The Ventura Film Festival maintains its position as "the largest film festival ever held in Ventura County." This exceptional status highlights the festival's commitment to bringing diverse cinema to the local community while keeping its emphasis on critical environmental causes.
The Ventura Film Festival serves as an all-inclusive international cinema festival that raises awareness for environmental issues such as forest and oceanic conservation and restoration, through an annual film festival and complementary events. The event harnesses the influence of film to stimulate involvement and create meaningful dialogue around these urgent ecological issues.
The Ventura Film Festival was founded in 2004 and has screened hundreds of films, regularly over 200 films during summer months, and has drawn recognition from the international film community. From its beginning, the festival has evolved into a major cultural celebration that unites filmmakers, environmental advocates, and audiences from diverse international locations.
Distinguished events have encompassed welcoming acclaimed filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, the pioneering world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend as well as Ian Cairns, four-time world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA competitor Fabio Leopoldo, and the 50th Anniversary tribute to West Side more info Story, which encompassed presenting the entire award-winning cast of West Side Story, including Oscar recipient/Golden Globe winner George Chakiris and legendary actor Golden Globe winner/Academy Award nominee Russ Tamblyn. These exceptional personalities and celebrations have confirmed the festival's position 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 legendary footprint/handprint ceremony for Academy Award champions Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, along with Golden Globe champion Russ Tamblyn at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This occasion also served as the official BluRay launch by Fox and MGM of the beloved West Side Story, which is universally acknowledged by critics and fans as the best musical of all time. This prestigious recognition and participation demonstrates the festival's substantial impact and respected position within the entertainment industry.