The annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is gearing up to begin on Thursday, April 24, offering a slate of more than 100 films and events through April 29.
Here is all you need to know about the highly anticipated festival.
Movies and Events
- Thursday — The 2025 festival is set to kick off at 5 p.m. on Thursday with a reception at the Fremont Theater. At 7 p.m., there will be a screening of the opening night film, "DJ AHMET."
- Friday — Friday's schedule offers a selection of 18 feature films throughout the day, including "Paper Flowers," "Mozart's Sister," and "40 Acres." At 5:30 p.m., the Fremont Theater will host the popular "Surf Nite in SLO," a series of short films showcasing the stories of surfers from around the world. "Red Eye Shorts" will include a series of horror short films at 7:30 p.m. at the Palm Theater.
- Saturday — The day's events kick off at 10 a.m. with a panel of guest speakers discussing the importance of film festivals. More feature films and short film compilations are set to screen throughout the day, in addition to a music video showcase at 5 p.m. in the Palm Theater. Plus, "Community of Skate" returns for a second year, featuring two films, "Skategoat" and "Against the Current," at the Fremont Theater starting at 6 p.m.
- Sunday — Sunday's agenda brings more panels, feature showings, and short showcases. At 1:30 p.m., the 19th Filmmakers of Tomorrow Youth Showcase will take place at Downtown Centre Cinemas, showing the work of elementary, middle, and high school students from around the world.
- Monday — In addition to the 40 feature films being shown, Monday's schedule will feature a focus on local filmmakers with the Central Coast Shorts showcase and the Cal Poly Short Cuts showing. Organizers will also host a ceremony to honor Bob Mackie, the recipient of the 2025 King Vidor Award.
- Tuesday — Tuesday marks the closing day of the film festival with seven feature films screening throughout the day. The festival is set to conclude with a ceremony to present the Juried Awards and Audience Award at 6 p.m. in the Fremont Theater. Afterward, attendees will be able to watch "COASTAL," a documentary following Neil Young’s solo tour.
Tickets
This year's festival offers several ways for community members to attend the events and screenings.
Tickets to individual screenings can be purchased either online or in person at the Palm Theater.
For those who wish to visit multiple screenings, the festival also offers four movie pass options: the Fan Pack 6 pass, the Movie Star pass, the See + Stay pass, and the Movie Mogul pass.
Parking
Festival attendees can park in any of the three parking structures in downtown San Luis Obispo (842 Palm Street, 919 Palm Street, or 871 Marsh Street) for an hourly fee.
Street parking is also offered throughout downtown San Luis Obispo for an hourly fee.
For more information about this year's event and to purchase tickets, visit the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival's website.
