The San Diego Asian Film Festival (USA) is accepting short films until June 22, and feature films until August 10, 2026.

About the festival:
Since 2000, the San Diego Asian Film Festival has been one of the premier platforms for Asian American cinema and has grown into the largest showcase of Asian and Pacific Islander cinema in the western United States. The festival is borne out of the love for independent film and the desire to showcase the diverse Pan Asian experience through film and other arts.

Eligibility:
– Films/videos entered into competition must be directed or principally acted by an artist of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, or contain subject matter relating to Asian or Pacific Islander cultures or communities. Clarify questions of eligibility prior to submission of entry.
– The festival accepts short films (under 40 minutes) and feature films (over 40 minutes) from all type of genres (fiction, documentary, and experimental.)
– Entries must have been completed after June 1, 2025. For short films, the date of first public premiere (if any) must be after August 1, 2025. For feature-length films, the date of first public premiere (if any) must be after October 1, 2025.
– 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 Nov. 20, 2026.
– Non-English dialogue must be subtitled in English.
– Films/videos cannot be re-entered into competition if previously rejected by the San Diego Asian Film Festival.
– Short films previously exhibited on the Internet are eligible for entry.
– Films must be submitted via FilmFreeway.
– Submission Fees and Deadlines:

*Highlighted fees are for students*
– Notification Date: August 31, 2026

We recommend filmmakers to read the full Rules and Regulations here: https://filmfreeway.com/SanDiegoAsianFilmFestival (This is also the submission link)

We remind readers that the 27th San Diego Asian Film Festival will take place from November 5 – 14, 2026 in San Diego, CA, United States.

Looking for a festival distributor? Learn more about our services here

To see other Calls please follow the next link: “Call For Entries”.