San Francisco Underground Short Film Festival

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!

Submissions are now open for our 2026 festival, which will be held at the 4 Star Theater in San Francisco on Saturday November 14 (2200 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94121).

DETAILS & REQUIREMENTS

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). AI-generated films will not be considered.

Only films under 30 minutes will be considered.

No entry fees!

Submissions will be accepted May 18th–August 31st, 2026 through FilmFreeway and direct inquiry. All applicants will be notified of their inclusion status by September 30th, 2026.

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.

Follow us at @MediaMeltdownSF on IG, FB, and BSKY for updates.

Questions or accessibility needs? Shoot 'em over to MediaMeltdownSF@gmail.com.

Submit on Film Freeway Submit via Google Form

HISTORY

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!

HOSTS

Piranha Psychotronica

Producer / Artistic Director

Instagram: @Piranha_Psychotronica

Piranha Psychotronica is a SF-based theater artist, filmmaker, programmer, and performer. She is best known for her theater directing work with Oasis Arts, Ray of Light Theater, and Eclectic Box, as well as for creating the series of interactive theater comedy shows Select Thine Own Journey. Along with their partner Kafka X, Piranha hosts Media Meltdown Movie Madhouse, a monthly celebration of hidden gem cinema at the 4 Star Theater. Her short films Evil in Residence and FrankenDivine have played at festivals around the world. Follow them on Instagram at @Piranha_Psychotronica for updates on future work.

Kafka X

Producer / Technical Director

Instagram: @Kafka.drag

Kafka X (formerly Franzia Kafka) is the technical lead and other primary host of Media Meltdown. For two years, they produced multiple weekly livestreams on Media Meltdown's Twitch channel, and have served as a technical jack-of-all-trades for Media Meltdown's film work and live shows.

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.

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