The Santa Clarita International Film Festival has announced its return to the Santa Clarita Valley for its fifth year, Dec. 11–14.

SCIFF brings with it a dynamic lineup of independent films, panels, musical performances, a visual arts gallery featuring Texas-based artists and an energetic comedy festival.

Set to be the largest and most globally connected edition yet, SCIFF 2025 underscores its renewed commitment to the “international” spirit of the festival.

To support this expanded global vision, SCIFF has announced a strategic partnership with JLO Productions, a San Antonio–based special events company known for its extensive international marketing network and experience in cultural programming. The collaboration is poised to strengthen SCIFF’s national recruitment efforts and significantly broaden its reach with international filmmakers, artists and audiences.

“We look forward to working with SCIFF and have begun learning about the beautiful city of Santa Clarita, seeing how we can celebrate its diverse and international communities,” said Joe Ochoa, President of JLO Productions. He added, “SCIFF’s newly formed International Division is a great fit to bring international artists to the annual festival.”

This year’s partnership also highlights SCIFF’s inaugural initiative of featuring a host country. The Republic of the Philippines has been selected as the festival’s first international featured nation, an acknowledgment of both the country’s rich creative legacy and the vibrant Filipino community within the Santa Clarita Valley.

“I am excited to have selected and welcome the Republic of the Philippines and look forward to seeing their national artists and presentations at this year’s event,” said Lisa deSouza, Founder and Executive Director of SCIFF. “We are announcing our international program and are excited to have the Republic of the Philippines as our first international featured host country and we are committed to promoting film eco-tourism as we showcase our city to our global visitors.”

Local community leaders are also celebrating the announcement, recognizing the cultural significance and representation this brings to Santa Clarita.

“Santa Clarita’s Filipino community is one of warmth, resiliency and shared cultural pride. We continue to grow in number and in spirit, always finding ways to lift each other and contribute to the broader community. It’s an honor to showcase our heritage in spaces where our voices can be seen and heard,” said President of the Fil-Am Association of SCV, Inc., Ronnie Tejada.

Tejada added that the Filipino community is especially excited about the festival’s opening night.

“Having a Filipino-themed opening night for SCIFF 25 is a moment of deep pride for us. It celebrates not just our stories, but our artistry, talent and the generations who worked hard to build a home here. We’re grateful for the recognition and excited to share our culture with the entire valley,” Tejada said.

With expanded international programming, new partnerships and a commitment to celebrating global artistry, SCIFF 2025 promises four days of culture, creativity and community.

Film screenings will be held at the Laemmle Theater in Old Town Newhall.

For more information on tickets and events visit https://sciff.org/ticket/.