San Diego Asian Film Festival

Overview

The San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) is a competitive festival for Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander filmmakers, founded in 2000 and operated by Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based at 7675 Dagget Street, Suite 360, San Diego, CA 92111. The 27th edition runs November 5 through 14, 2026, screening films to an audience of more than 20,000 patrons across San Diego.

SDAFF is not a production grant. It is a festival with a competitive awards program. Filmmakers submit completed films via FilmFreeway, and selected films compete for cash prizes awarded at a 300-seat Awards Gala. The festival programs West Coast, North American, and World premieres from both US-based and international filmmakers, making it one of the highest-visibility platforms for Asian American cinema in the United States.

2026 Submission Deadlines and Fees

Submissions for the 27th SDAFF (November 2026) are accepted via FilmFreeway. The 2026 cycle is now closed. The 2027 cycle opens in January 2027.

Student discount rates are available. Notification of selection status is sent on or about August 31, 2026 via email or FilmFreeway's notification system.

Awards Categories

SDAFF presents awards across the following categories, judged by an independent jury of filmmakers, curators, critics, and academics:

• Grand Jury Prize (open to all categories)
• Best Narrative Feature
• Best Documentary Feature
• Best Narrative Short
• Best Documentary Short
• Best Experimental Short
• Best International Short
• Audience Award (voted by festival attendees)
• George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award (for an emerging director)

Winners are announced at the Awards Gala, held during the festival. The Audience Award and Best International Short are announced at the conclusion of the festival. Jurors may elect not to award a category if they deem no film deserving.

Eligibility Requirements

Who Can Submit

Films entered into competition must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Directed by an artist of Asian or Pacific Islander descent
• Principally acted by artists of Asian or Pacific Islander descent
• Contains subject matter relating to Asian or Pacific Islander cultures or communities

SDAFF does not require that Asian Pacific Islander artists limit themselves to Asian stories only. If the lead characters are of Asian Pacific Islander descent, or if the film's subject relates to Asian Pacific Islander communities, histories, or politics, the film is eligible.

Film Requirements

• Short films: Under 40 minutes
• Feature films: Over 40 minutes
• Genres accepted: Fiction, documentary, experimental, animation
• Completion date: Films must have been completed after June 1, 2025
• Premiere requirements: Short films must have first public premiere after August 1, 2025. Feature-length films must have first public premiere after October 1, 2025
• San Diego exclusivity: Feature-length entries cannot have been previously exhibited in San Diego at another film festival or commercial venue, or be available for broadcast, home video, or online for American audiences before November 20, 2026
• Short films previously exhibited on the internet are eligible for entry
• Non-English dialogue must be subtitled in English
• Films cannot be re-entered into competition if previously rejected by SDAFF
• Work-in-progress versions are accepted if labeled with remaining elements to be completed

Submission Process

All submissions go through FilmFreeway. A completed application and entry fee must accompany each entry. There are no exceptions to the entry fee. There is no limit to the number of qualifying entries by any entrant, provided each has its own form and fee.

What Selection Means for Filmmakers

Being programmed at SDAFF places a film in front of one of the most concentrated Asian cinema audiences in the United States. The festival draws more than 20,000 patrons annually, including industry professionals, critics, and distributors who attend specifically for Asian American and international Asian cinema.

For filmmakers seeking distribution, SDAFF selection can:

• Generate critical attention within the Asian American film community and beyond
• Provide award recognition that strengthens a film's festival run and distribution pitch
• Connect filmmakers to Pacific Arts Movement's broader programs, including its Spring Showcase and education initiatives
• Offer networking with other Asian and Asian American filmmakers, programmers, and industry guests

The festival does not directly broker distribution deals, but its programming team and audience composition make it a venue where distributors and sales agents scout for Asian American and international Asian content.

Festival Context and History

SDAFF launched its first competitive festival in August 2000. It has since grown into the largest exhibition of Asian cinema in the western United States. The festival is a program of Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts), which also operates the SDAFF Spring Showcase (now in its 15th year as of 2026), education programs, and membership initiatives.

The 2025 SDAFF (26th edition, November 6 to 15, 2025) awarded its Grand Jury Prize to Fucktoys directed by Annapurna Sriram, Best Documentary Feature to The Gas Station Attendant directed by Karla Murthy, and the George C. Lin Emerging Filmmaker Award to Lloyd Lee Choi for Lucky Lu.

Who Should Submit

Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander filmmakers with completed documentary, narrative, experimental, or animated films who want their work seen by a dedicated, knowledgeable audience of Asian cinema. The festival accepts both shorts and features, making it accessible to filmmakers at all career stages, from first-time directors to established auteurs.

Filmmakers whose work does not meet the Asian or Pacific Islander eligibility criteria should not submit. If you are uncertain about eligibility, contact the festival before submitting: info@pacarts.org or 619-400-5911.

See Also

For building a festival strategy as part of a distribution plan, see Distribution Deals: What Filmmakers Need to Know. For a production grant for Asian American filmmakers, see the Center for Asian American Media entry. To calculate the return on your festival submission spend, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator.