SLO International Film Festival

Filmmakers who screen their documentaries at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival could now be eligible to win an Academy Award.

San Luis Obispo kicked off National Arts and Humanities Month by unveiling the historic Palm Theater’s new Film Center. Now run by the SLO International Film Festival, the center provides a space for cultural events, comedy shows, and educational film opportunities. It’s also a centerpiece of this year’s ARTober events in SLO.

This month, the Palm Theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo has become the SLO Film Center. The Theater has been a beloved independent movie house since it opened its doors in 1988. Now, the nonprofit San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is running the theater — leasing it from owners Jim and Patty Dee, who are retiring.

Award-winning Mexican-American writer and director, Alyssa Toledo, was born and raised in the Central Coast. She has written and directed three short films of her own, two of them are based in her hometown — Oceano. She expects her latest, Toledo, to be released next year in 2024.

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is screening an award-winning documentary featuring San Luis Obispo County winemakers.

This summer during the Black Lives Matter protests, the city of San Luis Obispo created a diversity task force, with a goal of making the city more…