The opportunity for independent filmmakers to be rewarded and recognized for their cinematic achievements.

About Us

San Diego Movie Awards is in its first year as a Quarterly Film Competition – Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer – with an annual in-person festival celebrating the very best films from our quarterly competitions. The festival is held in the very heart of America’s Finest City -Balboa Park- at the Museum of Photographic Arts.

Our mission is to recognize and honor films and filmmakers from all over the globe, recognizing each type of artist involved in the filmmaking process.
At our annual festival, we will present the winner of the very best short and feature from the winners of our quarterly competitions. Cash prizes will be awarded to the best feature ($2500) and the best short ($1500).

San Diego Movie Awards accepts films of all lengths and genres and seeks to honor new and unique voices and stories from our global community. San Diego, with its close proximity to Los Angeles, is a thriving city for independent filmmakers with a long tradition of celebrating the spirit of indie film and their creators. It is a great movie-making city in its own right, with its rich, diverse population and every landscape imaginable – from the beach to the mountains to the desert.

San Diego Movie Awards judges are also filmmakers – directors, actors, writers, producers, cinematographers, editors, composers – and we know the innumerable struggles that existing in creating and completing a film– and the struggles to be accepted at festivals or picked up for distribution! We understand the financial struggle – and sacrifice – that often goes into getting a film made. Which is why we have created a festival that will give you and your project the respect and exposure you so richly deserve! With the pandemic making in person festivals almost impossible in 2020, we committed in 2021 to creating a festival which will allow for recognition during the time of Covid, and a festival to look forward to in 2022 when we know we can, once again, gather in person to honor your films!

IF YOU DEEM THAT IT IS FOR YOU, THEN YOU NEED TO EXPECT YOUR JOURNEY TO BE DIFFICULT. EMBRACE THAT DIFFICULTY BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HONES YOUR SKILLS AND MAKES YOU A BETTER WRITER OR FILMMAKER. AFTER THAT, SET YOUR EYES ON A GOAL AND DON’T GET OFF COURSE FROM IT.

- PATTY JENKINS

SUBMIT YOUR FILM NOW