We're a seriously traditional and FILMMAKER-CENTRIC festival. Our event is five days. In 2020 we featured 80+ films.

The BSFF takes place in one of the most beautiful locations in the United States: 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. The BSFF throws a happy and warm friendly party for everyone.

We support filmmakers. If you're making your first film or your twentieth, we want you here. Our selection committee embraces a mix of film making talent. Everything from highly crafted films to sentimental favorites are part of our programming.

Our community loves the BSFF and always sells-out our festival passes. Packed houses and a lively Q&A are all part of the event.

Most important, we’re an old-school film festival. In the crowded marketplace of film festivals we excel simply because we truly offer a great time, remarkable attendance, and we go out of our way to accommodate our filmmaker guests.

You’ll meet and greet your audience, have a blast, lounge with other filmmakers, and interact with everyone. We even have homemade cookies.

“The BSFF packs the theater with a very engaging audience a very special place that is worth the visit to witness firsthand the fun loving hospitality of the locals.” -- Gabe Crate, Director, "Move Me”

"Beautiful location, focus on film makers and audience experience. One venue, great communication, well-organized. Soon to be one of the top 50 film festivals to attend. Bravo!" -- James Theres, Director, "30th of May"

"The festival also has a great filmmakers lounge with awesome homemade cookies, and they give you two all-access passes for everything. I plan to return to this festival every year even if I don't have a film showing!" -- Steve Oldfield, Director, "Lines of Sight"

See, told you about them cookies.

After 7 years of running the BSFF we're getting better while having more fun all the time. It's the sort of festival any filmmaker truly appreciates: crowds, a great location, and a warm quirky vibe. We welcome your creative energy to our film festival and invite you to join us in building a tradition celebrating innovative film making.

Awards & Prizes

Award trophies will be presented for Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary, Best Animation, Best Latino Film, and Grand People’s Choice.

We're continuing the fan favorite competition across all genres. Top votes for each category will win the BSFF "PEOPLE'S CHOICE" award. We have expanded our awards and will offer winning certificates in various sub categories as well.

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Films completed on or after Jan 1, 2018 are eligible.

• Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry into the festival and to use all music, images, and content in the entry.

• All films must be in English or subtitled in English.

CATEGORIES
All films may be submitted into only one category:

• Narrative Feature – any narrative film 40 minutes or longer

• Narrative Short – any narrative short film under 40 minutes

• Documentary – a documentary of any length

• Latino – a film of any length made by, featuring, about and/or for the Latino community

• Animation – any form of animation, any length

PAYMENT
Pay entry fees online during the online application process.

DIGITAL PR:
If your film is accepted, you must be able to provide: a hi-res film still, a digital hi-res poster of your movie, a digital high-res image of the director and/or producer, and a synopsis of your film in 140 characters or less.

FILM TRAILERS:
The BSFF features trailers of selected films during our screenings, as well as showcasing the trailers on our website and social media. Accepted films will provide a trailer no less than :30 and no longer than 2:15.

MULTIPLE ENTRIES
More than one entry may be submitted. However, each entry must be submitted as a new film with a separate online entry form, a unique registration number, an additional entry fee.

NOTIFICATION
If your film is selected to be part of the BSFF, you will be notified via email on or about November 15. You will also be notified by email if your film is not selected. Please make sure that you notify us if email changes, and add borregospringsfilmfestival@gmail.com to your safe sender email list.

FEEDBACK
We are unable to respond with feedback or explanations if your film is not accepted. The popularity of the expanding BSFF means we receive many more worthy films than we have programming space to screen. Don’t be discouraged if your film is not accepted.

EXHIBITION FILM REQUIREMENTS

• All accepted film will submit screeners uploaded via the internet. mp4, prores, or DNxHD.

• The exhibition copy of your film must be received no later than December 5th. Accepted films that miss the deadline will be removed from the program and replaced.

RELEASE & LICENSING AGREEMENT
By submitting your film: you acknowledge and agree that to the best of my knowledge, I am duly authorized to submit this film to Borrego Springs Film Festival (BSFF) and to grant permissions related to its use. Submitting a film to BSFF constitutes an agreement by and between the filmmaker/representative and BSFF.

You grant permission to BSFF to use film clips/stills for promotional use. You allow BSFF and any third parties at the festival the right to film, videotape and photograph your appearance and voice for any and all marketing and promotion of Borrego Springs Film Festival and Borrego Festivals Foundation.

You indemnify and hold harmless BSFF, its judges, affiliates, staff, sponsors and partners, individually and collectively, from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims, or third party claims based on stories or films submitted to BSFF.

If your film is accepted into the BSFF, you grant BSFF the non-exclusive right to right to show and market my film in its entirety as BSFF sees fit at the festival. BSFF does not take any copyright or ownership of your film.

By submitting, you agree to all of these rules, terms and conditions. You acknowledge that no submission fee refunds are given once this application has been submitted. You also acknowledge that you will not receive any compensation for the use of your film by BSFF in accordance with the rules, terms and conditions.

You understand and acknowledge that, if you are under 18 years of age, your parent or guardian must agree to the terms of this Filmmaker Release on your behalf. As a Parent or Guardian of a minor filmmaker, if applicable, you understand and acknowledge that you are agreeing to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on behalf of your child or a child for whom you are a legally designated Guardian.

44 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mark Cade

    This is an amazing festival! If your film is fortunate enough to be selected you MUST attend this one. The people organizing/running the festival and the local community is completely supportive and really care about art and the artists.

    March 2020
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  • Po-Chien Chen

    Thanks Borrego Springs Film Festival for selecting my film in their 2020 program. Though I am not able to attend the festival in person, they kindly delivered the trophy and created a page on their website to introduce my work. I am so honored and happy for the opportunity. Thanks again and I fully recommend the festival to all the filmmakers.

    March 2020
    Helpful
  • Greg Bassenian

    Wonderful film festival! Full house at all screenings! Highly recommend.

    February 2020
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  • Stephanie Willis

    I sadly wasn't able to attend the festival, but communication was flawless. The festival organizers are also very passionate and put a lot of work into marketing and publicizing the festival. They also organized events like hiking outside of the festival, which sounded great.

    January 2020
    Helpful
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    (hey there, heat blister, you mister, 101)

    Loved your film "In Colors" and it was a great representation of the core values we try to offer our fest/community. Hope to meet you in person next time!

    (and since we're in the desert, you can miser all the heat you want when you're here)

  • Donna Wheeler

    A wonderful Festival, staff and truly passionate and engaged fest-goers. Everything you could want in a first class festival - and more! Including excursions to nearby points of interest.

    January 2020
    Helpful