San Diego Asian Film Festival; 190 Films From 35 Countries!

Overview

The San Diego Asian Film Festival runs November 5 to 14 — ten days, more than 190 films, from more than 35 countries, across seven venues.

It's the flagship event of Pacific Arts Movement, a San Diego 501(c)(3), and it is a considerably bigger festival than most people in this city realise.

Here's the thing that ought to be better known, and it's the reason to send this article to a parent or a teacher.

Anyone of high school age or younger gets in free. To every screening.

No pass, no ticket, no catch — you turn up at the door and walk in. (Under-12s need an adult with them, and it's door-only, so you can't reserve in advance.)

That's an extraordinary offer at a festival with 190 films in it. A teenager interested in film could, in theory, see a different international feature every day for ten days without paying anything.

And there's more free programming on top:

• The 4 p.m. screenings on festival weekdays are free
• "Shorts for Shorties" on November 14 at 11 a.m. is free — the children's programme
• The Taiwan Film Showcase is free for UCSD students, faculty and staff with ID (excludes the UltraStar venue)

What It Costs

For everyone else, the pricing is straightforward. Member prices are in brackets:

| | General | Pac Arts member |

|---|---|---|

| General admission screening | $15 | $12 |

| Centerpiece Film | $20 | $17 |

| Opening Night Film | $40 | $37 |

| Closing Night Film | $40 | $37 |

| Festival 6-Pack (general screenings) | $75 | — |

| All-Fest Pass | $325 | $215 |

Two discounts worth knowing:

• Students, seniors and San Diego Public Library cardholders get $2 off general admission — at the door only, with valid ID. (A library card getting you a film discount is a genuinely nice piece of civic design)
• Groups of ten or more pay $12 a ticket

On the maths: the 6-Pack at $75 works out to $12.50 a film, which is barely below the $15 door price — so it's a modest saving, not a big one. The All-Fest Pass at $325 breaks even at about 22 screenings, which over ten days is achievable if you're serious and nothing else if you're not.

If you're a Pac Arts member, the pass is $215 — break-even around 18 films, and a much better proposition.

Opening and Closing

• Opening Night — IN WAVES. Thursday, November 5, 7 p.m., at the San Diego Natural History Museum. $40
• Closing Night — BA'S BOOK. Saturday, November 14, 7:30 p.m., at UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley. $40

Opening in the Natural History Museum rather than a cinema is a nice touch, and it's the kind of venue that makes a festival feel like an occasion.

The Venues

Seven, spread across the county — so check where your film is before you drive:

• UltraStar Cinemas Mission Valley — 7510 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego 92108
• AMC UTC 14 — 4425 La Jolla Village Dr, Suite H-60, San Diego 92122
• Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego — 700 Prospect St, La Jolla 92037
• San Diego Natural History Museum — 1788 El Prado, San Diego 92101
• Suraj Israni Center for Cinematic Arts, UC San Diego — 9605 Scholars Dr N, La Jolla 92093
• UC San Diego Park and Market — 1100 Market St, San Diego 92101
• University of San Diego, Warren Auditorium — 5998 Alcalá Park

UltraStar Mission Valley is the hub — it's where the box office operates for most of the festival and where closing night is.

If You Buy the Pass

What the All-Fest Pass gets you:

• Unlimited screenings across all ten days
• Front-of-line privileges
• Free entry to Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Night, plus the film receptions
• Filmmaker receptions and happy hours
• Complimentary general admission to MCASD from November 5 to 14

Two caveats: it does not include the SDAFF Awards, which are ticketed separately. And a seat is only guaranteed if you're in line fifteen minutes before showtime — front-of-line isn't the same as a reservation.

Pass pickup: Thursday, November 5, 6–11 p.m. at the San Diego Natural History Museum, then November 6 to 14 at the UltraStar Mission Valley box office, opening an hour before the first showtime each day.

How to Go

• When: Thursday, November 5 – Saturday, November 14, 2026
• Where: seven venues across San Diego, with UltraStar Mission Valley as the main one
• Tickets: $15 general admission, $12 members · passes $325 / $215
• Free: high school age and younger, 4 p.m. weekday screenings, and "Shorts for Shorties" on the 14th
• Presented by Pacific Arts Movement, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit

Good to Know

• High school and younger is free, at the door, every screening. Tell someone.
• The 4 p.m. weekday films are free too. That's ten days of free afternoon programming.
• Bring your library card. A San Diego Public Library card is worth $2 off, at the door.
• The pass breaks even around 22 films at general price, 18 as a member.
• Check your venue. Seven of them, from Alcalá Park to La Jolla to downtown.
• Fifteen minutes early if you're using a pass and want a guaranteed seat.
• The Awards aren't in the pass. Separate ticket.
• Opening night is at the Natural History Museum, not a cinema.

Why It's Worth It

A ten-day festival with 190 films from 35 countries is a genuinely serious cultural event, and San Diego has one, and most of the city walks past it.

What makes it unusual isn't the scale — plenty of cities have big festivals. It's the access. Free for every high schooler, free weekday matinees, two dollars off for a library card, $12 a head for a group of ten. That's a festival built to be walked into rather than subscribed to.

Get a $15 ticket to something you've never heard of from a country you've never been to. That's what it's for.

For more things worth doing, browse our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the San Diego Asian Film Festival 2026? November 5 to 14, 2026 — ten days.

How much are tickets? General admission is $15, or $12 for Pac Arts members. Centerpiece is $20, Opening and Closing Night $40 each. A six-film pack is $75 and the All-Fest Pass is $325, or $215 for members.

Is anything free? Yes — high school age and younger get in free to all screenings at the door, the 4 p.m. weekday screenings are free, and "Shorts for Shorties" on November 14 at 11 a.m. is free.

Are there discounts? Students, seniors and San Diego Public Library cardholders get $2 off general admission, at the door only with valid ID. Groups of ten or more pay $12 a ticket.

How many films are there? More than 190, from more than 35 countries.

Where is it held? Seven venues: UltraStar Mission Valley, AMC UTC 14, MCASD La Jolla, the San Diego Natural History Museum, UCSD's Suraj Israni Center, UCSD Park and Market, and USD's Warren Auditorium.

What are the opening and closing films? IN WAVES opens the festival on Thursday, November 5 at 7 p.m. at the San Diego Natural History Museum. BA'S BOOK closes it on Saturday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. at UltraStar Mission Valley.

What does the All-Fest Pass include? Unlimited screenings, front-of-line privileges, Opening, Centerpiece and Closing Night plus receptions, filmmaker events, and complimentary MCASD admission from November 5 to 14. It does not include the SDAFF Awards.

Who runs it? Pacific Arts Movement, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which calls the festival its flagship event.