Three Coastal Orange County Film Festivals to Visit This October and November
Three coastal Orange County film festivals spanning October and November bring 130 feature and short films, live music series, and community events to local venues, drawing on histories ranging from a 1999 launch to a 2023 debut.
Newport Beach Kicks Off 27th Annual Festival Run
The Newport Beach Film Festival opens its 27th annual event on Thursday, Oct. 15, running through Oct. 22. Launching in 1999, the event attracts more than 56,000 attendees annually and stands as the largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California, organizers stated. The program features 100 feature films from around the world, opening with a screening of Frampton,
with musician Peter Frampton and director Rob Arthur expected to attend.
Closing out the week on Oct. 22, the festival screens the documentary feature Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires,
featuring members of the band formed in 2012 by Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry, and Tommy Henriksen. Honorees slated for the event include KJ Apa, Sosie Bacon, Gemma Chan, Jonás Cuarón, Sarah Finn, Mckenna Grace, Justin Hartley, Taraji P. Henson, and Jack O’Connell. Screenings take place at locations including THE LOT at Fashion Island, Regal’s Big Edwards Newport, and Starlight Cinemas.
Running alongside the cinematic lineup, Style Week OC brings runway shows and a premiere of Armani and the Birth of Italian Fashion
on Oct. 18, alongside a Q&A with 9-year-old fashion designer Max Alexander. Nightly parties feature more than 60 culinary partners.
Laguna Beach Combines Surf Culture, Music, and Art
Just down the coast, the Coast Film and Music Festival runs from Oct. 16 through Oct. 25. Created in 2019 by Ben Warner and Enich Harris as a three-day event, the 10-day festival now stages screenings, art installations, and community gatherings across Laguna Beach venues including the Festival of Arts grounds, Forum Theater, Rivian South Coast Theater, Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, Surfing Heritage and Culture Center, Forest Avenue, and the Irvine Bowl.
The program highlights independent adventure, environmental, and surf films. On Saturday, Oct. 17, Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament visits the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center to present Montana Grind,
a documentary he stars in and scores about building skateparks across Montana. The Rivian South Coast Theater hosts a screening of Los Lobos: Native Sons
on Sunday, Oct. 18, followed by a live performance from the 50-year-old East LA band.
Surf culture takes center stage with Emmett Malloy’s SURFILMUSIC,
featuring Jack Johnson; One Perfect Little Right,
featuring John John Florence; and Chris Burkard’s Searching for the SuperCrust: The Lost Tapes.
The Irvine Bowl Amphitheater hosts an expanded three-night Concerts in the Canyon
series featuring Ben Harper, Donavon Frankenreiter, G. Love, and Lily Meola on Oct. 24. A Coast Summit scheduled for Oct. 22 explores the theme Intelligence of Nature,
while the Surfing Heritage and Culture Center hosts the Follow the Light Awards ceremony on Oct. 17.
Dana Point Closes Out Coastal Circuit With Ocean Focus
The youngest of the three events, the Dana Point Film Festival, runs from Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. Started in 2023, the four-day festival showcases approximately 30 films centered on the ocean and environment, with screenings held at the Porthole Theater at Dana Hills High School and events hosted at White Rooster, Killer Dana Surf Shop, and Craft House.
Managing director and founder Lloyd Molander noted in a statement that the festival addresses the area’s relationship with the Pacific. A Meet the Filmmaker night opens the schedule on Oct. 29, followed by the opening night film The OC Effect
on Oct. 30. Curated shorts programs run Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, including a Don’t Be Prey
screening and SURFER’s Hauntolulu
costume party at Killer Dana Surf Shop. The festival concludes with Harbour Chronicles: Shaping the Legacy,
a documentary by Chris Sardelis about Seal Beach surfboard maker Rich Harbour, who established Harbour Surfboards on Main Street in 1962.
Tickets and scheduling details remain available through the official websites for the Newport Beach Film Festival, Coast Film & Music Festival, and Dana Point Film Festival.
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