San Diego International Film Fest re-centers in La Jolla

For 23 years, the San Diego International Film Festival (SDIFF) was spread between downtown, Balboa Park and La Jolla. For the first time, this year’s event will occur solely in La Jolla and the North coastal region.

It was a move that occurred over the past five years, with the closure of the Theatre Box in downtown during the pandemic. Prior to 2020, screenings were split between Westfield UTC in La Jolla and Theatre Box. After 2021, Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods remained connected to the festival through the opening night screening held at Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in Balboa Park until this year.

On Oct. 15, the 2025 opening night film premiere and party is taking place at THE LOT, La Jolla where Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt,” starring Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri and Andrew Garfield, will be shown.

Tonya Mantooth, CEO and artistic director of SDIFF, said they love the theater at MOPA which has a lovely ambiance from the lights overhead creating a night sky. However, the move from the Balboa Park museum to THE LOT was necessary simply for seating space.

“THE LOT gives us more ability to expand,” Mantooth said.

SDIFF footprint

In addition to moving opening night to THE LOT, another new location was added: The iconic Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. This year’s Party with a Purpose, where film insiders dance the night away, supports the San Diego Film Foundation’s education programs for high school students.

“Belly Up is just such a great vibe,” Mantooth said. “That is a party that all the filmmakers who come into town want to go to, and we just thought it would be a great experience, not only for our patrons and our attendees, but also our filmmakers to experience.”

Solana Beach is the exception. Other special events will be held in La Jolla, with Night of the Stars being held at The Conrad. There, Mark Hamill will receive the Gregory Peck Award for Cinematic Excellence on Oct. 16.

Another popular program, Culinary Cinema with TV chef Shawn Styles from CBS8’s “Cooking with Styles,” begins at the Capitol One Cafe inside Westfield UTC, featuring extravagant eats. Then, attendees will head to the mall’s AMC theater for a cuisine-themed film followed by bites and drink pairings from local chefs.

The closing night film, the next entry in Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” mystery series starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, also will be held at AMC Theatres at Westfield UTC.

Aside from signature parties, the festival’s 100 screenings will be held at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, La Jolla, and AMC14 hosted by Westfield UTC from Oct. 16 to 19.

A worldly audience

Despite the physical events all occurring in La Jolla and Solana Beach, SDIFF introduced new efforts to bring in audiences from across the San Diego region.

“Our goal is to bring films from around the world to San Diego, to really present them to the audience,” Mantooth said.

For one, the fest is partnering with the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages (HPR) in Balboa Park.

HPR will promote the fest as a path for cultural understanding. The marketing partnership includes inviting the 35 expat communities organized through each house to films from and about their home countries. Cross-cultural promotion also will occur, as Mantooth and HPR see film as a way to expand people’s viewpoints.

“Everyone would really benefit,” said Joe Mazares, president of HPR. “(Film) kind of creates a more open gateway to understanding different people’s perspectives.”

Mazares believes people are more likely to watch an accessible film than take a history class, attend a lecture or get open access to world cultures. Plus, film is multi-sensory, even more so than some other art forms.

“Film is a medium that transcends,” Mazares said. He also thinks the theater experience is safe for people. They can go by themselves or friends. The screen gives them a distance and separation from the artists that avoids awkward social interaction, unlike one-on-one interactions at an art gallery for example.

Mantooth sees the fest’s Foreign Films track as more important than ever.

“We need to be able to see other diverse cultures, understand people, really open up to a new perspective of what’s going on in the world,” she said.

The curated films in the festival give San Diego audiences a chance to see movies before their theatrical release as well as short films and documentaries that do not always make it the big screen outside of the film fest circuit.

“We take on important social, global issues in our curating, and then also films to make you feel good,” Mantooth said.

For the schedule and ticket information, visit the film fest online.