SacFilmChallenge, Music & Film Festival EST. 2020

SacFilmChallenge is "The Film Festival to Geek and Nerd Out!"

Films, music videos, and new media that express the best of things Drama, Comedy, Geeky, Nerdy, Anime, Cosplay, Fantasy, Sci-fi, Comics, and Sports will screen at a 3-Day Hybrid Event.  

The Festival will open with a Live Q&A featuring the filmmakers on Friday, September 19, 2025, and screenings of our first blocks of films.

Multiple screenings will happen Saturday, September 20th, both Virtual and In-Person at Futures Explored Film & Media Studio - Sacramento.

Futures Explored Film & Media Studio in Sacramento is a vocational training program that teaches the craft of filmmaking to approximately 40 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities while preparing adult students for real-world employment opportunities.

The film festival concludes with the Virtual Award Ceremony on Sunday, September 21st.

2025 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE (subject to change):

Friday, 9/19

4:00 PM PDT - Festival Open + Filmmaker Panel Online

5:00 PM PDT - Block 1: Multiple Short Films: Online

New Horizons    (Jared Fassbender and Easton Tabin)

Vamos al Mar.  (Stephen Snyder, Azul Martinez)

Lotus   (Bryce Mackie, Brennan Collins)

Drug Force Yakuza Eiga.  (Lawrence Hussey)

A Matter of Poultry   (Nandini Bapat)

Three Sixes    (Justin Meckes)

Space Clodo   (Nicolas BECHET, Vincent GUILBAUD, Zélie SAINDON)

Starting Quarterback   (Parker Viale)

6:00 PM PDT - Film Mixer & Night Market @Lucid Winery -Free Event!

6:45 PM PDT - Block 2: Feature: Another Day (Greg Kirkpatrick, Jr.) Online

Saturday, 9/20

8:00 AM PDT - Block 3: Multiple Short Films: Online & In-Person

A Kimbap Love Song   (Anaëlle ANDRE, Clémence TULOUP)

Stray  (Lily Andrews)

Ursa Minor   (Sophie Schmid)

PÉPÉ   (José Pablo Cedeño Treviño)

The Wind Odyssey   (Lunia BELAID, Inès BRUN, Ibrahimo TONGAZARA, Christopher CARTER)

Bulosan: On American Democracy   (Andres Reyes Luz)

Flying Colors   (Kimberly BOUHNIK, Florian GARCIA, Estelle HACQUART, Pitchayapa TO-CHE)

What We Imagined   (Shubhavi Arya)

The Cormorant’s Shadow   (Barbara Peikert)

10:00 AM PDT - Block 4: Multiple Short Films: Online & In-Person 

Attack of the Coat   (Lola-Rose Maxwell)

Darkroom   (Evalee Lowrey and Brenna Crace)

Dark Places I Have Known   (Juergen Hirsch)

TAP   (Zemario Sheppard)

Matti Like  (Federico Cavallini)

Apt 44   (Laura Musgrave)

My Own World  (Gleb Guzhva)

Gagged   (Guy Guy Pearson)

11:45 AM PDT - Block 5: Feature: lo e Lorzo (Andrea Penzo) Online

01:30 PM PDT - Block 6: Multiple Short Films: Online & In-Person 

Canary Trap*   (Shana L Darabie)

The Will Beneath  (Diag Mikelan Govender)

The Burden of the Oath  (Calderon-Villarreal Alan)

I Appreciate Your Concern (Jim Morrison)

Who Donut? *   (Eric Sanderson)

Cake    (Isaiah Sturge)

The Foundation  (Darrell Reese Jr.)

*Film is associated with one or more festival organizer and is not in competition.

04:00 PM PDT - Block 7: Feature: Ice Cream Castles (Terry Kim) Online

 04:00 PM PDT - Keynote Speaker, AEOLAN KELLY, has been the Lead Editor on four shows for broadcast, including the animated hit WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN for all 26 episodes, and STRETCH ARMSTRONG, an animated 26-episode series for Netflix. In addition to over two decades as an Editor and Post-Production Supervisor, she has also worked on 120 filmed projects in production and on-set, including shoots in New York, Los Angeles, and London. Special Guests: DAN ACOSTA, is best known for his death related makeup. Ranging from realistic to over-the-top campy gore. He's worked on many projects throughout his career, including The Crumbs, Demon Fighter and a few national commercials. His most notable work has been for Sony and Machine Heads Catharsis and Bone Scrapper video. If its bloody and weird, you'll more than likely find Dan covered in it. AND DAWN SPINELLA, is an accomplished filmmaker known for producing, directing and writing films that win awards and get attention. Her short, Smashed, was a Women in Media winner, leading to a production deal. She’s currently in pre-production on her directorial feature and in post on a feature documentary about a surf band that reunites after fifty years and a doc-series that explores geek culture. - In-Person Event

6:00 PM PDT - Block 8: Multiple Short Films - Not Streamed, In-Person Event: 

Love Wins   (Rob Gore)

Gussy 2    (Robert Ajay)

Gus and the Death of the Zombie Hunter (Trevor Harris)

Draw2  (Ron Gilbert)

Reminisce  (Leslie Morris)

Don’t Shoot the President   (Niven Wilson)

Unbreaking    (J. Andrew)

7:30 PM PDT - Filmmaker Panel with Q&A 

8:30 PM PDT - Networking & Wrap Up 

9:00 PM PDT - Block 8A: Online Streaming of Films in Block 8 

Love Wins   (Rob Gore)

Gussy 2    (Robert Ajay)

Gus and the Death of the Zombie Hunter (Trevor Harris)

Draw2  (Ron Gilbert)

Reminisce  (Leslie Morris)

Don’t Shoot the President   (Niven Wilson)

Unbreaking    (J. Andrew)

Sunday, 9/21

01:00 PM PDT - Award Announcements + Festival Close Online

Thank you to our Partners & Sponsors: FUNATICALS and LUCID WINERY!