PLEASE NOTE. Due to popular demand, we are excited to announce: We are MOVING THE FESTIVAL SHOWING TO SATURDAY INSTEAD OF WEDNESDAY!!!! Many L.A. Film peeps requested a Saturday showing to make it easier for them to come down to SD for the showing. NEW SHOWTIME IS APRIL 26, 2025 - 2PM... WITH FREE BEER FOR THE FIRST 60 TICKETS SOLD (at the TapRoom across from the theater for networking hour after the showings).

Frightful Shorts by the Shore, a brand new short film festival and talent search, will give filmmakers around the world the chance to secure financing for their feature film! Investors will meet with all recognized filmmakers, hear pitches for feature film ideas and discuss director roles for multiple financed projects coming up in 2025 and 2026.

Our active filmmaking coalition in the San Diego, CA is currently producing independent projects. We have funding in place for a genre/horror feature to be shot in 2025 in the San Diego or Southern California area, and we are hosting this short film contest to consider emerging talent.

Send us your best frightfully amazing calling card Short Film and get in the mix to make a feature in 2025!

In addition to providing the winners with cash prizes, laurels and PR, we see this contest as an opportunity to discover and develop filmmaking teams. Winners will be given an opportunity to earn the directing role for a fully funded low-budget feature, to be shot in 2025 – as well as to pitch our investors their ideas for film projects.

Awards & Prizes

1st Prize - $1,000
2nd Prize - $500
Beach Vibe Prize - $500 Best Beach Setting
San Diego Prize - Laurels for Best Film Shot in San Diego!
Honorable Mention - Laurels for Excellent Scares

All selected films will be screened at the La Jolla AMC Theater for a live audience, and will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the audience.

All winners will be guaranteed a meeting with film investors and production partners, including Bunker 15 Films, with the option to present a pitch for a low budget feature film, that can be shot in the San Diego region.

Rules & Terms

1. Running time cannot be less than 4 minutes, with a maximum of 25 minutes.
2. Special consideration for shorts using a beach, pool, or resort as an integral locale.

Note: The jury will consider inventive settings, cinematography, and big screen production value created through this low budget format.
1 Review
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  • Susan Dynner

    This was a great little festival - especially for the first year! We were honored to have been chosen to screen there and were thrilled to find out we'd won a prize. All the films programmed were really good with talented filmmakers. And Dan went out of his way to make us feel special.

    May 2025
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