Aberdeen Capitol Theater

A unique statewide event for filmmakers and film lovers to gather, mingle and watch pretty cool movies.

The South Dakota Film Festival began in 2007 to provide acknowledge films made by filmmakers from the Great Plains region (SD, MN, ND, IA, WY, MT, and NE) or films shot in the Great Plains region.

However, regional considerations are only one of many factors considered in the final draw of films chosen for the “South Dakota Film Festival”.

While we are trying to emphasize films from the Great Plains, that is not the primary focus. The goal of the “South Dakota Film Festival” is to screen the “best” films submitted regardless of their geographic origin.

The screening weekend of the South Dakota Film Festival runs the third weekend in September. Most films are shown in the Historic Capitol Theatre in downtown Aberdeen, SD.

The SDFF was formed by group of passionate film buffs who continue to direct the efforts of the event. Tom Black serves as the main event organizer, Troy McQuillen handles PR and marketing, Jeremy Smith and Brent Brandt coordinate meetings, organize submissions, and assists in countless tasks. All handle some aspect of fund raising. Whitley Zephier (not shown) has also been providing invaluable logistic services for celebrities and events.

Monumental great faces; festival coordinators are Brent Brandt, Troy McQuillen, Jeremy Smith, and Tom Black.