San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (SLO Film Fest) will once again attract stars, great films and film enthusiasts to the Central Coast of California, when it celebrates it's 32nd Annual festival, happening April 23-28, 2026.

Located half-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco, San Luis Obispo's laid-back vibe and serene natural beauty is the perfect setting for this highly regarded annual film celebration. Filmmakers rave about the warmth and attentiveness that is so much a part of the SLO Film Fest experience, as does the swelling tide of industry pros and film critics who are fast discovering the Festival's thoughtful audiences and unique programming sensibility.

There are three categories of competition at the SLO Film Fest. The George Sidney Independent Film competition is open to filmmakers worldwide, all ages and all genres (including, Music Videos, Episodics and Horror). The Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase is open to producers, writers and/or directors living in San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. And the Filmmakers of Tomorrow Showcase is open to youth filmmakers, grades K-12, with films 7 minutes or less.

ABOUT OUR PROGRAMMING: Our audiences are most attracted to thought-provoking documentaries as well as gripping narratives. We are constantly looking to bring in new audiences and thus pushing our programming to appeal to multi-generational groups with a focus on increasing diversity in order to showcase more perspectives. When programming, we are heavily considering who is behind the screen and why they felt the need to tell this story. Have you seen this story before? Is this a new perspective? Our screeners are largely community members, avid film watchers and alumni filmmakers. A minimum of three screeners review the films before the film gets passed to our programming committee to review. Our final slate of programming is based on a number of factors including timing, theme and tone as well as considering if it will be an overall good fit for the upcoming festival.

OUR MISSION: To expand minds, open hearts, and entertain people through worldwide independent cinema.

OUR VISION: Provide a year-round destination for international independent cinema, promoting diversity, understanding, education, and inclusion through engaging storytelling.  Our world-class annual festival in San Luis Obispo County, along with events throughout the year at the SLO Film Center, provide a venue for international and local filmmakers, exposing an ever-expanding range of audiences to new ideas and experiences.

PREMIERE REQUIREMENTS: N/A, however we prefer a film is not available on a streaming platform at the time of the event.

FORMATS REQUIREMENTS: A DCP is required for your film’s screening at the festival (does not apply to Filmmakers of Tomorrow competition). Accepted films are eligible to receive a 20% discount to create a DCP if you do not already have one available. A ProRes digital file is also required as a backup. DCP creation is not paid by the festival.