Calabasas Film Festival sets September 23-27 2026 program and venues
The five-day festival will run from Wednesday, Sep 23 to Sunday, Sep 27 at the City of Calabasas Civic Center, featuring opening night cocktail parties, a Goonies outdoor screening and a slate of short and feature films.
The Calabasas Film Festival announced its 2026 schedule, confirming a five-day run from Sep 23 to Sep 27 at the City of Calabasas, 100 Civic Center Way. The lineup includes opening-night cocktail parties, a midnight outdoor screening of Richard Donner’s The Goonies, and a mix of short, student and feature programs across multiple venues.
Organizers described the event as “ideal for festival lovers, culture enthusiasts and anyone looking for a vibrant, immersive community experience,” according to the festival’s own description. The program is open to the public, though many evening events are invitation-only.
The festival’s dates place it alongside a crowded September slate of U.S. and international festivals, as listed in the 2026 Film Festivals and Markets Calendar.
Schedule highlights and venues
Day 1 begins at 5 p.m. on Sep 23 with the Toscanova Calabasas Opening Night Cocktail Party, presented by Poppy Bank, followed by a second invitation-only gathering at the Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) campus patio. Both events are described on the festival’s schedule page as exclusive celebrations for industry guests.
The festival’s daytime programming runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day, featuring short-film blocks, student film showcases and a series of feature screenings. Notably, the schedule lists an outdoor screening of The Goonies at the Calabasas Tennis & Swim Center at 8 p.m. on Day 5, offering a community-focused under-the-stars experience.
Evening after-parties are slated at several local venues, including the Calabasas Country Club, Jon & Vinny’s, The Library Calabasas, Porta Via Cadillac of Calabasas and the Calabasas Country Club. Each party is presented by a different sponsor, such as XPERI, Technologent and Cadillac of Calabasas, and promises curated wine, craft beer and premium spirits.
The final day, Sep 27, concludes with a 10 p.m. wrap-up at the Calabasas Country Club after-party, marking the close of the five-day run.
Community and industry context
The festival’s location in the City of Calabasas provides a suburban backdrop that contrasts with the larger Hollywood circuit, yet the event draws participants from across the region. The Allevents listing notes that the festival is “ideal for festival lovers, culture enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a vibrant, immersive community experience,” underscoring its local appeal.
Calabasas Film Festival’s timing slots it between major West Coast festivals such as the Los Angeles Film Festival and the San Diego Asian Film Festival, as shown in the 2026 Film Festivals and Markets Calendar from Screen Daily. This positioning helps the festival attract films that might otherwise compete for limited screening windows in larger markets.
The festival’s programming includes a dedicated student film block, a short-film program and a “Alliance of Women Directors” showcase, reflecting a broader industry push for diversity and emerging talent. These elements align with Los Angeles-area initiatives that aim to retain creative workers and provide platforms for under-represented voices.
The festival’s suburban setting and invitation-only cocktail parties illustrate how Los Angeles-area culture can thrive outside the downtown core. By offering a mix of student work, genre classics and community-focused events, Calabasas adds a low-key but strategically timed option for filmmakers and audiences seeking a more intimate alternative to the larger Hollywood festivals that dominate the fall calendar.