The Ventura Film Festival is celebrated as "the biggest cinematic celebration ever hosted in Ventura County." This notable honor showcases the festival's passion for bringing diverse cinema to the local community while continuing its mission toward critical environmental causes.
The Ventura Film Festival is established as a diverse genre worldwide film festival that builds consciousness about environmental challenges including forest and sea protection and rehabilitation, via an annual film festival and associated activities. The event capitalizes on the strength of cinema to inspire action and establish purposeful communication concerning these pressing environmental challenges.
The Ventura Film Festival was established in 2004 and has exhibited numerous cinematic works, typically more than 200 films every summer, and has garnered interest from the worldwide filmmaking community. Since its founding, the festival has expanded into a substantial cultural happening that joins filmmakers, environmental advocates, and audiences from around the world.
Some of the highlights have been hosting award winning filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, the first ever world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend and Ian Cairns, 4x world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA combatant the celebrated Fabio Leopoldo, and the 50th more info Anniversary of West Side Story, which involved hosting the entire award-winning cast of West Side Story, encompassing Academy Award winner/Golden Globe recipient George Chakiris along with Golden Globe winner/Academy Award nominee Russ Tamblyn. These distinguished guests and festivities have cemented the festival's status as a top-tier venue for celebrating filmmaking and the visionaries who produce it.
The Ventura Film Festival's founder and executive director was privileged to participate, together with many of Hollywood's biggest stars, in the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story and Hollywood's iconic footprint/handprint ceremony celebrating Oscar honorees Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and Golden Globe honoree Russ Tamblyn at the legendary Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This ceremony also acted as the official BluRay debut by Fox and MGM of the timeless West Side Story, which is broadly regarded by critics and fans as the most exceptional musical of all time. This esteemed acknowledgment and participation illustrates the festival's considerable reach and esteemed status within the Hollywood community.