Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Big Sur Film Festival
Carmel, United States · Est. 2024 · Multiple structural red flags — exercise caution before submitting
WarningWatchlist
Carmel, United States
6
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Pause before you pay
Warning-tier means structural red flags in our data — not a confirmed scam, but submit only with eyes open.
- Monthly festival pattern - classic award mill indicator
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
Overview
The Big Sur Film Festival is a **monthly online independent short-film competition** based in Big Sur, California, with a live festival held in the fall. It is notable for its focus on **emerging filmmakers** and for showcasing a broad range of short-form work, including documentary, animation, comedy, drama, horror, student, and genre shorts, along with awards for craft categories such as directing and screenwriting.[2]
Last updated Aug 31, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+2 pts)
- 1 verified pro signal
Red Flags (-46 pts)
- Monthly festival pattern - classic award mill indicator
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
- On watchlist — negative reputation signals detected
Trust Signals
Risk Flags
- VERY_NEW
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
Festival Details
Founded
2024
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.0/ 5
Reviews
35
Synced 19 days ago
Rating synced from FilmFreeway; individual review text not pulled yet for this festival.
View on FilmFreewayFilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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Research
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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