The BSFF is a FILMMAKER-CENTRIC festival. You will experience an extremely well-attended-in-person-event. As a 501(c)(3) organization, our task is to create wonderful art experiences for you and our desert community.

The BSFF is into our second decade. We're well established and having an incredible time. We feature single-venue-screenings, great local attendance, a catered opening gala, a filmmaker networking event, our catered Saturday party, panel discussions, workshops, hang-outs, and a catered grand award ceremony.

And, through the generosity of the Laureen and Joyce Callo Foundation, the BSFF is continuing to offer a $1,000 cash prize to American based female directors!

The BSFF takes place in one of the most beautiful locations in the world, Borrego Springs, CA. Our vibe is desert eclectic. Vintage trailers, refined mid-century modern neighborhoods, primitive pup-tent camping, or even world class resort living, it's all here.

If you're making your first film or your twentieth, we want you here. Our selection committee embraces a wide scope of production. Everything from highly crafted films to sentimental favorites are part of our programming.

We excel simply because we truly offer a great time, remarkable local attendance, and we go out of our way to accommodate our filmmaker guests.

You’ll meet and greet your audience, lounge with other filmmakers, and interact with everyone. We even have homemade cookies. Do you know about our homemade cookies? You need to find out about Pam's homemade cookies.

“Best fest ever and we've been to many. These folks really appreciate the filmmakers…If you only enter one festival this year, make it BSFF. — Ronn Kilby, Director, “Dog Star”

The Laureen and Joyce Callo Foundation sponsors a $1,000 cash prize for Best Female Director of a narrative film of any length. The award is designed to encourage and support American based female filmmakers who are woefully under-represented in the film industry.

"The Laara Award," presented by the family of late BSFF founding member Laara Maxwell, is an $1,000 prize for the best inspirational film.

Our submission categories are the main competition for awards:

Best Short Under 20 Minutes
Best Short 20 to 50 Minutes
Best Feature Film
Best Animation
Best Documentary Over 30 Minutes
Best Documentary Under 30 Minutes
Best International Film
Best Youth Film Under 18
Best Student Film 18+

Various sub categories of competition are also awarded:

Best Comedy
Best Director Feature
Best Director Short
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Music Score
Best Performance Comedy
Best Performance Drama

Additionally, top audience votes for will win the BSFF "PEOPLE'S CHOICE" award(s).

The BSFF committee will also offer "THE GOLDEN COOKIE" awards for films we believe resonate with the attitudes and sentiments of the Borrego Springs audience.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Entrant confirms and warrants required legal authority to submit the entry into the festival and to use all music, images, and content in the entry.

All films must be in English or subtitled in English.

PAYMENT

Pay entry fees online during the online application process.

DIGITAL PR:

If your film is accepted, you must be able to provide: a hi-res film still, a digital hi-res poster of your movie, a digital high-res image of the director and/or producer, and a synopsis of your film in 140 characters or less.

FILM TRAILERS:

The BSFF features trailers of selected films during our screenings, as well as showcasing the trailers on our website and social media. Accepted films will provide a trailer no less than :30 and no longer than 3:15.

MULTIPLE ENTRIES

A film can be submitted into multiple categories. Each category requires it's own individual submission.

NOTIFICATION

If your film is selected to be part of the BSFF, you will be notified, via the email listed on your FilmFreeway profile, on or about November 5. You will also be notified by email if your film is not selected.

FEEDBACK

We are unable to respond with feedback or explanations if your film is not accepted. The popularity of the expanding BSFF means we receive many more worthy films than we have programming space to screen.

EXHIBITION FILM REQUIREMENTS

All accepted film will submit screeners uploaded via the internet. mp4, prores, or DNxHD with a stereo audio. We do not accept DCP or 5.1 surround sound tracks at this time.

The exhibition copy of your film must be received no later than December 5th. Accepted films that miss the deadline will be removed from the program and replaced.

RELEASE & LICENSING AGREEMENT

By submitting your film: you acknowledge and agree that to the best of my knowledge, I am duly authorized to submit this film to Borrego Springs Film Festival (BSFF) and to grant permissions related to its use. Submitting a film to BSFF constitutes an agreement by and between the filmmaker/representative and BSFF.

You grant permission to BSFF to use film clips/stills for promotional use. You allow BSFF and any third parties at the festival the right to film, videotape and photograph your appearance and voice for any and all marketing and promotion of Borrego Springs Film Festival and Borrego Festivals Foundation.

You indemnify and hold harmless BSFF, its judges, affiliates, staff, sponsors and partners, individually and collectively, from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims, or third party claims based on stories or films submitted to BSFF.

If my film is accepted into the BSFF, you grant BSFF the non-exclusive right to right to show and market my film in its entirety as BSFF sees fit during festival week. BSFF does not take any copyright or ownership of your film.

By submitting, you agree to all of these rules, terms and conditions. You acknowledge that no submission fee refunds are given once this application has been submitted. You also acknowledge that you will not receive any compensation for the use of your film by BSFF in accordance with the rules, terms and conditions.

You understand and acknowledge that, if you are under 18 years of age, your parent or guardian must agree to the terms of this Filmmaker Release on your behalf. As a Parent or Guardian of a minor filmmaker, if applicable, you understand and acknowledge that you are agreeing to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on behalf of your child or a child for whom you are a legally designated Guardian.

PROGRAMMING

The BSFF reserves the right to arrange accepted submissions into any category at our discretion.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jessica Sherr

    Borrego Springs is an amazing festival. Thank you to Matt, Alicia, Patty, Russ and to all those community members who made Borrego Springs such an amazing weekend. Borrego Springs has a very unique community who adore filmmakers. They made us all feel right at home. Opening Night Gala had beautiful dinner, drinks, and mingling. We were offered to go on guided morning hikes which was very unique to hike in the desert. Our screening was packed with over 200 audience members who were so engaged and laughed a lot. We were so touched to win Best Comedy Performance. Our wooden awards were hand-carved by Borrego's very own Russ Webb. Very touching and personal. I can't wait to go back!

    February 2024
  • MJ Alhabeeb Jr

    What a terrific Film Festival this is! From top to bottom we had an incredible time at the Borrego Springs Film Festival!

    All of the organizers and volunteers from Fred to Matt to Pam to Russ to other Matt to Leslie to so many more were all amazing and gracious and supportive of us as filmmakers. They worked tirelessly to put on an outstanding film festival! There were amazing films to see and not every festival offers a consistent range of quality to choose from. This one did. The local community shows up to watch the films, to take part in panels, and to support the filmmakers in attendance.

    There were parties, galas, hikes, catered meals, panels, baked goods, a filmmaker's lounge, Q&A's, an awards show, everything you could desire at a film festival!

    There was even a power outage that hit SoCal hard and the marvelous group of organizers behind the fest rallied to bring in generators and to keep the show rolling without a hitch! This is a testament to the dedication, the care and the love that you receive at the Borrego Springs Film Fest!

    I highly recommend this festival as it has everything you could want from a film festival, and an amazing group of individuals who champion film, champion art and champion filmmakers and artists alike!

    Thank you so much for having us! We can't wait for the next one!

    -MJ

    January 2024
  • Kelsey Edwards

    Wow, attending Borrego Springs was such a special experience! We screened our short film "Box Boy" here and had the best time. The screenings were so full, the locals were so engaged and everyone was so excited. It was nice to meet other filmmakers from around the country and the events were really fun. Borrego Springs is a small town with a big personality! I'll definitely be submitting + attending again. :)

    January 2024
  • Prowse Cine

    It was a great honor that my debut film participated in this beautiful festival and won the awards for "best dramatic performance" and "best international film." Thank you!

    January 2024
  • Julann Warren

    Absolutely amazing film festival. Wonderful people in a wonderful location. Highly recommend!

    January 2024