California is the undisputed capital of the American film industry and the most active state for advance movie screenings. Home to Hollywood, the state's screening scene stretches from Los Angeles and San Francisco down to San Diego, with studio-backed events available nearly every week of the year. California's unique advantage is its proximity to the studios themselves. Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount, and dozens of independent production companies are all based here, and many use California cities as their first testing ground for unreleased films.
Los Angeles dominates the state's screening volume, but San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento all see regular advance events. Studios distribute free passes through platforms like Gofobo and Advance Screenings, and research firms recruit California audiences for confidential test screenings months before release. The state's film festival circuit adds hundreds of additional screening opportunities, from Sundance overflow events in LA to SFFILM in San Francisco and the San Diego International Film Festival.
California hosts more advance movie screenings than any other state. During peak season, LA alone averages 30-50 screenings per month.
Los Angeles
61 events · 15 free · 32 concerts
Hollywood
21 events · 4 concerts
San Francisco
12 events · 2 free · 3 concerts
San Diego
9 events · 8 concerts
Burbank
5 events · 6 free
San Jose
6 events · 6 concerts
Sacramento
3 events · 1 free · 3 concerts
Bear Valley
4 events · 4 concerts
Fresno
4 events · 1 concert
Glendale
2 events
Costa Mesa
3 events · 3 concerts
Irvine
3 events · 3 concerts
Universal City
2 events · 2 free
Anaheim
1 event
Stockton
1 event · 1 concert
Walnut Creek
1 event · 1 concert
Santa Monica
1 event · 1 concert
Long Beach
1 event · 1 concert
Bakersfield
1 event · 1 concert
Beverly Hills
1 event · 1 concert
Modesto
1 event · 1 concert
Santa Cruz
1 event · 1 concert
Oakland
1 event · 1 concert
Napa
1 event · 1 concert
Turlock
1 event · 1 concert
Cerritos
1 event · 1 concert
Los Altos
1 event
Culver City
1 event
Merced
1 event
Santa Clara
1 event
Mountain View
1 event
SeeItEarly aggregates free advance screening passes from 20+ sources across 31 cities in California. Browse the city listings below, click "Get Passes," and follow the instructions on the source site. Most passes are first-come, first-served.
The most active cities are Los Angeles (156 events), Hollywood (21 events), San Francisco (12 events). New events are added daily as studios announce screenings.
Yes, most advance screenings are completely free. Studios use them to generate buzz and gather audience feedback before a movie's official release. Some premium events or film festival screenings may charge admission, which we clearly label.