Disclosed is an oil film cooled face seal that is comprised of an annular stator having a flat surface in rubbing contact with the flat sealing surface of a rotor. The rotor has a flange portion extending radially from a base portion. The base portion has a plurality of holes extending radially therethrough in fluid communication with a source of cooling oil. One side of the flange portion comprises the flat sealing surface. The opposite side, or backface, has a plurality of external radially spaced apart annular grooves criss-crossing a plurality of external circumferentially spaced apart substantially radial grooves. Each of the radial grooves is aligned with and in fluid communication with a corresponding hole in the base portion, and extends fully across the backface. Upon rotation of the rotor, centrifugal force causes the cooling oil to flow from the cooling oil source, through the hole, through the radial groove wherein aerodynamic force causes a portion of the oil to flow across the backface and into the annular grooves, thereby convectively cooling the rotor.