Dana Point Film Festival Returns with Ocean-Focused Films and Events
News related to:Dana Point Film Festival · 1 min read
DANA POINT, CA, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- The Dana Point Film Festival returns for its fourth annual event, running from October 29 to November 1, 2026. This four-day ocean-focused festival will showcase more than 30 films centered on ocean life, coastal culture, environmental stewardship, surfing, and the powerful connections between people and the sea. The screenings will be held at the Porthole Theater at Dana Hills High School, located at 33333 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, with a seating capacity of 210.
The festival opens with a meet-the-filmmakers event on Thursday, October 29, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., featuring light bites and a cash bar. The opening night film, "The OC Effect," will play from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30, followed by the Opening Night Party at White Rooster. Five curated shorts programs will be presented across Saturday and Sunday, offering work from emerging and established filmmakers.
Saturday's highlight is the "Don't Be Prey" screening, which will take place from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., followed by SURFER’s "Hauntolulu" surf/ocean movie costume party at Killer Dana Surf Shop. On Sunday, the festival will feature a special presentation of "The Right Whale" with Changing Seas: Whales in a Plastic Ocean, pairing marine-life storytelling with urgent environmental themes. The Boys & Girls Club Awards will be held from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Craft House, recognizing youth filmmaking and creative achievement. The festival will conclude with the closing-night film, "Harbour Chronicles," a cinematic celebration of harbor life, the people who shape it, and the enduring connection between Dana Point’s waterfront community and the sea.
The Dana Point Film Festival is an ocean-focused community film festival operated under Blue Sea 2 Sky, a nonprofit 501(c)(3). The festival aims to bring audiences together around stories that inform, inspire, and celebrate the ocean. Through film screenings, filmmaker engagement, youth programming, and community events, the festival seeks to raise awareness and promote positive action towards environmental stewardship.