The GI Film Festival is an annual film festival focused on military and veteran experiences, held in San Diego, California. Films featured in the festival reveal the struggles, triumphs, and experiences of service members and veterans. The festival was held in Washington, D.C. from 2008 to 2018. Since 2018, it has been held in San Diego. The next festival will take place May 7-9, 2025, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

History

The inaugural event was held in 2008 over Memorial Day weekend at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The inaugural GI Film Festival San Diego event was held in October 2015 with the British film Kilo Two Bravo as the opening night film.

Venues

Venues in the Washington, D.C. have included the Embassy of Canada, Angelika Film Center at Mosaic, Cannon House Office Building, Howard Theater, Carnegie Institution for Science and the US Navy Memorial Theater, among others. Venues in San Diego have included the USS Midway Museum, Balboa Theatre, Village Theaters in Coronado, UltraStar Cinemas and DoubleTree hotel in Mission Valley, as well as the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

Notable events

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2016

2017

2018

2019

Award winners

2007

2008

2009

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2018

2019

San Diego:

2022

San Diego: Museum of Photographic Arts