Vanguard Culture

San Diego Italian Film feStivale: Courage
2025-10-01 - 2025-10-11
The San Diego Italian Film Festival presents its 19th annual feStivale, a showcase of the best new Italian cinema with a series of premieres varying from dramas and comedies to documentaries. Theme of this year’s festival is Courage, the strength to speak up, break barriers, and imagine new futures. Through movies and shorts, this year’s 19th feStivale invites audiences to explore the many faces of courage that shape Italian culture, challenge conventions, and inspire change. All while providing an Italian perspective and allowing for dialogues and discovery to take place. The 19th feStivale will include discussions with guest filmmakers, producers and artists, the 7th annual Ristretto Awards (our shorts competition), and the annual feSta: a party with the best in Italian food, live music, and the announcement of the winners of our Ristretto Award, all at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the Museum of Art and the Digital Gym Cinema.
October 1 – 11, 2025

Omni Intelligent
2025-10-01 - 2025-12-06
Omni Intelligent
Omni Intelligent is a group exhibition that explores the intertwined and interdependent relationships between non-human and human entities as artificial intelligence becomes an integrated part of contemporary life. The artworks suggest a departure from anthropocentrism towards a more complex, fluid, and expansive understanding of intelligence, existence, consciousness, and the self. Spanning a wide range of mediums—including scent, painting, sculpture, film, holography, game design, and ceramics— the exhibition offers the visitor a full sensory experience that speaks to the profound shifts unfolding during this pivotal moment.
Participating Artists:

Eglė Budvytytė, Lou Cantor, Ánima Correa, CROSSLUCID, Star Feliz, Rhonda Holberton, Amia Yokoyama, agustine zegers, and Marcus Zúñiga
Oct 1-Dec 6, 2025
Opening Celebration: Wednesday, October 1st, 6-8pm

Blues For An Alabama Sky
2025-10-02 - 2025-10-26
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Harlem in 1930, the play brings together a rich cast of characters who reflect the conflicting currents of the time through their overlapping personalities and politics. As the Harlem Renaissance starts to feel the bite of the Great Depression, Angel and her friends battle to keep their artistic dreams alive while invoking the image of African-American expatriate extraordinaire, Josephine Baker, as both muse and myth. And when you are a Black woman living through one of the hardest times in American history and filling the silence of social invisibility with laughter, friendship becomes the only way to keep reaching for your dreams.
Oct. 2 – Oct. 26, 2025
Blues For An Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage
Directed by Desireé Clarke Miller
Opening Night: Friday, Oct. 3, 2025
MOXIE Theatre
6663 El Cajon Blvd Ste N
San Diego, CA 92115

San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival
2025-10-02 - 2025-10-05
The second annual San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival (SDTJ Jazz) arrives October 2-5, 2024. Join us as we celebrate our region’s binational jazz history. This year’s program channels a cultural legacy reaching back 100 years by bringing together international, national, and regional artists to perform at three unique venues.
October 2, 4 & 5, 2025.

MASHUP: A Creative Industry Symposium
2025-10-04 - 2025-10-05
Vanguard Culture’s 2-day creative industry symposium explores the role of the arts in fostering a more livable and inspiring future. From the impact of AI technology on the creative sector to fundraising in uncertain times, mental health, climate change, and beyond, this event offers essential tools and insights for creative professionals. Designed for industry professionals from film, theatre, dance, visual arts, fashion, music and more.
Participate in dynamic workshops, thought-provoking panel discussions, portfolio reviews, and unparalleled networking opportunities designed to forge connections across industries and inspire hope for the future of humanity.

$40 in-person conference (Saturday) Includes morning coffee, tea, fruit & pan dulce.
$35 Early Bird pricing ends August 3, 2024.
$20 virtual conference (Sunday) $15 Early Bird pricing ends August 3, 2024.
$50 Full Weekend Pass $40 Early Bird pricing ends August 3, 2024.

Produced in partnership with Art.Power.Equity, the San Diego Museum Council, Better APC, Mental Wellness for Artists, Caring for Mama, San Diego Art Matters, and the City of San Diego’s Department of Cultural Affairs.

WANT TO MAKE A GREATER IMPACT?
BECOME AN EVENT SPONSOR!

Contact Bailey@VanguardCulture.com for more information about sponsorship opportunities.

Rex v. Plantagenet: A Shakespeare Mock Trial and Talkback
2025-10-04 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Our assumption is that King Richard III survives the Battle of Bosworth Field and is to stand trial. Although the new administration of King Henry VII has a variety of offenses to choose from, Richard Plantagenet will be prosecuted only for the six most heinous acts of murder: those of the Lords Hastings, Rivers, Grey, and Vaughan, and, most horribly, of his two minor nephews, King Edward V, aged 12, and Richard, Duke of York, aged 9.
Characters from the play will be called as witnesses. At the end, the audience will serve as jury and decides the defendant’s fate.
October 4 @ 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Mission Valley Branch Library

The World of Hans Zimmer
2025-10-05 19:30 - 21:30
Hans Zimmer Presents The World of Hans Zimmer – A New Dimension, a 24-city arena tour debuting in North America this fall, following a tremendously successful European run of the internationally acclaimed production in 2024. The newly staged live show features Zimmer’s brand-new arrangement of the two-time Academy Award winner’s diverse collection of scores, precisely synchronized with epic film sequences. While Zimmer does not perform live on stage, he is the show’s curator, producer, and musical director. The World of Hans Zimmer – A New Dimension is the only official concert experience of its kind.
Multiple Grammy-nominated Matt Dunkley, who has a long-standing professional partnership with Zimmer, is one of the world’s most renowned orchestrators, arrangers, and conductors. Dunkley will perform alongside a masterful symphony orchestra featuring top soloists from Zimmer’s talent pool including the world-class Odessa Orchestra & Friends and the extraordinary Nairobi Chamber Chorus.
The World of Hans Zimmer tours have sold over 1.2 million tickets worldwide since 2018. Zimmer’s extraordinary melodies and modern compositions have earned him a massive fanbase across multiple generations and continents. “A New Dimension” will showcase a freshly arranged set from his beloved catalog.
Pechanga Arena
3500 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
October 5, 2025
7:30 p.m.

San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition
2025-10-10 - 2025-10-11
Dive into the 26th annual San Diego Undersea Film Exhibition at Qualcomm Hall, showcasing breathtaking underwater films from around the world. With affordable tickets, audience-choice prizes, and works by acclaimed filmmakers, this two-night festival has grown from local dive shop roots into one of the world’s premier underwater film events.
Friday, 10th October 7 – 9pm​
Saturday, 11th October 6 – 8pm
Irwin M. Jacobs Qualcomm Hall
5775 Morehouse Drive,
San Diego, CA 92121

West Coast Textile Arts
2025-10-11 - 2025-10-31
Inequity in Eden by Alex Gano
Fabulous fibers weave throughout the gallery spaces this season with the annual West Coast Textile Arts, a contemporary art exhibition of innovative and traditional textile techniques by regional artists. Juried by Beth Smith, Managing Editor and Exhibitions Director of Fiber Arts Now magazine. Also showing textile works this month are the San Diego Creative Weavers Guild, the Talk Ten – Split Image Challenge, Lydia Richez-Bowman and Lorrie Teates. Meet the artists at the opening reception during 2nd Saturday 4-6pm October 11th.
October 11th – October 31st, 2025
Escondido Arts Partnership
262 East Grand Avenue
Escondido, California 92025

Me voy pa'l pueblo - by PANCA
2025-10-11 - 2026-01-10
Through her work, Tijuana-San Diego muralist PANCA reflects on the binational and transborder experience amid the political turmoil and violent immigration policies, a look into Paola’s experience of moving back to Mexico after living in the USA for 3 years. Meet the artist and experience the work in community at the opening reception on October 11th.
Opening Reception:
October 11th, 2025, 5-7 pm
On view through January 10th, 2026

Dancemaker
2025-10-12 15:00 - 17:00
Dancemaker is an Academy Award–nominated documentary that offers an intimate look at legendary choreographer Paul Taylor, tracing his creative process, collaborations, and lasting impact on modern dance. Presented in conjunction with Alex Katz: Theater and Dance.
Seating is first come, first serve. Early arrival is recommended.

About the film:
A look at Paul Taylor (1930-2018) and his dance company over several months in 1997. The film frames the development of Taylor’s piece, “Piazzolla Caldera,” from conception and rehearsals to opening night at City Center. Interspersed are highlights from the troupe’s trip to India, black and white footage of rehearsals in the Company’s studio, interviews with Taylor, his dancers, dance critics and scholars, as well as footage of a younger Taylor dancing. Taylor’s genius, his roots, his method of working with dancers, and his unmatched plethora of dances are highlighted in this Academy Award nominated film.
October 12, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Jacobs Hall at MCASD
700 Prospect St.
La Jolla, CA 92037
3 – 5PM (FREE)

Story Concerts
2025-10-13 - 2026-06-08
Story Concerts are the signature event of Write Out Loud. They were born from the desire to share literature as a communal, participatory experience. Each Story Concert presents a curated selection of short stories, poetry, and sometimes music, revolving around a central theme, all read by professional actors. We produce a six-show season of Story Concerts every year, in addition to special concerts with a variety of cultural organizations.

2025-2026 Season 19 dates:

Oct 13, 2025
Dec 15, 2025
Jan 19, 2026
Feb 9, 2026
Apr 20, 2026
June 8, 2026

Performances begin at 7pm.
Dottie Studio Theatre
2880 Roosevelt Road
San Diego, CA 92106

San Diego International Film Festival
2025-10-15 - 2025-10-19
The San Diego International Film Festival returns with world-class cinema and more than just screenings. Enjoy premieres, filmmaker Q&As, VIP lounges, receptions, and parties that bring film lovers and industry pros together. Hosted at AMC UTC 14, this award-winning festival has premiered films that earned 36 Academy Awards and 167 nominations, making it one of North America’s top cultural events.
OCTOBER 15–19, 2025

Poe & More Poe
2025-10-17 - 2025-11-01
Poe & More Poe is a spell binding evening of tales by the master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe. Spend an eerie October evening filled with mystery, in the key of ‘Dark”. Presented by Write out Loud and performed by talented San Diego actors at the historic Villa Montezuma. Poe & More Poe is a gothic evening of supernatural stories and poetry, a perfect performance for an October night.
October 17 – November 1, 2025
The historic Villa Montezuma Museum
1925 K St., San Diego 92102
Note: The Villa Montezuma is an historic building with no elevator.

The Measure of Our Days
2025-10-17 - 2025-11-28
LOS/NR presents The Measure of Our Days, a compelling exhibition curated by Jason Jenn that explores how time shapes the human experience. Featuring six Los Angeles–based artists—Enrique Castrejon, Ellen Friedlander, Duane Paul, Joaquin Stacey-Calle, Kayla Tange, and Sean Yang—the show unites painting, assemblage, fiber art, and sculpture to examine how memory, craft, and materiality mark the passage of time. Each work reflects on what we choose to hold, create, and carry forward through life’s rhythms.
On view now – November 28, 2025

Jean Isaacs, The Legacy Concert
2025-10-18 - 2025-10-19
Celebrate the extraordinary legacy of choreographer Jean Isaacs in The Legacy Concert, a powerful evening of dance featuring works selected from over 150 pieces spanning her 60-year career. Performed by longtime collaborators and acclaimed dancers, this concert captures Isaacs’ signature blend of humor, love, and artistic excellence. Stay after the performance to meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.
Oct 18th – Oct 19th, 2025
SDDT Light Box Theater
San Diego, CA

ARTwear
2025-10-18 08:00 - 2026-01-31 17:00
ARTwear is an exhibition of innovative original artwork designed to be worn on the body, created from fiber and textile materials, and constructed using fiber and textile techniques. The print exhibition that appeared in the fall 2024 issue of Fiber Art Now was juried by the Fiber Art Now creative team. Jurors included Lori Butanis (Creative Director), Barbara Delaney (Editor), Beth Smith (Managing Editor and Exhibitions Director), Cami Smith (Media Manager and Community Engagement).

Visions Museum of Textile Art2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100San Diego, CA 92106

BOOgie Night
2025-10-18 19:00 - 21:00
Negative Space Dance Collective invites you to their debut show BOOgie Night, an improvised contemporary dance performance premiering on October 18, 2025 at 7:00pm. This spooky performance will be an interactive show that invites the audience to step into the creative process, influencing the direction of the performance in real time. Though fully improvised, the evening will unfold through dynamic movement scores, interactive audience prompts, and a host of unexpected, Halloween-inspired twists.
New Village Art
2787 State Street
Carlsbad, CA 92008
October 18, 2025 at 7:00pm

Culinary Cinema: The Chef & the Daruma
2025-10-19 09:30 - 13:30
A visionary chef struggles to balance authenticity and acceptance as he crafts dishes for a Western audience, guided by the mystical spirit of Daruma, a legendary monk from Japanese folklore. Experience this flavorful fusion of culture and identity at the San Diego International Film Festival’s Culinary Cinema on Sunday, October 19. Enjoy breakfast bites, a film screening at AMC, and an indulgent post-screening feast by top San Diego chefs—hosted by CBS8’s Shawn Styles.
Sunday, October 19, 2025
Tasting #1
9:30–10:30 AM Pre-Reception at Capital One Café
10:30 AM Culinary Cinema Screening
Followed by chef tastings, cocktails, and desserts
Tasting #2
10:30–11:30 AM Pre-Reception at Capital One Café
11:30 AM Culinary Cinema Screening
Followed by chef tastings, cocktails, and desserts

Interpretations 2025: Global Celebration of Contemporary Textile Art
2025-10-22 - 2026-01-31
Experience Interpretations 2025 at the Visions Museum of Textile Art—an international juried exhibition celebrating the innovation and artistry of contemporary textile work. This biennial showcase highlights the evolution of quilting and fiber arts, featuring hand-stitched quilts, sculptural fiber works, and mixed-media installations that tell stories of connection, craft, and culture. Located in Liberty Station, admission is free with a suggested donation.
See the preview HERE.
On view through January 31, 2026
Visions Museum of Textile Art
2825 Dewey Road, Suite 100
San Diego, CA 92106

Ghost Light Masquerade
2025-10-23 - 2025-10-30
Ghost Light Masquerade is San Diego’s ultimate Halloween performance experience — where the boundary between theatre and the supernatural is nothing more than a curtain. Step Into the Legend. When the theatre goes dark, a single lamp remains: the ghost light. Practical tradition says it wards off accidents. Old superstition says it keeps spirits away. But what if it doesn’t keep them out? What if it beckons them in? For a limited time each October, The Nocturne Theatre descends and conjures an immersive, otherworldly masquerade where superstition walks, legends breathe, and Spirits dance. Ghost Light Masquerade unravels a spectral theatre that exists only for those who dare to enter.

October 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 28 / 29 / 30

The Soap Factory
2995 Commercial St
San Diego, CA 92113

The Poetry Brothel San Diego: Spellbound
2025-10-23 19:00 - 23:00
“A spark of seduction, a kiss of old toad, a journey down an untravelled road…” Conjure a realm of enchantment where words slip off page’s edge—spellcasting your fantasies to dance alive before your very eyes within this immersive theater show set in an illustrious bordello.
Enter The Poetry Brothel. A glamorous cabaret featuring the most thought-provoking, thrill-arousing poets accompanied by burlesque dancers, variety acts, mystics, and a live jazz band. Plus, there are opportunities to choose your own adventure, have unique and intimate encounters, and connect with dazzling artists along the way.
The allure of these sultry specters creates a magic so enticing, our poets possess powers to undress your mind and plunge into your innermost desires—leaving you Spellbound.
Madness and genius dance a lover’s tango here, so cast off your sense of reality and revel in life’s most mesmerizing mysteries with us. Fear not if these gifts of sorcery and bewitching fate arouse your spirits. Be you a mystic, occultist, or mere mortal—step behind the veil for a thrilling exploration of the unseen side of this wild world.
Adorn yourself in your witchiest, wyrdest, and most wonderful halloween mystical attire to truly become a player in this sultry affair.
October 23, 2025
7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
4612 Park Blvd
4612 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92116

San Diego Ballet: Landscapes Art of the Americas
2025-10-24 - 2025-10-26
The San Diego Ballet is in residence with the Museum this season offering a dynamic celebration of art, music, and dance as part of the Museum’s 100th anniversary in February 2026. San Diego Ballet’s residency begins with a program honoring SDMA’s ongoing Art of the Americas exhibition. The performance features Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, reimagined by Velasco, along with Three Latin American Sketches. Ballet attendees can enjoy free admission to The San Diego Museum of Art the day of each performance. Show your ticket to the SDMA Admissions team for Museum entry.

Friday, October 24, 7:00p.m.
Saturday, October 25, 8:00p.m.
Sunday, October 26, 2:00p.m.
San Diego Museum of Art, James S. Copley Auditorium

SEED
2025-10-25 - 2025-11-02
Experience the vibrant pulse of San Diego’s dance community with SEED, the latest production from Malashock Dance. This year’s program features bold new works by four San Diego-based choreographers, alongside a powerful piece by Artistic Director Christopher K. Morgan. Brought to life by Malashock’s acclaimed professional company, SEED is a celebration of powerful movement, fresh perspectives, and the unstoppable energy of San Diego’s dance scene. Don’t miss this performance experience — where the future of dance takes root.
October 25 – November 2, 2025
Malashock Dance Black Box Theater
2650 Truxtun Road Ste 200
San Diego, CA 92106

Future Rituals
2025-10-25 08:00 - 2026-03-22 17:00
Future Rituals is an exhibition that invites us to imagine a time when insects, birds and all animals are precious to humanity. These works serve as rituals of appreciation and spiritual connection with the system of life and energies that surround us. Not so long ago, ancient civilizations would venerate animals and the forces of nature, living a life more in balance with the ecosystem. Combining ancestral knowledge and artmaking techniques such as ceramics and drawing, along with contemporary media such as digital audio or digital photography, Future Rituals asks the viewer to take step back, slow down, and listen to the insects, the birds, and the spirit.

Oceanside Museum of Art704 Pier View WayOceanside, CA 92054

Spooky Shakespeare
2025-10-25 13:00 - 16:30
Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble. Celebrate Halloween with the San Diego Shakespeare Society as actors present spine-chilling performances that connect to works of art from across the Museum’s collection. Enjoy scenes from Richard III, Hamlet, Titus Andronicus, Romeo and Juliet, and Macbeth. Co-directors: John Tessmer and Patricia Elmore Costa.
October 25, 2025
Performances at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m
Museum of Photographic Arts
at The San Diego Museum of Art
1649 El Prado
San Diego, CA 92101

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 50th Anniversary Spectacular Tour
2025-10-25 20:00 - 22:00
Join the original Columbia—Nell Campbell—for an unforgettable night celebrating five decades of cult-classic greatness! This special event features a screening of the original, unedited film with a live shadow cast by the Happy to Be Here Club, a costume contest, and interactive audience participation throughout the night. Every ticket includes a complimentary prop bag to get you in on the action.
Please note: Outside props like toast, rice, and water guns are not permitted inside the Balboa Theatre. The film is rated R; guests under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. Costumes encouraged—let’s do the time warp again!
Sat, October 25 @ 8:00 PM
Balboa Theatre
868 Fourth Ave @ E Street
San Diego, CA 92101

Working Girl
2025-10-28 08:00 - 2025-12-14 17:00
Tess McGill is a Staten Island secretary with big dreams and even bigger ideas, but when her scheming boss Katharine Parker steals one, Tess decides to take matters into her own hands. With Katharine unexpectedly out of town, Tess seizes the chance to prove herself, making a bold business move that could change her life forever. With some help from her savvy friends and a charming businessman, she’s got one shot to pull it off – before the boss returns!
This sharp and hilarious adaptation of the iconic 1988 film features an exhilarating original score by the legendary Cyndi Lauper, a smart, fresh book from award-winning playwright Theresa Rebeck, and direction by our own Tony Award-winning Christopher Ashley.
Working Girl is just as much about the power of friendship as it is about chasing ambition and success. Don’t miss it.
Oct 28 – Dec 14
Mandell Weiss Theatre
2910 Theatre District Dr
La Jolla, CA 92093

San Diego Halloween Film Fest
2025-10-31 19:00 - 23:00
Gather your fellow ghouls, ghosts, and indie film fanatics for a spine-chilling night of cinematic delights! The San Diego Halloween Film Fest is back for YEAR TWO and we’re bigger, bolder, and more wicked than ever. Dress to impress in your most frightfully fabulous costume because this isn’t just any screening, it’s a full-on Halloween experience with indie films, a costume party, killer food and drinks, and surprise performances that’ll keep you howling all night long.
Join us Friday, October 31 at Cinema Under the Stars and be part of San Diego’s ultimate Halloween haunt!

Coronado Island Film Festival
2025-11-05 - 2025-11-09
Celebrate a decade of cinematic excellence at the 10th Annual Coronado Island Film Festival, November 5–9, 2025. Featuring over 130 films—including narrative features, documentaries, shorts, and Oscar contenders—the festival promises an unforgettable five days of storytelling. Highlights include the Leonard Maltin Industry Tribute Gala at Hotel del Coronado, the Culinary Cinema series, ShortsFest Exhibition, exclusive industry panels, and special screenings like Dead Man’s Wire, Sentimental Value, and The Secret Agent.
Nov. 5-9, 2025
