SLO Film Festival is back: From Surf Nite to celebrity talks, see what’s on lineup
It’s spring and SLO County film buffs know what that means: Time for the return of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival.
The beloved festival is set to take over local screens April 24 through 29, bringing with it a slate of over 100 films, from “narrative features, short films, documentary features and doc shorts,” to popular events like Surf Nite, the Central Coast Filmmaker Showcase, Cal Poly Short Cuts and Music Video Showcase.
This year will also mark the return of Community of Skate, which premiered in 2024, and additional programming from R.A.C.E Matters, Filmmakers of Tomorrow, The Coastal Awakening and Ecologists, the organization said in a news release.
“This year, we made a concerted effort to showcase a variety of stories and perspectives that bring the world to San Luis Obispo while also delivering a message of hope, joy and perseverance,” San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said in the release.
Here’s a look at the lineup and schedule ahead of the festival:
Opening Night
The Film Festival will kick off Thursday, April 24 with an Opening Night Reception starting at 5 p.m.
The reception will give attendees the “opportunity to meet special guests, filmmakers and major contributors, along with catered bites by Luna Red and wine from Vina Robles Winery at the historic Fremont Theater,” according to the release.
A screening of “DJ Ahmet” — which follows the story of a 15-year-old boy from North Macedonia as he “finds refuge in music while navigating his father’s expectations, a conservative community and his first taste of love” — will begin at 7 p.m. The film was written and directed by Georgi M. Unkovski.
Tickets to the film screening are $25 for general admission and $22 with a student ID or a Palmie membership. Tickets for the film and reception cost $40 general admission and $37 for students or Palmie members.
The festival’s All-Access, Movie Star and See+Stay passes are also accepted, though passholders must reserve their spots in advance for the reception.
Surf Nite in SLO
The festival’s “signature one-of-a-kind surfing film event” will return Friday, April 25 with a Fremont Theater screening of three short surf films: “Creatures of Habit,” “Making Waves: The Lakey Peterson Story” and “Nø Way.”
“Creatures of Habit,” written and directed by Nate Laverty, explores “the unpredictable and challenging conditions of cold-water surfing,” according to the festival program. It has a run time of 38 minutes.
“Making Waves,” meanwhile, follows the story of competitive surfer Lakey Peterson from her Santa Barbara roots to the World Surf League Championship Tour, according to the program listing. The Morgan-Maassen-directed film runs 28 minutes.
Finally “Nø Way,” from writer and director Harrison Roach and co-director Jake Burghart, follows a group of surfers as they chase perfection in the Barents Sea off the northern coast of Europe. It has a runtime of 41 minutes.
The evening will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with a set by local band RIFF TIDE and guests are encouraged to enjoy drinks and mingle prior to introductory comments and screenings at 7 p.m., according to the release.
Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 for students or Palmie members; All-Access and See+Stay passes are accepted.though passholders must reserve in advance.
Community of Skate
Community of Skate is set to return to the Fremont Theater on Saturday, April 26 starting with live music in the lobby at 6 p.m.
The event will also feature an exhibition on skateboard designs and live screen printing by San Luis Obispo High School’s advanced graphic design class, according to the release.
Following the reception will be a screening of films celebrating “the culture, community and challenges of skateboarding,” the release said. Those include “Skategoat,” which follows young Los Angeles skateboarder Leandre Sanders as he chases his dreams, and “Against the Current,” which explores the artistic journey of Stacy Peralta.
After the screening is a discussion with pro skaters Sanders and Chico Brenes, skate film director Aaron Meza and “Skategoat” director, Van Alpert, according to the release.
Tickets are $25 for general admission, $22 for Palmie members and $15 for students. All-Access and See+Stay passes are also accepted though passholders must reserve in advance.
Spotlight Award
This year, the Film Festival will present its Spotlight Award honoring a successful film industry professional to indie film director, writer, actor and producer Jay Duplass.
According to the release, Duplass began his film career in the early 2000s, writing, director and producing award-winning films with his brother Mark.
In 2014, the pair created the HBO series “Togetherness,” followed by other shows like “Somebody Somewhere,” “The Lady and the Dale,” “Room 104” and the Emmy-winning Netflix docuseries “Wild Wild Country.”
Meanwhile, Duplass has also appeared in several TV shows and feature films like “Transparent,” “Industry,” “The Chair,” “Percy Jackson,” “Outside In” and “Beatriz at Dinner.”
Duplass will be presented with the award Sunday, April 27 at 5 p.m. ahead of a screening of his new film, “The Baltimorons,” which he directed and co-wrote with Michael Strassner.
The film starts with newly sober main character Cliff cracking a tooth, which then leads to an “unexpected adventure through the streets of Baltimore,” according to the release.
Tickets are $20 general admission and $17 for students and Palmie members. All-Access, See+Stay, Movie Star and Fan Pack 6 passes will be accepted, though passholders must reserve a spot in advance.
Closing Night
On Tuesday, April 29, the Film Festival will wrap up with the announcement of the Jury and Audience Award winners, as well as a screening of “Coastal.”
“Coastal,” directed by filmmaker and actress Daryl Hannah, give the audience a behind-the-scenes look at Hannah’s husband and “maverick musician” Neil Young as “he cruises the coast on his recent solo tour,” according to the release. The film “offers a glimpse behind the curtain of this unguarded iconoclast, as he navigates a return to the stage post-Covid — from his everyday observations on the bus to his candid, wry banter with his audience,” the release said.
A Q&A with the pair will follow the screening.
Tickets are $30 general admission, $27 for students and Palmie members and All-Access and See+Stay passes will be accepted though passholders must reserve in advance.
What else is showing during SLO Film Festival?
According to the release, more feature film highlights during the Film Festival include “Magic Hour,” starring Miriam Shor and Josh Stamberg; “The Summer Book,” starring Glenn Close; the West Coast premiere of the Mexican film “Corina;” the United States premiere of the Canadian production “The Players;” and the post-apocalyptic thriller “40 Acres” starring Danielle Deadwyler.
Other documentary features include “Mr. Nobody Against Putin,” “Middletown,” “Speak,” “Sally,” and “Third Act” — all of which recently premiered at Sundance 2025 — Oscar-nominee “Porcelain War” and “Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion.”
The latter, which explores the life and legacy of legendary costume and fashion designer Bob Mackie, will include a live Q&A with Mackie at its Monday, April 28 showing.
In addition to films, the festival will also feature Behind the Scenes Panels with industry professionals.
This year’s talks include “The Festival Circuit and Beyond,” “How to Finance your Indie Film,” “Beyond Entertainment,” and “Understanding Light,” according to the release.
Panels take place in the festival lounge and are free for Film Festival ticket holders, with tickets also available for the general public.
How to get passes, tickets
Film Festival passes are on sale now. They range from the Fan Pack 6 package which for $80 gives you six tickets redeemable for all regular screenings in-person or virtual but cannot be used on special events to the All-Access Movie Mogul Pass which grants access to all screenings and special events, festival lounge access and encore screenings at the Palm Theatre for $350.
For a complete lineup of this year’s films and events, or to purchase film festival passes and tickets, visit slofilmfestival2025.eventive.org/welcome.
Individual tickets can also be bought in person at the Palm Theatre box office at 817 Palm St.
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