The San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival
The San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival returns to the Bay Area to celebrate locally-made cinematic mayhem!
Founded by Peaches Christ & Vinsantos in 2003 at the Bridge Theatre, partially as a showcase for their own short films that weren't getting traction at "legitimate" festivals, the SFUSFF ran under their care for six years until 2008. After Vinsantos moved to New Orleans, Peaches and fellow film programmer Sam Sharkland wanted to see the fest continue and so revived it in 2011 at the Victoria Theatre where it ran until 2015. Now, after 10 years, the festival has found a new home at the 4 Star Theater under the care of Piranha Psychotronica and Kafka X, the maniacal minds behind Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse.
The San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival exists to celebrate local, independent filmmaking. We proudly champion the overlooked and underrated, the avant-garde and the alternative, the outrageous, the oddball, and the outlandish. Send us your silly, your subversive, your surreal, and your strange! From bizarro B-films to midnight movie trash, we're looking for the weirdest and wildest you have to offer, regardless of budget or experience level. In fact, the more DIY and handmade, the better!
DETAILS & REQUIREMENTS
- This 2025 festival will be held Saturday November 15th at the 4 Star Theater (2200 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121).
- No entry fees!
- Only films under 30 minutes will be considered.
- This festival is for filmmakers, film enthusiasts, artists, punks, freaks, misfits, and mutants of all stripes, but please only apply if you hail from or your film was produced in one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma).
- Submissions will be accepted July 1st - September 26th, 2025 through FilmFreeway and direct inquiry. All applicants will be notified of their inclusion status by October 10th, 2025.
- Submission formats: MP4, Vimeo, Private Youtube Links
SFUSFF is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.
Questions or accessibility needs? Shoot ‘em over to MediaMeltdownSF@gmail.com.
FORMER HOSTS
Peaches Christ
Founder / Host
Website: peacheschrist.com
Instagram: @ThePeachesChrist
Peaches Christ is a filmmaker, event producer and cult leader living in San Francisco. Peaches is a filmmaker, the alter-ego of Joshua Grannell, writer and director of the feature film All About Evil. Joshua is the co-owner of the Into The Dark production company which produces immersive theater, including the popular Terror Vault show at the historic San Francisco Mint building. Peaches has appeared in many films and television shows during her career and co-hosts the cult movie podcast, Midnight Mass. She produces and hosts events in partnership with PolyArts Management for symphony orchestras and her holiday show annually plays London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall.
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Vinsantos
Founder / Host
Website: galerievinsantos.com
Instagram: @VinsantosDeFonte
Vinsantos has been buried in the world of underground music, film and culture since the late 80s. A reigning Miss Trannyshack and Head Mistress of The New Orleans Drag Workshop, this newly retired Drag Queen spends time working on his famed Art Dolls and creating original music both solo and in collaboration. Vinsantos also wrote and performed the original score for All About Evil written and directed by Joshua Grannel. Currently he is working on his first musical titled Nightingale based on one of Tennessee Williams' most despicable characters. Find out more about this elusive artist by visiting vinsantos.com
Sam Sharkland
Host
Bio Coming Soon!
