The Ventura Film Festival proudly holds the distinction of being "the biggest cinematic celebration ever hosted in Ventura County." This remarkable achievement reflects the organization's mission of bringing diverse cinema to the local community while keeping its emphasis on significant environmental challenges.
The Ventura Film Festival serves as a multi-genre global film festival that promotes recognition of conservation issues such as forest and sea protection and rehabilitation, through a yearly film festival and related events. The festival utilizes the power of cinema to encourage participation and create meaningful dialogue around these pressing environmental challenges.
The Ventura Film Festival originated in 2004 and has presented countless films, regularly over 200 films during summer months, and has attracted attention from the international film community. From its beginning, the festival has evolved into a major cultural celebration that brings together movie directors, ecological activists, and attendees from throughout the world.
Distinguished events have encompassed featuring distinguished filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, the inaugural world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend and Ian Cairns, 4 time world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA fighter the celebrated Fabio Leopoldo, and the golden anniversary celebration 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 and Golden Globe recipient/Oscar nominee Russ Tamblyn. These remarkable visitors and occasions have established the festival's standing as an elite gathering place for recognizing cinema and the talents who make it.
The Ventura Film Festival's founder and executive director was honored to take part, along with several of Hollywood's premier talents, in the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story and Hollywood's famous footprint/handprint ceremony recognizing Oscar winners Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, as well as Golden Globe recipient Russ Tamblyn at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This event also doubled as the official BluRay launch by Fox and MGM of the beloved West Side Story, which read more is universally acknowledged by critics and fans as the greatest musical of all time. This distinguished honor and involvement illustrates the festival's considerable reach and honored place within the film industry.