Festival dossier

Sunscreen Film Festival, St. Pete, FL

St. Petersburg, United States · Est. 2004 · High structural score (80–100) for legitimacy and industry clout — not limited to Oscar-qualifying festivals

Tier ATrusted
St. Petersburg, United States
98
Legitimacy Score

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Strong legitimacy signals

Tier A score for legitimacy and industry clout. Still confirm deadlines, fees, and categories on the festival site before paying.

  • 22 years of verifiable history
  • Physical screenings at AMC Sundial 12 Theatres
  • 4 verified pro signals

Overview

The Sunscreen Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Florida, is an annual independent film festival known for its friendly, waterfront setting and its mix of screenings, panels, workshops, and industry networking events. It showcases a broad range of films, including narrative features, documentaries, shorts, animation, comedies, dramas, and international titles, and is widely regarded as one of the leading and longest-running festivals in the St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay area.[1][4][8]

Last updated Oct 1, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Positive Indicators (+48 pts)

  • 22 years of verifiable history
  • Physical screenings at AMC Sundial 12 Theatres
  • 4 verified pro signals
  • Verified trusted status
  • Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (4 vs 0)

Red Flags (-0 pts)

No red flags found

Trust Signals

Positive Signals

  • FilmFreeway Gold festival
  • Has FilmFreeway community ratings
  • Documented history with archived programs
  • Named venues with external verification

Festival Details

Founded

2004

Venue

AMC Sundial 12 Theatres

Screenings

Physical screenings confirmed

Visit Festival Website

FilmFreeway communityGold festival

Avg. rating

4.7/ 5

Reviews

173

Synced 4 days ago

  • Eleni DoucasMay 2024

    Had a wonderful time at the festival, unfortunately I was not able to attend all the days but it was great, the pitching session was an awesome and informative block! The communication process of the festival with the filmmakers was extremely good. Can't wait for next year!

  • John GigrichJun 2024

    Even though I wasn't there it was a great experience.

  • Steve SteinJul 2024

    This festival is incredible. They truly do a great job bringing together the film community in Florida and providing a top quality experience. I am so proud to have had my film screened amongst the other incredible films that were showcased during the fest. The panels they put together provided so much information around various complex topics. With or without a new film this year, I plan to attend the 2025 festival.

  • Anne Sophy SchleicherJan 2025

    Absolutely thrilled that we had the world premiere of our short Ashland at this amazing festival. What an immense pleasure it was to share it with the audience. Thank you again for choosing our film!

  • Chad WengelApr 2025

    This is a great festival. It has high quality films great opportunities to network with other filmakers, producers and distributors. We have gone every year for the last 3 years now and bring much of the cast and crew also. It truly is one if the premiere festivals in Florida.

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At a glance

Legitimacy Score98/100
TierTier A
Reviews0
Community Reports0
FilmFreeway4.7★ · 173

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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