Ventura County's Biggest Film Event The Ventura Film Fest

The Ventura Film Festival has earned recognition as "the largest film festival ever held in Ventura County." This impressive distinction demonstrates the event's devotion to bringing diverse cinema to the local community while maintaining its focus on critical environmental causes.

The Ventura Film Festival functions as an unrestricted genre international film festival that builds consciousness about conservation issues such as forest and ocean preservation and restoration, through a yearly film festival and related events. The organization employs the medium of movies to stimulate involvement and foster important conversations about these vital environmental matters.

The Ventura Film Festival originated in 2004 and has presented countless films, commonly surpassing 200 films each summer, and has captured notice from the global film industry. Over the years, the festival has grown into a significant cultural event that joins film artists, environmental champions, and spectators from throughout the world.

Memorable occasions have featured hosting award winning filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, the first ever world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend along with Ian Cairns, quadruple world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA athlete Fabio Leopoldo, and the half-century commemoration of West Side Story, which included hosting the entire award-winning cast of website West Side Story, featuring Oscar winner/Golden Globe winner George Chakiris and Golden Globe winner/Academy Award nominee Russ Tamblyn. These exceptional personalities and celebrations have established the festival's standing as a premier destination for honoring film and the artists who create it.

The founding executive director of the Ventura Film Festival was privileged to participate, together with many of Hollywood's biggest stars, in the 50th Anniversary tribute of West Side Story and Hollywood's prestigious footprint/handprint ceremony honoring Oscar honorees Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, along with Golden Globe recipient Russ Tamblyn at the iconic Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This celebration also functioned as the official BluRay debut by Fox and MGM of West Side Story, which is universally acknowledged by critics and fans as the best musical of all time. This exceptional honor and participation exemplifies the festival's meaningful presence and honored place within the cinema world.