Big Bear Film Fest Press Release

 BIG BEAR LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING FILM FESTIVAL 

AND INDUSTRY INSTITUTE

The Big Bear Film Festival is set to debut on September 24 through September 29, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - BIG BEAR LAKE, CA — The world’s most iconic mountaintop is getting its close-up. The Big Bear Film Institute (BBFI) officially announces the launch of the Big Bear Film Festival (BBFF), a boundary-breaking celebration of storytelling across film, music, gaming, audio, animation, and AI — set to debut September 24–29, 2025.

“This isn’t just any other film festival,” says former Outfest CEO, Damien S. Navarro, CEO of BBFI, “This is a creator-first movement—where stories are incubated, IP is discovered, and the future of film isn’t just screened, it’s shaped.”

Set in the legendary alpine backdrop once featured in Gone With the Wind, Old Yeller, and Last of the Mohicans, the Big Bear Film Festival is tailor-made for today’s creators—those working at the intersection of culture, code, and content. With more than 400 feature films, series, and commercials shot in Big Bear Valley over the last century, the region is steeped in cinematic history. The BBFF now builds on that legacy, creating a platform for the next generation of storytelling—from immersive media to graphic novels, gaming, audio, and emerging AI-driven platforms—all while honoring the timeless magic of film.

With program tracks ranging from Indigenous storytelling to genre cinema, podcasting, stand-up comedy, game development, animation, and experimental sound design, BBFF aims to be the premier destination for emerging IP discovery and development.

The festival features:

• Peak Pitch: a curated marketplace for original projects to connect with distributors, buyers, and studios.
• Music Village & Audio Pavilion: a lakeside retreat blending sound, performance, and story.
• Gamer’s and Animation Expo: a showcase of narrative-driven gaming and animation content.
• Outdoor and Drone Cinematography Showcases: capturing sky islands, starlight, and action sports with cutting-edge tools.
• (FUTURE) The Alpine Story Lab: a 5-day pre-festival residency for incubating original IP.

“Big Bear is ready. The infrastructure, the talent, and the vision are here,” Jake Cole, Executive Director of BBFF shares, “We’re not just hosting screenings — we’re building a new creative economy in the heart of SoCal’s San Bernardino’s mountains,” Cole adds. 

Joining Navarro and Cole, The Big Bear Film Institute is led by a dynamic team of boundary-pushing creators and cultural innovators. This includes industry stalwarts like Tiffany Naiman, PhD (UCLA Music Industry Professor/Musicologist, DJ/Electronic Music Producer, and arts and media curator, documentary film producer), Robert Schwartzman (filmmaker, musician, and founder of Utopia), as well as Utopia’s head of marketing Kyle Greenberg and head of acquisitions Charlie Reff Sextro (a former programmer of Sundance Film Festival). 

They're joined by Brittany Chapman-Holman, Producer of Boulevard Productions, who has worked in development of Film, TV, Musicals, and Audio for over ten years, and Vonyse Reeder, one of the powerhouse producers behind Jamie Foxx’s What Had Happened Was… and apart of the original Laffapalooza! comedy brand. 

Together, this group will guide BBFI’s bold year-round programming strategy, including:

• Original IP incubators spanning film, audio, gaming, music, and AI
• Signature programs in comedy, music, outdoor cinema, and immersive arts
• Fellowship labs, accessibility-driven initiatives, and audience development
• Strategic partnerships across distribution, education, and production networks

In collaboration with Utopia, the buzzy indie distribution and innovation studio founded by Robert Schwartzman in 2018, BBFI will launch on the recently announced Powerflix platform to receive and engage filmmaker submissions. Powerflix will also provide filmmakers with immediate access to distribution, marketing, and monetization tools for films launching at the festival and through its year-round programming.

“Our mission at Utopia has not only been to support how independent films reach audiences through direct acquisitions and full distribution support, but to provide filmmakers with alternative, empowering self-distribution tools and to challenge our industry by providing additional meaningful, viable outlets for monetization.” says Schwartzman. “Partnering with the Big Bear Film Institute and Festival allows us to do exactly that—giving a range of creators and distributors a meaningful new environment to engage and launch their work within an energized and thoughtful community."

The partnership also includes access to Utopia’s internal distribution infrastructure, original content development insight across film and TV, and tech initiatives in aggregation and interactive media. 

“This is exactly the kind of cultural tourism and economic stimulus our community deserves—an effort that builds legacy, draws creatives from around the world, and still centers the local spirit,” Visit Big Bear CEO, Travis Scott, remarks.

The integral role brand sponsorships play in ensuring the success of an endeavor like this was a foundational principle of the Big Bear Film Festival. “The best brands today are creators themselves,” said Justin Celko, Head of Brand and Sponsorship. “This festival is a gathering of creators, and what we are built to offer partners cannot be measured in impressions alone, but by what truly matters today: genuine collaboration and engagement.”

For sponsorships, and submissions, visit www.bigbearfilmfest.com.

Imagery to accompany your coverage can be found HERE. (Credit: Courtesy of The Big Bear Film Festival).

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ABOUT THE BIG BEAR FILM INSTITUTE & FILM FESTIVAL

The Big Bear Film Institute (BBFI) is a future-forward cultural engine dedicated to championing bold voices, breakthrough stories, and next-gen creators across film, music, gaming, audio, and immersive arts. As the home of the Big Bear Film Festival (BBFF), BBFI delivers year-round programming, IP incubation, and talent discovery opportunities in an unforgettable mountain setting. The inaugural flagship festival, will run September 24–30, 2025, will span iconic Big Bear venues including The Village North Theatre, Destination Big Bear Conference Center, brand new Sunnybrook Estate, the newly renovated lakeside Marina Riviera, and Sessions Retreat & Hotel. A Retro Film Weekend will launch the excitement over Labor Day, setting the stage for what’s next in storytelling. Learn more at [www.bigbearfilmfest.com]

@BigBearFilmFestival | #BBFF25 #LightsMountainsAction

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Chet Mehta and Lailani De Leon | PR DEPT
Visitbigbear@pr-dept.com