San Diego International Film Festival Announces 25th Anniversary Lineup

The San Diego International Film Festival has unveiled its 2026 lineup, marking the festival's 25th anniversary with six days of films, premieres, special events and industry programming.

This year's Main Slate features films from 22 countries and eight world premieres, selected from a record 3,500 submissions. The program encompasses narrative features, documentaries, shorts and animation, with filmmakers including Martin McDonagh, Peter Farrelly, Anton Corbijn, Mike Leigh, Jay Duplass and more represented in the lineup.

Among the festival's anticipated titles is McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine, starring John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Mariana Di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Tom Waits and Parker Posey.

Other highlighted Gala Features include Farrelly's I Play Rocky, starring Anthony Ippolito, Matt Dillon and AnnaSophia Robb; Corbijn's A Talent for Murder, starring Helen Mirren, Edward Ridgeway and Olivia Cooke; Leigh's Tender Loving Care, starring Kate O'Flynn, Marion Bailey, Paul Jesson and Alice Bailey Johnson; and Michael J. Gallagher's The Leader, starring Vera Farmiga, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parsons and Simon Rex.

Also among the selections are Duplass' See You When I See You, starring Kaitlyn Dever, David Duchovny, Hope Davis, Lucy Boynton and Kumail Nanjiani; Abinash Bikram Shah's Elephants in the Fog; and Rakan Mayasi's Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep.

"As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the San Diego International Film Festival, we're thrilled to share a lineup that reflects the very best of cinematic storytelling," CEO and Artistic Director Tonya Mantooth said. "From international standouts and thought-provoking documentaries to award-winning shorts and highly anticipated premieres, this year's films showcase diverse voices and bold perspectives that inspire empathy and conversation."

Mantooth added, "This milestone year also gives us an opportunity to honor and celebrate the rich Native American heritage and enduring legacy of the Kumeyaay people, whose ancestral lands we are privileged to gather on. For 25 years, the Festival has brought storytellers, changemakers, and cinema enthusiasts together in beautiful San Diego, and we look forward to celebrating this special anniversary with our audiences."

The Festival will kick off October 13 with the Night of the Stars Tribute at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla. The Opening Night film premiere and party will follow October 14 at THE LOT La Jolla.

The annual Night of the Stars event honors actors, directors and filmmakers and includes the presentation of the Gregory Peck Award of Excellence in Cinema. Previous festival honorees have included Laurence Fishburne, Annette Bening, Adrien Brody, Patrick Stewart, Andy Garcia, Kumail Nanjiani, Marlee Matlin, Mark Hamill, Regina Hall and Geena Davis.

Culinary Cinema will take place October 18, hosted by Shawn Styles of CBS8's Cooking with Styles. The event will begin with a cuisine-themed film followed by a culinary experience.

Shorts Tracks Competition

The festival's Shorts Tracks Competition features 61 films across a range of programming categories.

Between Worlds

Creators, directed by Nik Sysuev — San Diego Premiere
Double Exposure, directed by Jiacheng Ye — North American Premiere
Green or Yellow, directed by Wang Hee Song — North American Premiere
Homebodies, directed by Rachel Olson — San Diego Premiere
Method Cowboy, directed by Carlos Valdivia — San Diego Premiere
SAM, directed by Joshua Morin and Blaze Nowara — World Premiere

Dramedy

A Night In, directed by Eduardo Olmos — San Diego Premiere
Fender Bender, directed by Brian Herrera Gladstone — West Coast Premiere
LAY LEFTY DOWN, directed by Traven Rice — Southern California Premiere
LUCKY LIAM, directed by Thomas Hefferon and TJ Hundtofte — United States Premiere
Mort, directed by Larry and Terry Ziegelman — San Diego Premiere
The Cranberry Effect, directed by Mathery — North American Premiere
The Method, directed by Luke Howe — West Coast Premiere

Dramatic Lens

Alivios, directed by Juan Manuel González — West Coast Premiere
Backstage, directed by Emile V. Schlesser — West Coast Premiere
My Brother Lyosha and I, directed by Lena Tronina — San Diego Premiere
The Birthday Gift, directed by Arianna Ortiz — San Diego Premiere
Watch Out For Bullets, directed by Nicholas Berger and Emmanuel Dayan — World Premiere

Heart Strings

Arlene, directed by Elizabeth Dement — San Diego Premiere
Going Home, directed by Emily Murnane and Alyssa Limperis — San Diego Premiere
Grace, directed by Anna Rodgers — Southern California Premiere
Meeting Your Maker, directed by Gregory JM Kasunich — San Diego Premiere
Obit, directed by Ben Tedesco — San Diego Premiere

San Diego Scene

Adelaide, directed by Simonne Villamichel and Borel Hammond — World Premiere
Between The Variables, directed by Yalian Li — West Coast Premiere
God Dammit, directed by Chance Saller — West Coast Premiere
Midnight Snack, directed by Gerry Saucedo — World Premiere
The Beautiful Life, directed by Matthew Sullivan and Brandon Winter — North American Premiere
Yo Soy Mariachero, directed by Steven Wade Adams — World Premiere

Short & Sweet

Bears in Hot Tubs, directed by Maddie Bear and Claire Musser — San Diego Premiere
Dropping off, directed by Will Mayo and Ian Scott McGregor — San Diego Premiere
Girls Night, directed by Nicolas Block — San Diego Premiere
Scouts Honor, directed by Isabel Pask — San Diego Premiere
Soft Cargo, directed by Christian Moldes — California Premiere
You Could've Been a Nurse, directed by Meg Mateo — San Diego Premiere

Student Showcase

Breathe, Brother, Breathe, directed by Arman Khaghani — San Diego Premiere
Catching Claus, directed by Ian Blom — West Coast Premiere
Post Mortem, directed by Luca Rivetti — World Premiere
Ransom, directed by Aaron Adrian — World Premiere
Reflections, directed by Anya Zenooz — California Premiere
The Clark Family Road Trip, directed by Constantine Tripodes — San Diego Premiere
Your Pepperminted Son, directed by Dongmyeong Kim — San Diego Premiere

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