SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Cinema lovers and music enthusiasts across Ventura County are preparing for nine days of world premieres, industry panels, and orchestral performances as the fourth annual SIMI Film Fest rolls out the red carpet this September, event organizers announced.
Click here to enter the official SIMI Film Fest ticket giveaway on Instagram and win passes to this year's festival.
Presented with title support from Film Simi Valley, the 2026 festival runs from September 12 through September 20, 2026, bringing independent filmmakers and artists from around the globe directly to local audiences.
Founded by long-time Simi Valley residents Katie Garibaldi, a singer-songwriter and music supervisor, and Joseph Metcalfe, an accomplished film composer and conductor, the festival was established to cultivate local arts, spotlight independent storytelling, and build community through cinema.
Comprehensive Film Screenings, Youth Showcase, and Industry Panels
The main hub for all screening sessions, red carpet arrivals, and official awards ceremonies will be hosted at Studio Movie Grill, located within the Simi Valley Town Center at 1555 Simi Town Center Way.
Over the course of the nine-day event, attendees will have the opportunity to view more than 100 independent feature films, short films, and documentaries, alongside over 50 music videos selected for the returning SIMI Music Video Fest. Many attending directors, producers, and actors will participate in live Q&A sessions following their screenings.
The 2026 season marks the formal launch of the inaugural SIMI Youth Film Fest, a specialized division designed to showcase and celebrate creative works produced by emerging filmmakers aged 20 and younger.
Beyond traditional theater screenings, SIMI Film Fest incorporates educational workshops and networking opportunities across the city. Interactive sessions focusing on stunt work and screenwriting will be hosted at Simi Vibe, while attending filmmakers will participate in an exclusive filming tour of the historical Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
"Audiences will have the chance to discover new films and music from around the world that they won’t find at their local movie theater or on their favorite streaming service... SIMI Film Fest is a chance to discover new stories, meet filmmakers from around the world and experience films before they reach a wider audience," festival directors Katie Garibaldi and Joseph Metcalfe shared in an official statement.
"Together, Garibaldi and Metcalfe also founded the Simi Valley Orchestras, and have built both organizations around bringing film, music and the arts to their local community," festival representatives added.
Live Symphony Orchestra Concert Highlights Iconic Cinema Scores
A central highlight of the festival calendar is the annual Film Music Concert, scheduled for Wednesday evening, September 16, 2026.
Held off-site at the historic House of the Book on the AJU campus in Simi Valley, the special evening performance features the full Simi Valley Symphony Orchestra under the baton of co-founder and conductor Joseph Metcalfe.
The concert program celebrates legendary cinematic compositions, featuring live orchestral renditions of iconic themes from Harry Potter, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Patriot, Star Trek, Dances with Wolves, The Lord of the Rings, and Mission: Impossible.
In addition to Hollywood classics, the orchestra will perform original compositions authored by the five international winners of the SIMI Film Fest 2026 Film Music Competition: Quanying Wang, Haoyu Chen, Finn Clarke, Thomas Yamada, and Eva Mazurek.
Ticket Giveaway, Entry Requirements, and Pass Information
To celebrate the opening of the 2026 festival, local media outlet @joeknowsventura has partnered with @simifilmfest to host an exclusive online ticket giveaway offering five local winners free access to festival events:
- Four Winners: Receive one Single-Day Festival Pass each (randomly assigned for one date: Sept 15, 17, 18, or 19)
- One Winner: Receives one ticket to the Film Music Concert on Wednesday, Sept 16
To enter the community raffle, participants must follow both Instagram accounts (@joeknowsventura and @simifilmfest), comment on the giveaway post explaining why they want to attend, and share the announcement to their personal Instagram story.
Giveaway winners will be randomly selected and publicly announced this Thursday. Promocodes will be issued to day-pass winners for online redemption, while the concert winner's name will be placed on the AJU venue gate check-in list.
Single-event tickets, day passes, and All-Access festival passes are available for purchase directly on the Official SIMI Film Fest Website.