The festival will take place on Thursday, May 7, showcasing a curated selection of films from more than 200 submissions by emerging filmmakers. Hosted by the student-led Yotie Film Club, the event highlights student creativity, hands-on learning and growing opportunities in film.
Cal State San Bernardino will host the inaugural Yotie Film Festival on Thursday, May 7, from 4-8 p.m. at the Santos Manuel Student Union North Events Center, second floor. Presented by the student-led Yotie Film Club, the festival invites the campus and surrounding community to experience original films from emerging filmmakers across the Inland Empire and beyond.
Open to the public, the festival will feature a curated selection of films drawn from more than 200 submissions, reflecting the growing interest in filmmaking at CSUSB and in the region. Admission is $10 for the general public and $3 for students with ID, with tickets available at the door.
The Yotie Film Club, founded by a group of students passionate about film production, has quickly grown into an active creative community on campus. What began as a small group of students in a video production class has evolved into an award-winning student organization, earning recognition in regional film competitions for cinematography and sound design.
Kimberly Rosas, a CSUSB history major and vice president of the Yotie Film Club, said the festival represents both a milestone and a vision for the future.
“Our vision and our hope are that we can help make this campus a destination campus through film,” Rosas said.
The festival judges include Mike Rister, executive director of Associated Students, Inc. at CSUSB; Kevin Lyons, city producer for the 48 Hour Film Festival, independent filmmaker, business owner and faculty member at CSUSB and San Bernardino Valley College; and Amanda Fernandez, CSUSB alumna and music licensing coordinator for NBCUniversal.
The club’s momentum has been fueled by hands-on opportunities and access to industry-grade equipment, made available through a successful campus grant designed to support students across disciplines. Members collaborate on productions, participate in film competitions, and create content for campus events, gaining real-world experience in a highly collaborative field.
The Yotie Film Festival marks the club’s most ambitious project to date. Originally planned for an earlier semester, the event reflects months of planning and perseverance as students navigated the logistics of launching a large-scale festival for the first time.
