The Big Bear Film Institute (BBFI) officially announces the launch of the Big Bear Film Festival (BBFF), a boundary-breaking celebration of storytelling across film, music, gaming, audio, animation, and AI, set to debut Wednesday, September 24–Monday, September 29.
“This isn’t just any other film festival,” says Damien S. Navarro, CEO of BBFI, “This is a creator-first movement—where stories are incubated, IP is discovered, and the future of film isn’t just screened, it’s shaped.”
Set against the legendary alpine backdrop, the Big Bear Film Festival builds on a century of cinematic history in Big Bear Valley, which has seen over 400 feature films, series, and commercials shot in the region. The festival is tailored for today’s creators working at the intersection of culture, code, and content, expanding beyond traditional film to platforms like immersive media, graphic novels, gaming, audio, and emerging AI-driven content.
BBFF aims to be the premier destination for emerging IP discovery and development, with program tracks ranging from Indigenous storytelling to genre cinema, podcasting, stand-up comedy, game development, animation, and experimental sound design. Unique features include:
- Peak Pitch: A marketplace connecting original projects with distributors, buyers, and studios.
- Music Village & Audio Pavilion: A lakeside retreat blending sound, performance, and story.
- Gamer’s and Animation Expo: A showcase of narrative-driven gaming and animation.
- Outdoor and Drone Cinematography Showcases: Capturing the region’s natural beauty with cutting-edge tools.
- (Future) The Alpine Story Lab: A pre-festival residency for incubating original IP.
“Big Bear is ready. The infrastructure, the talent, and the vision are here,” shares Jake Cole, Executive Director of BBFF, adding, “We’re not just hosting screenings — we’re building a new creative economy in the heart of SoCal’s San Bernardino’s mountains.”
The Big Bear Film Institute is led by a dynamic team including Tiffany Naiman, PhD, Robert Schwartzman, Kyle Greenberg, Charlie Reff Sextro, Brittany Chapman-Holman, and Vonyse Reeder. This group will guide BBFI’s bold year-round programming strategy, which includes original IP incubators, signature programs, fellowship labs, and strategic partnerships.
In collaboration with Utopia, the indie distribution and innovation studio, BBFI will launch on the newly announced Powerflix platform. Powerflix will facilitate filmmaker submissions and provide immediate access to distribution, marketing, and monetization tools for films launched at the festival and through its year-round programming. Robert Schwartzman states, “Partnering with the Big Bear Film Institute and Festival allows us to give a range of creators and distributors a meaningful new environment to engage and launch their work within an energized and thoughtful community.”
Visit Big Bear CEO, Travis Scott, remarks that this initiative is “exactly the kind of cultural tourism and economic stimulus our community deserves—an effort that builds legacy, draws creatives from around the world, and still centers the local spirit.”
For more info, visit www.bigbearfilmfest.com.