The festival
The flagship event of the nonprofit Pacific Arts Movement, SDAFF was founded in 2000 and has grown into one of the largest exhibitions of Asian cinema in the western United States, presenting around 150 films each year.
Worth knowing
It began in August 2000 as a fundraiser organized through the Asian American Journalists Association before founding director Lee Ann Kim built it into the standalone nonprofit now known as Pacific Arts Movement.
How to attend
The public can buy individual tickets or an All-Fest Pass through the festival’s annual website each November.
Awards & submissions
The flagship event of the nonprofit Pacific Arts Movement, SDAFF has grown from a 2000 fundraiser into one of the largest showcases of Asian cinema in the western United States, presenting around 150 films each year. Its programme spans features, documentaries and shorts from Asia and the diaspora, and the festival presents juried and audience awards recognizing standout work and emerging filmmakers. Running about two weeks each November, it centres on San Diego-area cinemas, with the public buying individual tickets or an All-Fest Pass through the festival’s annual website. Filmmakers can find current submission windows and guidelines on the SDAFF site ahead of each edition, and the festival’s parent nonprofit runs media-arts programmes throughout the year.
Official site →Dates and programs change year to year — check the official site for the current edition.