GI Film Festival San Diego announces 2024 selections

SAN DIEGO –The GI Film Festival San Diego, the largest military film festival in the U.S., has selected the 21 films that will screen at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA @ SDMA) in Balboa Park from May 6-11.

After reviewing about 100 submissions, festival organizers, with the assistance of a community advisory committee, selected this year’s film lineup which includes full-length documentaries, student films, comedies, and more that are for, by, and about the military. A complete list of this year’s lineup with descriptions, runtimes, and directorial credits can be found at https://gifilmfestivalsd.org/2024/all-films/.

Local military film festival presents unique stories about healing, homelessness, historic events, and the diverse military experience. In selecting the lineup each year, the festival organizers search for films that showcase military experiences that are often overlooked on the big screen. Festival-goers won’t see action-packed Hollywood blockbusters, but stories that highlight personal accomplishments, the transition home from war, post-traumatic stress, military homelessness, resilience, and healing invisible wounds that occur after service. Also planned are creative and experimental films that celebrate humor, wit, and romance.

The GI Film Festival San Diego tackles challenging topics to give festival attendees a glimpse into the unrecognized experiences of service members, veterans, their families, and caregivers. The festival aspires to bridge the military-civilian divide to allow civilians and military allies to celebrate the accomplishments of current and former service members and better understand the difficulties and struggles they face each day. Ultimately, the festival is a safe space to connect with other veterans, speak about their experiences, and recognize their fallen brothers and sisters.

“We’re back and ready to once again gather together for six days of honoring our military veterans, their families, and their stories,” says Keshia Javis-Jones, GI Film Festival San Diego advisory committee member and U.S. Marine Corps veteran. “As a veteran, I have seen first-hand how transformative and inspirational this festival is for everyone that attends regardless of if they served. This is a week of military storytelling to showcase films about the real military experience and to give veteran filmmakers a chance to share their love of cinema with other cinephiles.”

The GI Film Festival San Diego welcomes all to attend its six-day event. Ticket sales began March 1, at the festival’s online box office. There, attendees can secure individual tickets or multi-ticket packs to attend multiple screenings. Tickets for most screenings start at $10 each or $8 for military and veterans.

For up-to-date information on this year’s film festival, how to attend, and ways to get involved, visit GIFilmFestivalSD.org.

Honoring our military heroes, one film at a time

For almost a decade, the GI Film Festival San Diego has showcased over 260 films created by international, U.S., and San Diego County filmmakers, drawing in diverse audiences totaling more than 11,000.

The festival's core mission is to bridge the gap between the military and civilian communities, with each film chosen specifically to share a compelling and distinctive narrative. By challenging preconceptions through personal military storytelling about service and offering multidimensional portrayals of veterans, service members, caregivers, and families, the festival provides a platform for service personnel turned filmmakers to present their unique stories on the cinematic screen.

Submitted by the GI Film Festival.