Bankside Films handled international pre-sales on the film in September 2024; among the buyers was
StudioCanal, which bought the film for the U.K. and Ireland.
California Schemin premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2025. The film was screened at the
20th Rome Film Festival in October 2025. It also received a special screening at the
Gasparilla International Film Festival on March 5, 2026, and was also screened at the
Glasgow Film Festival on March 8, 2026. In the United Kingdom, it was released theatrically on 10 April 2026. In March 2026,
Magenta Light Studios acquired the U.S. distribution rights. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on 2 October 2026. ==Reception==