The Newport Beach Film Festival(NBFF) is an annual
film festival in
Newport Beach, California, typically held in late April.[2][3] In 2022, it was announced that the festival have permanently changed its date to be held in October, as the festival began positioning itself for Oscar season.[4]
History
Established in 1999 after the failure of an earlier film festival series in the same location,[5][6] the Newport Beach Film Festival features World, North America, U.S. and West Coast premieres as well as International Spotlight Series celebrating foreign language films.[2]
In 2005,
Will Ferrell was the honorary chair of a 'Youth Film Showcase.'[9] In 2013, NBFF announced a new partnership with the Orange County Music Awards; which has produced the launch of the Music Video Showcase in the festival. 2013 was the first year this genre was included in the festival.[2]
In 2014, the festival reported record attendance of about 54,000.[10][11] In 2019, the festival opened with
Luce and the closing night film was A Part of Water.[12]
Beginning in 2014, NBFF began honoring "British Talent" with an award ceremony held just before the BAFTA award ceremonies.[25]
Types of films
The Newport Beach Film Festival is divided into eight competitive sections, in which filmmakers can submit their pieces to. The film categories that are shown in this festival include:[2]
Action Sports Films
AA+D (Art, Architecture and Design Film Series)
Documentaries
Environmental Films
Family Films
Music Films
Short Films
Youth Films
Due to the coastal location of the festival, many of the films are connected to the history of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding. This suggests the Newport Beach Film Festivals audience base is largely dedicated to the Action Sports Cinema category.[3]
^Cohen, Alison (October 13, 1999), "Film Festival Gets Renewed Push; Newport Beach officials vote to resurrect drive after demise of international event. Educational facet is discussed", Los Angeles Times.