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, 9/21
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)
Bottles (Yassine EL Idrissi)
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)
Gus and the Death of the Zombie Hunter (Trevor Harris)
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 and Guest Presenters TBA 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)
Draw2 (Ron Gilbert)
Reminisce (Leslie Morris)
Working Title (Guy Hartman-Cocco)
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)
Draw2 (Ron Gilbert)
Reminisce (Leslie Morris)
Working Title (Guy Hartman-Cocco)
Don’t Shoot the President (Niven Wilson)
Unbreaking (J. Andrew)
Sunday, 9/22
01:00 PM PDT - Award Announcements + Festival Close Online
