GUHSD Film Festival coming Friday, March 6

March 2026 Articles

East County News Service

March 4, 2026 (El Cajon) — El Cajon Valley High will roll out the proverbial red carpet on Friday, March 6 for the Grossmont Union High School District's 2026 GUHSD Film Festival.

The annual event will take place this year from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the El Cajon Valley High School Event Center, a premier stage for the district’s most talented young filmmakers.

The film showcase features original creative works from students enrolled in the Career Technical Education Arts, Media & Entertainment pathway at GUHSD.

More than just a screening, the film festival is a celebration of technical mastery and artistic storytelling of students, and by students in the district -- GUHSD students who have spent months scripting, filming and editing projects that range from narrative short films to complex animation.

Not only for families of the filmmakers, fellow students and teachers, festival leaders are inviting community members to support emerging artists.

Admission to the showcase is free of. El Cajon Valley High School is located at 1035 E. Madison Ave. in El Cajon.

The AME pathway provides students with work-based learning projects designed to mirror the demands of the modern media industry. By participating, students gain hands-on experience with high-end technology and creative development, preparing them for careers in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

The AME sector is the largest CTE sector in California, designed to bridge the gap between creative talent and the professional workforce. The AME sector is a major driver of California’s "Creative Economy," which supports more tan 2.6 million jobs. Many of the students whose works are shown at the festival are training to join one of the state's most vital industries.

“This year’s film festival will be a great one with the suppprt of some heavy hitters in the entertainment industry coming together to provide valuable feedback to each director at the event," said El Cajon Valley High CTE AME teacher Brent Ford, the longtime leader of the event. "Don’t miss this!”

Some of the students' past films are maintained through a digital archive at the official GUHSD Film Fest YouTube channel at youtube.com/@guhsdfilmfest652

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