The Napa Valley Film Festival showcases an outstanding presentation of independent filmmaking, while also building a strong sense of community around the art of visual storytelling. Film screenings and networking events are accompanied by the world-class food and wine of stunning Napa Valley, fueling lively conversations among artists and audiences. This annual festival is put on each year by Cinema Napa Valley, a 501c3 non-profit organization which holds year-round events to enrich the local community and educate the aspiring filmmakers of tomorrow.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The 10th Annual Napa Valley Film Festival will take place November 10-14, 2021. NVFF features a variety of unique screening venues clustered throughout the Napa Valley. In addition to our standout Industry Mixer and fabulous Festival Gala, food and wine events are dispersed throughout the festival, ranging from afternoon wine-tasting receptions and culinary demonstrations to winemaker dinners and an array of parties. The festival boasts up to 90 new independent films, accompanied by sneak peeks of studio releases. NVFF strives to seamlessly fuse the craftsmanship of food and wine with the world of cinematic arts.
FILM PROGRAM
Visiting filmmakers have the opportunity to present their films multiple times and in different locations in order to experience the unique character and variety of the Napa Valley. This also permits our film-loving audiences to enjoy as many screenings as possible between sampling the wonderful food and wine available throughout the Napa Valley Film Festival.
NVFF welcomes films of various genres and lengths. Programmers are looking for generally uplifting films that entertain, inspire, enlighten, and captivate audiences. NVFF also features an edgier selection of films in Verge and a category for culinary-focused films as well. The categories your film may be considered for are detailed in the next section.
NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY FEATURES COMPETITION
The directors of the Narrative and Documentary Feature films within NVFF's core competitions are also invited to partake in a unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. These filmmakers will attend a multitude of intimate networking events as well as a workshop and panel series. Meadowood also sponsors twin $10,000 cash prizes awarded by the Jury for Best Narrative and Best Documentary Feature. Films in these programs must be feature length North American productions and Northern California premieres. These films are also up for both Juried & Audience Awards. Directors of films in the core competitions must be able to commit to attending the full festival.
CULINARY CINEMA
As a nod to our local food and wine culture, we feature a full film program of both shorts and features which is dedicated to the cinematic interpretation and portrayal of the culinary arts and the greater encompassing food and beverage industries. Films in this category are often involved in curated live culinary demonstrations, promoting their films and film subjects. Eligible for Audience Awards.
VERGE
The Verge category consists of an eclectic assortment of feature length films. Programmers seek bold, boundary-pushing, and innovative films to fulfill this section of the NVFF program. Films in this category come from all over the world and are up for Juried and Audience Awards.
NARRATIVE & DOCUMENTARY SHORTS COMPETITION
Short films in these categories may be domestic or international productions and are up for both Juried & Audience Awards.
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
This category features international and domestic films portraying a wide variety of niche interest films that revolve around topics such as art, music, culture, or food. The program topics change yearly. Films in this category may be feature length or short films and are up for Audience Awards ONLY.
LIST OF PAST AWARDS
JURIED AWARDS
Best U.S. Narrative Feature
Best U.S. Documentary Feature
Special Juried Award - Acting Recognition in the Narrative Feature Category
Best Screenplay
Best Documentary Short Film
Best Narrative Short Film
Best Verge Film
Special Juried Award - Acting Recognition in the Verge Category
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Favorite Narrative Feature
Favorite Documentary Feature
Favorite Verge Film
Favorite Special Presentation
Favorite Culinary Cinema Film
Favorite Documentary Short Film
Favorite Narrative Short Film
SPECIAL AWARDS
Founders Award