Yucca Valley Film Festival Lights Up the High Desert This Weekend

Since its inception in 2018, the Yucca Valley Film Festival has grown bigger and better each year.  And this year, the red carpet returns to the Mojave Desert as the Yucca Valley Film Festival celebrates its 7th edition, running November 7-9, 2025, at the Yucca Valley Community Center. The three-day, not-for-profit festival will showcase over 55 films and creative projects from 28 countries, carefully selected from more than 400 entries worldwide. Located 40 minutes north of Palm Springs and serving as the gateway to Joshua Tree National Park, Yucca Valley continues to grow as the economic and cultural hub for the region.

From short films, documentaries, and music videos to dance films, drone films, and original scripts, YVFF spotlights the full spectrum of today's independent filmmaking. This year's lineup features filmmakers whose work has previously been selected at the Academy Awards and screened at international festivals such as Tribeca and Dances With Films. True to its roots, the program also gives a strong platform to local creators, with 15 projects in the official selection made by filmmakers from the area, filmed locally around Yucca Valley, or presented by returning artists-some for the fifth time in seven years.

Manny the Movie Guy spends some time with festival director Matt Beurois to talk about the exciting event which will also feature NBC Palm Springs’ Olivia Sandusky as this year’s industry speaker. 

The Yucca Valley Film Festival runs November 7-9, 2025, at the Yucca Valley Community Center. All screenings and events are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit yuccavalleyfilmfestival.com.