greet your audience, lounge with other filmmakers, and interact with everyone. We even have homemade cookies. Do you know about our homemade cookies? You need to find out about our homemade cookies.
“Best fest ever and we've been to many. These folks really appreciate the filmmakers…If you only enter one festival this year, make it BSFF. — Ronn Kilby, Director, “Dog Star”
The Laureen and Joyce Callo Foundation for the first time will sponsor a $1,000 cash prize for Best Female Director of a narrative film of any length at the 2024 Borrego Springs Film Festival. The award is designed to encourage and support female filmmakers who are woefully under-represented in the film industry.
All accepted films to the BSFF will be judged for awards based on their submission categories. Multiple submissions of a single film to numerous categories are allowed.
Filmmakers that believe their film is worthy in particular categories should submit accordingly.
Additionally, top audience votes for will win the BSFF "PEOPLE'S CHOICE" award for Best Short, Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best International, and Audience Favorite.
The BSFF committee will also offer "THE GOLDEN COOKIE" award for films we believe resonate with the attitudes and sentiments of the Borrego Springs audience.