The Yucca Valley Film Festival has officially unveiled its 2025 program, marking the seventh edition of the event. The festival will take place November 7–9 at the Yucca Valley Community Center, with all screenings and activities free and open to the public.

This year’s selection includes 56 projects across multiple categories, featuring impactful stories, creative shorts, documentaries, student films, dance films, experimental work, drone productions and music videos. Several works were filmed right here in Yucca Valley and the Morongo Basin, highlighting the growing influence of the local creative community.

This year, the festival will welcome in-person filmmakers traveling from New York, Nashville, Canada, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, and the UK, emphasizing YVFF’s continued reach and international appeal. With over 400 submissions from 28 countries, the 2025 lineup represents a remarkable range of voices and styles from around the world.

Among this year’s selected filmmakers, two have previously reached the final round and shortlist of the Academy Awards, while others have been featured at prestigious festivals including Tribeca, Annecy, Beverly Hills, Palm Springs, HollyShorts, Flicker’s, FilmQuest, Dances With Films, Santa Fe, and Los Angeles.

YVFF also celebrates 15 returning filmmakers and local artists, some joining for the second time and others returning for the fourth or fifth, reinforcing the event’s strong sense of community and its social role in connecting people and artists while offering a human-scaled platform for filmmakers – unlike any other festival in Southern California.

Alongside film screenings, the weekend will feature Q&As, panels, Meet & Greets, and the annual Masterclass starring award-winning actor and director James Morrison. The festival concludes with the awards and closing ceremony on Sunday evening.

Full program details here.

Reserve your free spot for the Masterclass and for the Opening Night.