Cambria Film Festival returns Feb. 4–8 with global films
New daytime screenings offer kid-friendly short films for the community
– The Cambria Film Festival will return for its ninth year from Feb. 4–8, featuring in-person screenings, special events, and free community programming celebrating independent film.
The festival will screen independent films from around the world across multiple genres. Passes are available through the Cambria Film Festival website.
In 2025, the festival expanded the scope of its programming to include documentaries, dramas, thrillers, and science fiction and horror films, in addition to its previous offerings. Festival organizers said the expanded genre selection will continue in 2026.
Following the format introduced in 2025, the festival will again host a special event each evening. Opening night will begin with a sponsor appreciation reception honoring festival sponsors, followed by a screening of In the Tracks of: Lalo Schifrin, a competition feature documentary chronicling the life and career of composer Lalo Schifrin. The screening will be paired with the student short documentary Behind the Score.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, the festival will host Independent Spirit Night, which will include a reception and a screening of Whisper My Name. The film marks the first feature-length selection from Iran in the festival’s history.
Filmmaker Welcome Night will take place on Friday, Feb. 6, and will feature a special screening of the independent feature film Burt. The film was directed by Joe Burke and executive produced by David Gordon Green.
An awards reception and presentation is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 7.
All-Access pass holders will receive food and wine during evening events and will have opportunities to mix and mingle with filmmakers and attendees. Across three screening venues at the Cambria Center for the Arts, festival attendees can expect more than 90 competition short and feature films from around the world.
The festival will also bring back “Movies at Moonstone Cellars” and will offer a rotating selection of film talks with different hosts and topics each day.
New for 2026, the festival will introduce its first family films block, featuring a curated selection of independent, family-friendly short films. Screenings will be held at noon on Feb. 6, Feb. 7, and Feb. 8. The family films block is free to the community, and tickets are available through an online registration link.
The Cambria Center for the Arts is located at 1350 Main St. in Cambria. All special events will take place in the center’s gallery, which serves as the organization’s year-round home. Daytime snacks will be provided for all attendees, and food and wine will be available each evening for All-Access pass holders.
The Cambria Film Festival operates as a program of the Cambria Center for the Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting local arts. The 2026 festival sponsor is James and Elaine Levin Anderson.
Additional information about the festival is available at CambriaFilmFestival.com. Information about visiting Cambria can be found at visitcambriaca.com.
