GI Film Festival San Diego Returns May 6-8 with 15 Films Honoring Military Service Members and Veterans

Featuring world, West Coast, and San Diego premieres alongside post-film panel discussions with filmmakers, veterans, and subject-matter experts

SAN DIEGO, CA – March 6, 2026 – The GI Film Festival San Diego marks 11 years of bringing films for, by, and about the military community to the big screen. This year’s military-themed film festival takes place May 6-8, 2026, at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA @ SDMA) in Balboa Park.

This year’s three-day festival will feature 15 compelling films that explore service, sacrifice, and the lived experiences of service members and veterans, while also showcasing the creativity of veterans through films that tell stories outside of the military sphere. Each screening will include a post-film panel discussion, giving audiences the opportunity to hear from filmmakers and engage directly with the stories on screen, including conversations with actors, film subjects, and subject-matter experts. These discussions reinforce the festival’s mission to create conversations, expand the definition of service, break down stereotypes, and highlight the wide variety of experiences within the military community.

Connecting Communities Through the Power of Storytelling

For more than a decade, the GI Film Festival San Diego has been a time-honored tradition, bringing together service members, veterans, military families and caregivers, filmmakers, history lovers and movie enthusiasts to celebrate the art of military storytelling through film. The festival is widely recognized not only for its carefully selected films, but also for its truthful representation of military life, its ability to foster an environment of understanding and respect, and its commitment to showcase the creativity of veterans turned filmmakers. Each year, the festival presents a diverse lineup of films that highlight the experiences of service members and veterans, as well as the challenges that often go unseen in the lives of caregivers, spouses, and military children.

“Many service members and veterans around the world are facing challenges that can be difficult to talk about,” says Douglas Alberto Alvarado, LCSW, U.S. Army OEF veteran, GI Film Festival San Diego advisory committee member, and lead veteran peer counselor with Courage to Call. “Whether facing financial struggles, mental health challenges, family hardships, or simply feeling homesick, every service member and veteran faces obstacles. Events like the GI Film Festival San Diego create space for those stories to be seen, heard and discussed.”

This year’s festival lineup includes themes like transitioning back to civilian life, which is explored in the documentary short “Hope… In the Aftermath of War,” directed by returning filmmaker and veteran Daniel Bernardi. The film follows a soldier grappling with trauma, addiction, and fractured family ties after returning from combat, forcing her daughter to confront the quiet war unfolding at home. Other themes include the search for peace and reconciliation, which can be found in “HOME FROM THE VIETNAM WAR.” The documentary feature follows a decorated U.S. veteran as he returns to Vietnam with a friend who fled the war as a child. Together, they retrace the past, confronting former enemies and long-buried memories. Another theme throughout this year’s lineup is art as a path to healing, highlighted in films like “Ugo: An Artist at War.” The documentary feature follows Maxine Giannini as she preserves her late husband’s World War II drawings, including rare D-Day sketches, using art to honor service, memory, and healing.

Providing a Platform for Veteran Voices Through Cinema

For 11 years now, the country’s premier military film festival continues to bridge the military-civilian gap by helping audiences of all backgrounds better understand what it truly means to serve. The GI Film Festival San Diego provides a unique platform for emerging filmmakers to showcase their talents, welcomes returning creators, and draws both new and returning festivalgoers year after year. The festival serves as a creative cultural space for appreciating the art of film and for understanding the present-day and historical events that shape our lives and country, while spotlighting veteran filmmakers eager to share their passion for storytelling with a community of like-minded cinephiles.

“Every year that I’ve been involved with the GI Film Festival San Diego, I’ve seen firsthand the power this event has to open dialogue and create connections,” Alvarado says. “Audience members have the opportunity to share their experiences and find someone in the room they can relate to. This film festival is more than watching military movies. It’s a celebration of community, collaboration, and camaraderie. Whether it’s your first time attending or you’re a returning guest, it creates an environment that feels like home — a place to belong, to be seen, and to be heard.”

Since 2015, the military-themed film festival has presented more than 300 films by international, U.S., and San Diego County filmmakers, drawing in diverse audiences totaling more than 14,000 guests. Additionally, throughout its history in D.C. and San Diego, the GI Film Festival has welcomed notable personalities, including documentarians Ken Burns and Ric Burns, General (Ret.) Richard Myers, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the late US Senator John McCain, actors Gary Sinise, Glenn Close, Matthew Marsden, Lou Diamond Phillips, Joe Mantegna, George Takei, Virginia Madsen and Jeffrey Wright. The GI Film Festival San Diego continues to honor service and amplify veteran voices, connecting filmmakers and audiences through powerful, human-centered stories.

Ways to Attend the GI Film Festival San Diego

Film screenings at the GI Film Festival San Diego are open to the public, and tickets are now available. Attendees may purchase individual screening tickets or multi-film ticket packages. General admission is $15 per screening, or $10 for military, veterans, and KPBS members. Because some films address sensitive topics, organizers recommend attendees be at least 18 years old.

For information on the 2026 film festival, how to attend, and ways to get involved, visit GIFilmFestivalSD.org. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor of the GI Film Festival San Diego, contact GIFilmFestivalSD@kpbs.org.

About GI Film Festival San Diego

The GI Film Festival San Diego is a multi-day showcase of films for, by and about military members and veterans. Films featured in the festival reveal the experiences of service members, veterans and their families. The festival also provides veterans and service members with an opportunity to further their creative skills.

Documentaries, shorts, narratives, and feature-length films are presented. The festival includes international and local films. Local films feature San Diego’s filmmakers, events, people, or places.

Film screenings are followed by discussions with filmmakers, actors, documentary subjects, and/or subject-matter experts. The festival presents awards in multiple categories, honoring excellence in filmmaking. The festival is organized and produced by KPBS in partnership with the Film Consortium San Diego.

The 2026 GI Film Festival San Diego is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Official sponsors of the 2026 festival are the USAA Educational Foundation, Scatena Media Group, Singleton Schreiber, AMC Networks, Dexcom, The Elizabeth Hospice, Navy Recruiting Reserve Command, US Bank, Verizon and Wounded Warrior Project. Additional support is provided by the AARP, California Film Commission, National University, Navy League San Diego, Southwestern College, and Viejas Casino & Resort.

KPBS is a member of the San Diego Veterans Coalition and the San Diego Military Family Collaborative.

About Film Consortium San Diego

The Film Consortium San Diego is a social venture that stimulates film and television production in the region and increases networking, employment, education, funding and distribution opportunities in film, television and new media. The Film Consortium hosts and organizes the annual San Diego Film Awards, San Diego Film Week, and Film Summit.

About KPBS

KPBS connects, reflects and serves all of our communities with trusted programming and dialogue. KPBS delivers this content to more than 1.3 million audience members weekly via multiple platforms, including television, radio, and digital media. As a public service of San Diego State University, education is a core value – from children’s programming to community discussions on important issues our region is facing, to local news coverage. KPBS provides stories that make us think, help us dream, and keep us connected. For more information, visit kpbs.org.

The following film lineup is listed in alphabetical order:

“ALMOST HOME”: A decorated Muslim-American Marine battles his inner demons, prejudice, and a fractured sense of identity as he seeks self-discovery from the haunting memory of a life-altering event at war. Narrative Short | Directed by Menhaj Huda | 20 minutes | 2024 | United States | San Diego Premiere
“AMERICAN SOLITAIRE”: AMERICAN SOLITAIRE explores the United States’ deep cultural connection to guns through the intimate story of a wounded veteran navigating the emotional aftermath of war. As he struggles to reintegrate into a society where firearms are revered and gun violence is pervasive, he embarks on a journey to heal himself and, by extension, challenge his country to allow for a broader vision of a soldier’s path to healing. Narrative Feature | Directed by Aaron Davidman | 95 minutes | 2025 | United States
“CINDY”: A struggling writer takes an overnight driving job and is drawn into a series of strange late-night encounters alongside a woman whose work remains quietly enigmatic. Over the course of one unusual evening, confusion gives way to vulnerability, forcing him to confront what he’s been avoiding — and revealing how one unexpected encounter can leave a lasting impression. Narrative Short | Directed by Al Chang | 22 minutes | 2025 | United States | Made By or Starring Military or Veterans | San Diego Premiere
“The Commitment to Courage”: Ashley Christman is a United States Marine. She has served all over the world, facing hazardous situations in combat and fighting for our freedom. But she wasn’t prepared for the battle she’d have to fight next. In 2021, she was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor after almost a decade of symptoms — but only because of the research she did herself and the dedication to being her own best advocate. She continues to lean on the USMC values of honor, courage, and commitment to ensure she has the best quality of life for herself and her family. This is her story. Documentary Short | Directed by Rain Bennett | 15 minutes | 2024 | United States | Local Film
“The Craftsman”: Blending artificial intelligence with traditional storytelling, this short, animated Pixar style film explores the quiet legacy of a man whose hands told stories louder than words—offering a moving tribute to the power of reinvention, generational memory, and art born from history. Narrative Short | Directed by Devin Scott | 14 minutes | 2025 | United States | Local Film | San Diego Premiere
“The Gun”: Shaya, 30, is married to Moriah and is father to Maayan, 2. As a result of the need to renew his firearms license, Shaya embarks on a journey of clarification regarding his fears after suffering post-trauma in the Israel Defense Forces. If he can unchain himself from his fears, perhaps he will also be able to separate from the gun. Documentary Short | Directed by Shaya Chesner | 17 minutes | 2023 | Israel | Made By or Starring Military or Veteran | Student Film | United States Premiere
“[Has Heart]”: “[Has Heart]” is an intimate and inspiring documentary capturing the emotional journey of U.S. Navy veteran Michael Hyacinthe and artist Tyler Way, who unite to transform veterans’ experiences through the power of art. After serving in conflict zones and experiencing personal loss and trauma, Michael grapples with his own sense of identity and purpose. He finds new meaning by collaborating with Tyler, a talented footwear designer, to create a unique space where veterans can express their untold stories through art and design. Documentary Short | Directed by Tran Hoang Calvin | 13 minutes | 2025 | United States | West Coast Premiere
“HOME FROM THE VIETNAM WAR”: Haunted by decades of trauma, a decorated U.S. veteran returns to Vietnam with a friend who fled the war as a child. As they move through a modernized country they scarcely recognize, the two men retrace the past, confronting former enemies and long-buried memories. Their journey leads them to one of the war’s bloodiest battle sites of 1968, where they come face to face with the Vietnamese soldiers they once fought, breaking years of silence in a search for healing, reconciliation, and peace. Documentary Feature | Directed by Mat Hames | 80 minutes | 2026 | United States, Vietnam
“Hope… In the Aftermath of War”: After returning from combat, a soldier’s struggle with trauma, addiction, and fractured family ties forces her daughter to confront the quiet war unfolding at home—one that neither of them signed up for but both must survive. Documentary Short | Directed by Daniel Bernardi | 13 minutes | 2025 | United States | Made By or Starring Military or Veterans | World Premiere
“Life Begins”: A war veteran struggles to readjust to civilian life after participating in fierce battles. He finds it difficult to find his place, even at home. A phone conversation with a combat friend, memories of the fallen, constant body pain and anxiety all serve to reveal how difficult it is for a veteran to exist in a peaceful life. The film ends abruptly, emphasizing the incompleteness and difficulty of veterans’ return to normal life, which is full of shadows of war. Narrative Short | Directed by Oleksii Taranenko | 28 minutes | 2025 | Ukraine | West Coast Premiere
“A Ranger Works Here”: “A Ranger Works Here” is a documentary following Oskar Zepeda’s PTSD growth journey after suffering a grenade blast while serving in the U.S. Army. He and those close to him share about his ups and downs, and how he is able to pull himself out of the trenches. Oskar is a work in progress, and aims to help others through his story. Oskar isn’t a veteran that tells you everything is good after receiving treatments and counseling. He keeps it real by telling you how he messed up last week, and what he’s doing this week to get back on track. Documentary Short | Directed by Tim Yao | 20 minutes | 2025 | United States | Made By or Starring Military or Veterans | West Coast Premiere
“Sheepdogs”: In the remote military town of 29 Palms, artist Ted Meyer helps wounded veterans and active-duty service members turn their physical scars into powerful works of art—unearthing the emotional trauma beneath, and telling the stories their bodies can’t forget. This short documentary follows four individuals: an active-duty Marine instructor still coping with an injury sustained early in his career; an active-duty Marine who recently suffered a career-ending injury; a retired Marine sergeant whose battle with cancer may be linked to her military service; and a retired Navy special ops officer—now a transgender woman—grappling with trauma after being ambushed and shot multiple times. “Sheepdogs” is an intimate meditation on resilience, trauma, identity, and the transformative power of art in the aftermath of injury. Documentary Short | Directed by Brian Knappmiller | 26 minutes | 2025 | United States | San Diego Premiere
“This Is My Rifle”: A combat Marine turns to spoken word to confront guilt and grief, transforming his memories of war into raw performance in search of healing. Narrative Short | Directed by Brad Bingham | 8 minutes | 2025 | United States
“Ugo: An Artist at War”: After her husband Ugo Giannini dies, Maxine Giannini finally enters his closed art studio and discovers carefully preserved letters and drawings from his service during World War II. Among the drawings, she finds the only known D-Day sketches from that fateful day on Bloody Omaha Beach. For the next 30 years, Maxine dedicates her life to sharing the legacy of Ugo, an artist that went to war. Documentary Feature | Directed by Steve “Nemi” Nemsick | 83 minutes | 2025 | United States, France
“Veterano”: A Filipino World War II veteran with nothing left to lose dusts off his past and his pistol for one last mission in 1981 San Francisco. Narrative Short | Directed by Patrick Epino | 10 minutes | 2025 | United States | San Diego Premiere