Santa Monica Film Festival (2026)
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Wild Horses at the Door
Movie
Coloradoan John Wayne Smith was homeless for eight years working through recovery when he resettled himself off-grid on a high desert mesa where wild horses roamed. A wounded pregnant mare showed up at his door and John nursed her back to health, later delivering her foal he affectionately named ...
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Homegirls In Outer Space
Movie
Homegirls in Outer Space is a documentary short about two Black women from South Central Los Angeles who form an improv duo, Homegirls in Outer Space, and compete for a residency at the Westside Comedy Theater, where more than forty improv teams audition for just twelve spots.
Blending humor and...
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The Rebel Reef Seeds of Hope
Movie
After surviving a near-death experience, the sole divemaster in a Honduran beach town devotes himself to a mysteriously thriving reef--awakening questions about nature, healing, and the limits of both.
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Kaleidoscope Child
Movie
From Soap Operas to Siem Reap...
Kaleidoscope Child follows David Ault, a former actor and singer turned spiritual teacher and global humanitarian, as he cultivates schools and communities in Cambodia, India, and Guatemala. A longtime friend and collaborator of the late Louise Hay, David carries...
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A Break In The Rain
Movie + 1 extra
Jake Watson has been on the road for ten years since his wife passed away. When his grown son dies, he comes home to a life he walked out on. A stranger in his own house, he takes a job driving a limo to help his daughter-in-law pay the bills. One rainy afternoon he picks up Catriona Walsh, a Nas...
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IBLIS
Movie
YOU ARE A FAILURE. PROVE US WRONG.
Noah is a young musician who can't seem to catch a break. One day he discovers a device that allows him to manipulate time. He plans on using it to achieve his wildest dreams, but soon realizes the gadget is not what it seems to be....
...using it to achieve h...
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Force Drift
Movie + 1 extra
When Fear is the Goal: A Military Experiment during Operation Iraqi Liberation Descends into a Dark Web of Chaos. Inspired by actual events.
What began as a story about the consequences of torture has become, with alarming clarity, a prelude to the authoritarian drift we now witness in the Unite...
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An American Storyteller - The Art of Arnold Friberg
Movie
An American Storyteller: The Art of Arnold Friberg is a captivating documentary exploring the life, faith, and legacy of one of the most iconic illustrators of the 20th century. From his revered portrait of George Washington at Valley Forge to his unforgettable biblical scenes to his majestic pai...
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Muscle Beach
Movie
Set on a single day in Venice, MUSCLE BEACH follows Abe, a briefly famous bodybuilder who's returned to his old stomping grounds, where his best friend Jay has gone missing. Throughout the harrowing midsummer day, Abe navigates a rogue's gallery of Venice Beach characters, each with their own age...
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The Pickup
Movie
Drew, a New York City school teacher, sets out one morning to collect items for her upcoming wedding. When she shows up at the doorstep of her old high school crush, Caleb, she impulsively invites him to join her for the rest of her pickups. What begins as an awkward catch-up eventually turns int...
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Unemployment
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Santa Catalina
Movie
In a near-future, a brief AI-tech outage becomes a rare window for a grandfather and granddaughter to slip away from the noise and sail to a quiet island. As the world’s machines fall silent, they reconnect with the simple joys of life and the natural world, each seeing it through their own gener...
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Hyrda on the Horizon
Movie
Off the coast of California, a community haunted by decades of oil spills rises once more as Sable Offshore threatens to restart operations on a corroded pipeline in the Santa Barbara Channel. Through the voices of activists, fishermen, and longtime residents, Hydra on the Horizon traces the lega...
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How To Take Advil
In the aftermath of a loss, a woman tries to take Advil.
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Grand Rising
Movie
Grand Rising is a visually striking, genre-blending exploration of modern spirituality. Infused with a vibrant soundtrack and a playful yet thoughtful tone, the film reimagines “new age” ideas through a fresh, culturally grounded lens. By balancing humor and introspection, it invites audiences to...
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College Personal Essay
A father fakes his death to help his daughter write a more pitying college personal essay which in turn, will increase her chances of getting into her dream school.
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An Inconvenient Study
Movie
THIS COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
In 2016, journalist Del Bigtree issued a challenge to the head of infectious disease at one of the most prestigious medical institutions in the world: conduct the most thorough vaxxed vs. unvaxxed study that has ever been done. The expert took up the challenge and ran... -
3, 2, 1, 0
Movie
Three best friends, Gyu-bin, Yu-hyeok, and Dong-hyun, get stranded on a deserted island after an accident during their trip.
The three of them stay positive and work together to survive.
But gradually, they start to keep an eye on each other.절친 '규빈', '유혁', '동현' 셋은 여행 중 사고를 당해 무인도에 조난을 당한다.
세명은 ... -
Stolen Dough
Movie
The true story of Anthony Mongiello. A young Italian American Chef who, at the age of 18, invented and patented Stuffed Crust Pizza. This patent was stolen by Pizza Hut, and what follows are the real life events of a 1 Billion dollar lawsuit. Directed by AFI Award Winner Stefano Da Frè & produced...