Military Film Festival Returns to San Diego This Fall; Submissions Now Open

The GI Film Festival, hosted annually in Washington, D.C. and Virginia, will celebrate its second year in San Diego in partnership with KPBS and the Film Consortium San Diego. Scheduled for Sept. 14-18, 2016, the festival will feature films for, about, and by service men and women and will include the local film showcase and awards ceremony.

The festival aims to reveal the struggles, triumphs, and experiences of the military through compelling and authentic storytelling. All major film genres will be featured including dramas, documentaries, shorts, and personal narratives. The local film showcase demonstrates a commitment to San Diego's local military community. Productions selected as part of the local film showcase must be about the Southern California military experience and be completed after January 1, 2011. Local films can be made by individuals who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military or have more than half of the cast, crew, or locations sourced from San Diego or Imperial County. Filmmakers interested in participating in the festival's local film showcase can review requirements and categories via the online submission form. The early-bird deadline is June 1.

The festival is part of an expanding station initiative to better serve local military with meaningful content. Such content includes the radio series Incoming which featured stories written and narrated by local veterans. KPBS also contributes to the NPR series Back at Base, a multi-station collaborative chronicling the lives of U.S. troops in their local communities. By presenting the GI Film Festival San Diego for a second year, KPBS will continue to build on its military-related content and engagement programs.

"We are excited to bring the GI Film Festival to San Diego for a second year," said KPBS General Manager Tom Karlo. "Last year's festival proved without a doubt that compelling, authentic, and insightful content for and about our local military was important. KPBS looks forward to showcasing more amazing films and giving the audience an even deeper appreciation for our service members and the sacrifices they make."

"With such a large population of both active and former military in San Diego, I'm excited to start tapping into all the diverse military stories that we have here," said Jodi Cilley, founder and president of the Film Consortium San Diego. "We look forward to seeing what already exists for military themed films produced in San Diego as well as help inspire and mobilize filmmakers to start telling these rich stories."

Highlights from the 2015 festival included a family movie night aboard the USS Midway Museum, filmmaker talks, panel discussions, and the awards ceremony for the local film showcase. Events took place around San Diego County.

This summer, festival organizers will announce the 2016 festival schedule, ticket prices, and venues. Many of the events will be open to the public with special discounted opportunities for active duty personnel and veterans. Additional information is available at gifilmfestivalsd.org.

The GI Film Festival San Diego is presented by KPBS in collaboration with the GI Film Group and the Film Consortium San Diego.