Newport Beach Film Festival

What It Is

The Newport Beach Film Festival is an eight-day international film festival running October 15 through 22, 2026, in its 27th year. The festival presents feature films, documentaries, and shorts across multiple Newport Beach venues, plus opening and closing night galas, filmmaker Q&As, spotlight programs, cultural gatherings, and industry events.

Why Go

The Newport Beach Film Festival is one of Southern California's more polished mid-size festivals with a genuine international slate and a strong local hospitality footprint. Programming leans on emerging voices alongside prestige premieres. The venue collection across Newport Beach lets attendees pair screenings with restaurant blocks and hotel bases, which most festivals cannot deliver as cleanly.

What to Know Before You Go

Dates: October 15 through 22, 2026. Venues: Multiple Newport Beach locations. Confirm the current program and screening addresses on the official Newport Beach Film Festival site. Tickets: Individual screenings, six-packs, opening and closing night galas, and full-festival passes typically available. Pricing varies by tier. Confirm on the official festival site before purchasing. Parking: Newport Beach venue parking is a mix of validated lots and street. Add buffer time on gala nights.

The Honest Take

The festival draws a genuinely engaged audience. Opening and closing night galas sell fast and are the harder tickets to secure. For readers who want the festival experience without gala pricing, the mid-week feature blocks and shorts programs are the value plays and often see the most creative filmmakers present for Q&A. Buy screenings in blocks around a single venue to minimize driving.