Social Justice Film Festival 2027
Submissions are Open
EarlyBird Deadline - October 12, 2026
October -
Student Films Showcase - 10/29
November -
SJFF 2027 – Regular Deadline - 11/11
Best of Fest Free Monthly Film Screening - 11/19
December -
SJFF 2027 – Final Deadline - 12/11
Best of Fest Free Monthly Film Screening - 12/17
Taking Place This Weekend! - Seattle Ukrainian Film Festival
Saturday, Oct. 3 - Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026
Bringing independent Ukrainian films to Seattle. Program will include feature films, documentaries, contemporary Ukrainian animation, films made by Women, animation for kids.
Created by all volunteer team, all proceeds will go towards critical aid for Ukraine.
NEW! - Offering Production Services for Nonprofits and Individuals!
SJFI now provides affordable, high-quality audio and video production for Seattle area nonprofits, helping them increase visibility with donors, constituents, and the broader public. We tell the real-life stories and missions of local nonprofits and community-based groups working to transform lives and support communities in need. By working in partnership, we help organizations share stories of transformation that demonstrate the impact of their work.
How to Get Your Film Made by SJFI:
Contact us by phone, email, or through our website.
Talk with us about your organization’s mission and programs.
Develop a strategy for using the film or video effectively.
Set a production schedule and completion date.
Completed Video/Film Production Projects with Seattle Area Nonprofits:
Families Shoulder to Shoulder - Healing from Harm
This short film follows several individuals who experienced harm in their communities. The film explores how people restored their well-being after trauma, including the experience of feeling trapped by gang influence in their own neighborhoods, where fear, threat, and control shaped daily life. Today, these individuals are reclaiming safety, power, and presence while carrying the scars of what they survived.
Gifts of Hope - Rites of Passage: Senegal
Through a collaboration between the Social Justice Film Institute and Gifts of Hope, the 20-minute documentary, Rites of Passage, follows a group of African American students from Seattle on their 10-day journey to Dakar, Senegal.
TeamChild - Legal Youth Services
In partnership with TeamChild, the Social Justice Film Institute produced two short videos highlighting TeamChild’s work to shift power and repair harm in BIPOC communities by expanding equitable access to education, healthcare, and housing support for youth across Washington State.
Costs are determined based on the scope of the project and your organization's budget.
For any questions regarding SJFI production services, please contact:
marisa@socialjusticefilminstitute.org
Social Justice Film Institute
Student Showcase Mini Film Festival 2026
Thursday, October 29th, 2026 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Pacific Tower - Panoramic Center - 8th Floor, 98144
Free Event
Hands-on social justice film projects are central to SJFI’s mission. Join us as we celebrate our social justice filmmakers and screen class-based films students have created over the past three years.
This event celebrates past and current social justice production students and the films they have created for nonprofit partners and community members. For many student filmmakers, this is the first film they have ever made.
This event is free and open to the public.
If you have considered taking our Social Justice Filmmaking course, come see what is possible when you join us to create your own film.
Invite your friends, family, and community members to this special event.
This year’s program will feature 15 student-produced short documentaries that highlight social justice stories.
Touring Film Festivals Around the Country - The Pathway to Freedom
Social Justice Film Institute Produced Documentary
The Social Justice Film Institute is now accepting free screening requests!
By hosting an in-person screening with your organization or community group, you can join us on our mission to educate and empower others about social justice. Members of our production team and film subjects are available for discussion before or after film screenings.
Produced by our team at the Social Justice Film Institute, The Pathway to Freedom is a 20min documentary created in collaboration with Families Shoulder to Shoulder. The film follows a mother’s efforts to challenge mass incarceration and advance prison reform in Washington state.
Contact our Program Manager, Marisa Reyes-Pacheco for more information - marisa@socialjusticefilminstitute.org
Official Selections to Date:
Black Indie Filmmakers Association Film Festival - Houston, TX
The InterCultural Voices Film Festival - Los Angeles, CA
BraveMaker Film Fest - Redwood City, CA
Spokane International Film Festival - Spokane, WA
Maupintown Film Festival - Charlottesville, VA
Black August Film Festival - Pasadena, CA
Seattle Black Film Festival - Seattle, WA
LightReel Film Festival - Washington, DC
Inthrive Film Festival - Richmond, VA
Free and reduced access supported by 4Culture
Listen and learn more about films shown at the
2026 Social Justice Film Festival!
RADICAL FILMS is the Social Justice Film Institute podcast featuring alumni and friends of the Social Justice Film Festival discussing all things related to social justice storytelling. The Social Justice Film podcast was created to explore and share stories about the intersection of social justice and film.