Festival dossier
St. Petersburg, United States · Est. 2004 · High structural score (80–100) for legitimacy and industry clout — not limited to Oscar-qualifying festivals
Strong legitimacy signals
Tier A score for legitimacy and industry clout. Still confirm deadlines, fees, and categories on the festival site before paying.
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
No red flags found
Founded
2004
Venue
AMC Sundial 12 Theatres
Screenings
Physical screenings confirmed
Avg. rating
4.7/ 5
Reviews
173
Synced 4 days ago
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!
Even though I wasn't there it was a great experience.
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.
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!
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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