2nd Annual Santa Paula Film Festival is now for short films only.

Welcome to the 2025 Santa Paula Film Festival, where creativity knows no bounds and storytelling takes center stage! As a celebration of cinematic ingenuity, we proudly champion the diverse voices of independent filmmakers, both from Ventura County and beyond. Nestled in the heart of Santa Paula and the Heritage Valley, our festival serves as a vibrant platform for emerging talents, offering a spotlight to local artists while fostering a community that embraces the art of indie filmmaking. From thought-provoking narratives to captivating documentaries, we believe that indie films enrich our cultural landscape, sparking conversations, and forging connections that resonate far beyond the silver screen. Join us as we embark on a cinematic journey filled with inspiration, imagination, and the boundless spirit of independent storytelling.

 

Awards & Prizes

- Best Overall Short
- Best Comedy
- Best Horror
- Best Thriller
- Best Drama
- Best Documentary
- Best Up & Coming Filmmaker
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Cinematography
- Best Director
- Best Writer
- Best Composer
- Best Costumer
- Best in Youth Category
- Best in Spanish Category

Rules & Terms

The Santa Paula Film Festival is a trademark of The House of MAGIC Foundations for the Arts, Inc. A 501(c)3 Charitable Organization registered in Santa Paula, California. 

Submissions Rules for Santa Paula Film Festival are as follows:

Films that are publicly streaming or broadcasted in the United States are not eligible. (we don’t want films that people can already see online)

Finished projects that have been completed in 2025 or 2024 are eligible for the Summer 2025 festival.

Indie filmmakers may submit more than one entry, but each entry must be submitted separately, and not all entries may be selected.

We do not accept music videos or commercials.

Films not produced in English must have English subtitles. We do have a special category for Spanish speaking films, but request that they have English subtitles.

Not all submitted films will be selected. If your film is not selected, registration fees are not refundable.

If your film contains, extreme violence, language, or nudity, you must disclose this during submission. This will not make you ineligible, but it may limit your ability for viewing.

Not all films may be eligible for competition.

The selection committee’s and judges’ decisions are final.

We reserve the right to make changes to festival rules without prior notice.

If selected, you will be required to provide:
- Digital pictures from the film and a large format digital copy of the film’s poster
- The film’s synopsis and a short bio of the film’s creator
- A movie trailer for the film
- An HD version of the film that can be played in digital format
- You may be required to provide a DCP copy of the film

Filmmaker assumes all costs associated with delivering said film
6 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Breanne Nicole Wilson

    Awesome festival! Thank you so much for awarding “Office Chatter” with best comedy! I’m bummed I couldn’t be there in-person, but I’ll definitely make it next time!

    August 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks for the review. We wish you could have been there as well. I know a lot of people had questions during the Q&A for you ;-)
    Next year for sure...

  • Gigi Grigorian

    We had a wonderful experience at Santa Paula Festival. The organizers are lovely people and they made us feel very welcome. All the shorts we saw were amazing and it felt great to be among such high caliber films. Very thankful to have received an award as well. Highly recommend!

    August 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Gigi, your short was great and we hope we will see you again next year.

  • Parker Croft

    Participating in the Santa Paula Film Festival was an incredible experience. We were thrilled to be able to attend and were really impressed by the festival's outstanding support and hospitality. They genuinely care about both the films and the filmmakers. We're crossing our fingers that our next film gets accepted, and we can't wait to be there again in person!

    August 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank Parker - We had such a great time and it was such a calm and relaxing atmosphere. Everyone was there to have a great time, and we were so happy to be able to make that happen.

  • Nick Coelius

    Great venue, great organizers, great block of films that my little short was lucky enough to be a part of.

    I look forward to seeing this festival continue to grow, and will definitely be submitting any future work for consideration!

    August 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Nick. We look forward to your next submission and we look forward to a bigger and even more outstanding event!

  • Sari Karplus

    This was such a wonderful festival! Kudos to the team who put it together for making it such a kind, professional, and well-organized experience.

    Our Bluewater Fairies cast and crew were incredibly grateful to be part of the Santa Paula Film Festival lineup and especially honored for our "Best Up & Coming Filmmaker" win!

    Our filmmaking team and guests had an excellent and memorable time.

    I see great things for this festival in years to come!

    July 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Your kids were amazing and the award was well deserved. We are truly committed to the arts and are firm believers that the arts are an important part of a child's development - and your film proves it. Hopefully they will have something for us again next year!