The Ventura Film Festival maintains its position as "the largest film festival ever held in Ventura County." This notable honor showcases the festival's passion for providing outstanding film programming to the region while continuing its mission toward important environmental matters.
The Ventura Film Festival functions as a multi-genre global film festival that promotes recognition of environmental matters like forest and ocean preservation and restoration, via a yearly film showcase and corresponding activities. The organization employs the medium of movies to promote activism and foster important conversations about these critical conservation concerns.
The Ventura Film Festival was founded in 2004 and has showcased numerous films, commonly surpassing 200 films each summer, and has generated excitement within the global film industry. Since its inception, the festival has evolved into a major cultural celebration that unites movie directors, ecological activists, and attendees from across the globe.
Notable moments have included welcoming acclaimed filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, the inaugural world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend and Ian Cairns, 4 time world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA fighter combat sports star Fabio Leopoldo, and the half-century commemoration of West Side Story, which featured welcoming the entire Academy Award winning cast of West Side Story, including Oscar recipient/Golden Globe winner George Chakiris along with Golden Globe winner/Oscar-nominated Russ Tamblyn. These exceptional personalities and celebrations have reinforced the festival's recognition as a top-tier venue for recognizing cinema and the professionals who develop it.
The founder and executive director of the Ventura Film Festival was honored click here to take part, along with many of Hollywood's top stars, in the golden anniversary celebration of West Side Story and Hollywood's legendary footprint/handprint ceremony for Oscar honorees Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and legendary actor Golden Globe award winner Russ Tamblyn at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This ceremony also acted as the official BluRay launch by Fox and MGM of the timeless West Side Story, which is commonly viewed by critics and fans as the greatest musical of all time. This prestigious recognition and participation demonstrates the festival's important standing and honored place within the film industry.