It's happening, Drunken Film Fest Oakland is coming back for its seventh year! We're a FREE, week-long festival of local & international films screened at The Town's best bars!

We're here to make the film festival experience available to everyone without sacrificing any of the quality of major festival programming, so all screenings are free and open to the public. Send us your work so the people of the Bay Area can enjoy it, we love movies!! Every night of our fest sees completely packed houses, just immaculate vibes. All. For. FREEEEEE!

For DFFO '24 we're just running it back for more of the same, great films in great places with great people all around! It's fun!

Awards & Prizes

We have 7 juried awards (Local, Documentary, Animation, US Narrative, Music Video, Avant-Garde, World Narrative) selected by filmmakers from the previous year's program, plus an audience award!

Rules & Terms

1. All entries must be through FilmFreeway.

2. All films must be available to be screened in the United States and be free of licensing fees.

3. All films must be available as an h.264 .mp4 or pro res .mov.

4. All films must have been completed after 01 January 2023.

5. No more than 3 submissions per person without prior approval. Submitting more than 3 films without approval will result in immediate disqualification.

6. Submissions must not be freely available online at time of entry (excepting music videos).

7. Films made in languages other than English must include subtitles.

8. Please include copy of Student ID with all student film submissions.

9. By entering Drunken Film Fest Oakland, you give the organizers of the festival permission to screen your film and to use any promotional stills or descriptions for festival advertising.
24 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Dwayne LeBlanc

    there are some festivals that ascend above the rest, this is one of them. incredible communication, marketing, programming and audience. this is a film festival that truly loves cinema. please do not hesitate to apply or attend, this is the real deal. i stand on that.

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    😭😭😭 Thanks so much for these kind and wonderful words, means the world, it was an honor to be able to share your film with Oakland! 😭😭😭

  • Nicole Vargas

    Got a lovely email from them thanking me for participating in their festival and I am happy to write a positive review this is very much a welcoming film festival for filmmakers of all kinds, a punk rock and fun movie loving fest.

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    We write a lovely thing, you write a positive thing, it all works out! thanks for the kind words <3

  • Samantha Berlanga

    Such an awesome opportunity and a great turnout! I enjoyed all the other selections and networking with other creative. I definitely recommend applying to this festival.

    October 2022
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    Response from festival:

    thanks Samantha, hope you did some good wheelin n dealin! lol.

  • Charlotte Mermoud

    Very nice festival and crew !

    October 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Charlotte, very nice film and filmmaker!

  • Philip Thompson

    Arlin is one of the best programmers in the business right now!!! He picks such great, fun, interesting films every year, I highly implore people to submit to Drunken Oakland. Some of the best programming I've seen at a festival so far! Screenings were always packed with an engaged audience, hungry to watch some exciting new cinema (and thirsty for beer).

    October 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Philip!! That is infinitely kind of you to say, means alot, very much appreciate you, your film, and the sentiment! 😭