The 2023 festival will be in person again, with confirmed dates of Nov 10+11+12, 2023!
The Yucca Valley Film Festival has been recognized as CULTURAL CONTRIBUTOR of the year 2023 by:
🇺🇸 the US CONGRESS
🇺🇸 the US SENATE
🇺🇸 the COUNTY of San Bernardino
🇺🇸 and the Basin Wide Foundation
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$2.500 PRIZE MONEY in 2023, including:
Best Short Film: ---> $250
Best Feature: ---> $300
Yucca Valley Award: ---> $200 (for local artists only)
Best Animated Short Film: ---> $200
Best Script: ---> $150
Best Documentary: ---> $150
Best Music Video: ---> $150
Best Dance Film: ---> $150
Best Music Composer: ---> $150
Best Student FIlm: ---> $150
Best Experimental /Visual Art: ---> $100
Audience Award: ---> $100
Best Photography: ---> $100
Best Drone Video: ---> $50
(Winners must supply W9 form, only US bank accounts are eligible to prize money).
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EVENT PROGRAM
Our typical program includes:
FRIDAY
Kick off event - Yucca room
- Event presentation
- Red Carpet
- Mayor’s opening speech
- Opening short film(s)
- Feature film Yucca Valley premiere
SATURDAY
Screenings & talks
- documentaries in competition
- followed by talk with artists and audience
- Audience vote
- Script roundtable with script writers talking about their work
Screening & talk
- Animated films in competition
Screening & talk
- Student films in competition
- followed by talk with artists and audience
- Audience vote
Screening & talk
- Short films in competition
- followed by talk with artists and audience
- Audience vote
SUNDAY
Morning: Mixer & Industry talk, reserved to filmmakers with a badge
Screening & talk
- Visual Arts in films (experimental and visually creative audiovisual work)
- Music Videos
- followed by talk with artists and audience
- Audience vote
Closing event with
- Red Carpet
- Result of the week-end drawing lots
- Result all official winners (every category)
- Result of the audience votes (every category)
- Screening of the winning movies with artists’ introduction & followed by talk with filmmakers
- Closing speech by the Mayor
Program is subject to change, check our website for final and updated program at all times.
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Each filmmaker’s presentation will include a short introduction, film screening and opportunity for brief Q&A with the audience.
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INTRODUCTION
Yucca Valley is the economic hub for the Morongo Basin is the natural gateway to Joshua Tree National Park (2.8M visitors in 2022).
The Town already lives to the rhythm of artists and creative minds, coming to Yucca Valley in search of the perfect spot to create and find a receptive audience.
The festival started in 2019, generating a buzz with local audiences (3 packed screening nights with red carpet), attracting attendance by international talented filmmakers, and benefiting from a large press coverage.
The Film Festival was listed as the main cultural event for the Town in the Hi-Desert Star, and got covered by NBC, Z 107.7, Spot on California, Desert Road Trippin', Greater Palm Springs... (See PRESS albums on Facebook and FilmFreeway).
The Yucca Valley Film Festival became a recurring, family friendly annual rendez-vous for all the Hi-Desert Community, film lovers and art lovers. 2020 was a digital edition reaching more than 30,000 viewers and interactions through screenings, QnAs, roundtables, a Masterclass with William BALDWIN...
2021 will once again be a celebration of movies and visual arts in the heart of the Mojave Desert, wether in person or hybrid.
Yucca Valley also carries a vast movie heritage in itself, and also with the historic movie sets of Pioneertown. In 2016, TIM BURTON shot scenes of “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” on Old Woman Springs Road.
More than 50 titles are listed on Imdb with scenes shot here.
We selected 72 movies / artists in 2022, with an attendance of 106 artists alone during the weekend.
Our opening night, Documentary block and closing nights (awards) were sold out and we had to add seats last minute.
Our red carpet is open every night, with a professional photographer on opening and closing night, and an open red carpet on Saturday.
We're a small fest but our community LOVES movies!
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CALL TO LOCAL ARTISTS AND DESERT RELATED FILMS AND PIECES
Your film, music video, art video, art film, documentary... Shot scenes in Yucca Valley? Features a local landmark? Features a local talent? Or you ARE a local talent based in Yucca Valley, the Morongo basin, along Highway 62 or the larger San Bernardino County?
Please contact us by email for a special discount. We'll consider your work for a the Yucca Valley Award, with prize money and special event.
Every category winner listed below will receive a cash award (all screening films are eligible to their category AND the Audience Award).
$2.500 PRIZE MONEY in 2023, including:
Best Short Film: ---> $250
Best Feature: ---> $300
Yucca Valley Award: ---> $200 (for local artists only)
Best Animated Short Film: ---> $200
Best Script: ---> $150
Best Documentary: ---> $150
Best Music Video: ---> $150
Best Dance Film: ---> $150
Best Music Composer: ---> $150
Best Student FIlm: ---> $150
Best Experimental /Visual Art: ---> $100
Audience Award: ---> $100
Best Photography: ---> $100
Best Drone Video: ---> $50
(Winners must supply W9 form, only US bank accounts are eligible to prize money).
Keep Mojave Free Award and Festival pick may also apply and benefit from a prize money.
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In addition to the prize money, every winner will receive:
---> an Award Certificate
Each selected submitter will receive:
--> official laurels
and based on secured sponsorship, the festival may announce more prizes and gifts.
ONLY FILMMAKERS PARTICIPATING IN PERSON WILL BE GRANTED THEIR PRIZE MONEY and any other prizes. Participating meaning taking part in presentation, after-movie talks and QnAs, in person.