George Sandoval: Finding His Voice Through Film and Theater
George Sandoval, 2023 PS•YPF Winner & Alumni Advisory Board Member
When George Sandoval was selected for the Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival for his play Manage, it marked a turning point.
“After I was selected for PSYPF for my play Manage, it further ignited my passion for the arts,” George shared.
Since the festival, that spark has only grown. George went on to begin college at UC Riverside, where he majors in Business Administration. Even so, his creative path has remained central. Through involvement with UCR’s School of Theater, Film and Digital Production (TFDP), George has worked on numerous student short films, despite not being formally enrolled in the department.
That hands-on experience soon led to a major milestone. George wrote, directed, and produced his first short film, Caloric Fluency, a deeply personal project that sheds light on what living with an eating disorder can look like. The film was submitted to UCR’s Smartphone Film Fest, where it earned Best Performance by a Male Actor and Best Editing.
Following that success, George continued leaning into more personal storytelling. He has since written multiple scripts and launched a YouTube channel as a creative outlet. There, George shared Caloric Fluency along with a film review of Frankenstein, directed by Guillermo del Toro, using the platform as a space to explore ideas, film, and self-expression openly.
One of the most meaningful moments came toward the end of 2025, bringing George’s journey full circle. His high school teacher, Mrs. Lopez, who originally encouraged her students to submit work to PSYPF reached out again. Despite George’s earlier doubts about his writing abilities, Mrs. Lopez encouraged him to submit Manage and later commissioned George to write a script for her class.
“The teacher who encouraged me to write is now hiring me to write for her class,” George reflected. Looking back, George credits PSYPF as a crucial step in making a creative future feel possible.
“PSYPF was a stepping stone for my passion in the arts and made a career in this field tangible,” he shared. “I will forever be grateful to Mr. Youse and everyone at PSYPF for their love and support.”
Connect with George
If you’d like to follow George’s journey and creative work, you can connect with him here:
About PSYPF
The Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival (PS•YPF), which promotes and encourages theatrical creative writing for elementary, middle, and high school students throughout Riverside County. PS•YPF is currently accepting submissions for the 9th Annual Palm Springs Young Playwrights Festival. Submissions will be accepted through March 6, 2026, from students enrolled in any school within Riverside County. When the submission window closes, a selection committee will review all entries and choose the most outstanding plays.
PSYPF is funded by Western Wind Foundation, Cherry Lane Alternative, Jason Smith and Tom Valach, Tom Hartnett and Paul Reid, and Dorothy and Mel Lefkowitz. PSYPF is sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education, Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs (Peggy Trott, General Manager), and the Palm Springs Cultural Center (Michael Green, Executive Director).
