Free LACLA Student Film Festival 2026 Spotlights Young LA Filmmakers
Updated: 9 hours ago
Young filmmakers are taking the spotlight in Los Angeles this month. The Latin American Cinemateca of Los Angeles (LACLA) is presenting its 16th Annual Student Film Festival on Sunday, September 27, 2026, celebrating short films created by middle and high school students from across the greater Los Angeles area.
For families with tweens or teens who love movies, storytelling, editing, acting or filmmaking, this free event offers something especially inspiring: the chance to watch work created by students their own age and see young artists recognized on a real theater stage.
LACLA Student Film Festival 2026 at a Glance
Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM–5:00 PM
Location: Richard A. Grant Theater at Cathedral High School
Address: 1253 Bishops Road, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Admission: Free
Program: 24 finalist films selected from more than 621 submissions
What Families Can Expect
The festival features student filmmakers from media programs, middle schools and high schools throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Organizers say the entries came from communities stretching from the Valley and South LA to East LA and Venice.
Twenty-four finalist films will be shown during the festival. Awards include Best Film, Best Documentary and Most Creative, giving students a chance to be recognized for both storytelling and craft.
Why It’s Worth Bringing Tweens and Teens
Seeing professional filmmakers can be inspiring, but seeing someone your own age create a finished film can make a creative goal feel much more possible. This event is a strong fit for kids interested in filmmaking, screenwriting, acting, photography, editing, animation, media arts or simply telling stories.
It can also be a useful outing for families exploring arts-focused high school programs, college media programs or creative careers because the festival shows what young filmmakers are already producing throughout Los Angeles.
Parent Tips
Register in advance so your family has the current attendance information before arriving.
Plan to arrive early enough to locate the theater and get settled before the 2:00 PM program begins.
The scheduled program runs three hours, so younger children may find it long; tweens and teens are likely the strongest fit.
Because the films are created by different student filmmakers, families with younger children may want to review any program or content guidance released before the event.
Encourage aspiring filmmakers to stay for the awards—seeing students recognized on stage can be one of the most motivating parts of the experience.
Register for the free LACLA Student Film Festival and check for any final program updates before the event.
Families can also learn more about LACLA and its student film programs through the organization’s official website.
Takeaway
This is an easy event to recommend for creative LA families: it is free, centrally located, and puts young people—not celebrities—at the center of the screen. For a tween or teen who has ever said, “I want to make a movie,” the LACLA Student Film Festival could be exactly the kind of afternoon that turns curiosity into motivation.
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