Awarded MovieMaker Magazine's "20 Coolest Film Festivals In the World"
MovieMaker Magazine's "Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Fee"

The San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (SFFFF) is a Nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2006 that is dedicated to creating avenues for independent filmmakers, youth, filmmakers of conscience, and artists from underserved communities to come together and exhibit their work to the widest possible audience.

The San Francisco Frozen Film Festival is held every summer in the heart of the Mission district in San Francisco at the Roxie Theatre. Filmmakers whose work is accepted into the festival are invited to come to the city by the bay in the dead of summer to screen and discuss their work.

In addition to our annual international film festival, the SFFFF Youth Program is specifically focused on demonstrating to underserved youth that existing pathways do exist to help them find a career in the film arts. SFFFF holds annual music and art performances, as well as youth programming and awards presentations.

Festival Awards winners in the following categories:

Skate/Surf Film
Feature Film
Filmstock Film
Dramatic Short Film
Comedic Short Film
LGBTQ+ Film
Feature Documentary
Short Documentary
Feature Animation
Short Animation
Sci-fi/Horror
Music Videos
Music Documentary
Environmental Film
International Film
Student Director
First Time Director
Virtual Reality
Video Game (Footage & Themed)
Experimental Film

Applicants agree that 'Frozen Film Festival' reserves the right to choose all films to be shown and awarded prizes. By Submitting to Frozen Film Festival, you agree to have your film shown during the festival dates, and to have your film promoted in accordance with the rules. You agree that you are in possession of all rights to images, likenesses, and music in your film. Your fee paid to Frozen Film Festival is in consideration of acceptance to the festival, and you are not selling any rights to your film, and Frozen Film Festival does not own any permanent rights to your film. Frozen Film Festival has the right to use images from your film on its website and in promotional materials for the festival.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • I hate to write a bad review for any festival thats clearly trying their best to help elevate filmmakers but I also want to properly share my experience so that other filmmakers don't end up in the same position. They showed my film at an outdoor theater at approx 3pm and the sun was directly on the screen. it rendered the film completely un-viewable (and I'm not talking a little washed out, I'm talking people didn't even know the film had ended because you couldn't even see when the credits started). there also was a car show going on in the very same plaza where people were cheering and revving engines all around us (you honestly cant even write a more hilariously worse situation to watch a film in). To program films at this location at this time is very careless with our art that we work so hard to create. I was the only director in attendance of that shorts block but I can assure you if any others were there, they would've been equally furious. I brought out 25-30ppl who all paid to watch a blank screen over revving cars. The staff was extremely apologetic and I do think it was a genuine oversight on their part, but that doesn't excuse the way they treated my film. If you choose to submit I recommend double checking what venue they will be screening at...or unfortunately I would recommend not submitting at all.

    July 2023
  • Thank you so much for the opportunity to show my animated short LOVELY RITA in your wonderful festival in beautiful San Francisco. I couldn't attend the festival. But according to all the smiles in your faces I saw in the social media canals of SFFFF you must have had a good time!

    July 2023
  • Betsy Stern

    Excellent communication and such nice people. Thank you for all your hard work!

    July 2023
  • Matthew Gossin

    What a great festival. Very well organized and carefully curated. The quality was obvious. Thank you so much for including me in your festival. It was an amazing experience.

    July 2023
  • Great festival. It was an honor for my team and myself to be a part of this festival with "A Few Strands of Hair " . I especially want to thank dear Garrett for being such friendly and supportive.

    July 2023