Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
San Diego Movie Awards
San Diego, United States · Est. 2021 · Multiple structural red flags — exercise caution before submitting
WarningWatchlist
San Diego, United States
28
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.
- Name follows 'award mill' pattern (ends in 'Awards')
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
Overview
The San Diego Movie Awards is an **IMDb-qualifying** festival that runs as a quarterly competition, followed by an annual in-person event at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park. It is notable for recognizing films, filmmakers, and screenwriters from around the world, and for accepting **all lengths and genres** while spotlighting the best short and feature winners from its quarterly rounds.[1][2][4]
Last updated Oct 4, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+14 pts)
- 5 years of verifiable history
- 2 verified pro signals
Red Flags (-36 pts)
- Name follows 'award mill' pattern (ends in 'Awards')
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
- On watchlist — negative reputation signals detected
Trust Signals
Risk Flags
- AWARD_MILL_NAME
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2021
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.7/ 5
Reviews
186
Synced 19 days ago
- Ben WilnerMay 2025
Thank you for recognizing my script “Colors of Silence” for Best Screenplay Feature in the Awards of Excellence category. As a first-time screenwriter, this honor means a lot to me.
- Rain StoryMay 2025
Thank you, San Diego Movie Awards for choosing my comedy feature screenplay, "Two Old Libbies" as Winner with Prestige for Best Feature Screenplay 2025. I am so very honored to have received this distinction!
- Pamela RenallMay 2025
Fantastic! Excellent communication and updates and all-around great festival! Thank you so much!
- Angel AzconaMay 2025
Received an email from them I got awarded for something that have the wrong title of the film. Is it even for me? Why bother sending the email if it’s someone else work? Reached out a while back but still have yet to be answered. I’m under the impression this was a in person film festival but as many other film festivals, I guess it’s only online; got a bit bummed out by it
- Arthur ValdezMay 2025
Thank you San Diego Movie Awards for having Deal be part of your festival! It was an amazing experience, and a wonderful opportunity.
FilmFreeway 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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