The Ventura Film Festival stands as "the biggest cinematic celebration ever hosted in Ventura County." This remarkable achievement reflects the festival's commitment to bringing diverse cinema to the local community while continuing its mission toward critical environmental causes.
The Ventura Film Festival is established as a multi-genre global film festival that generates attention toward environmental challenges including forest and sea protection and rehabilitation, via an annual film festival and associated activities. The festival leverages the impact of filmmaking to encourage participation and generate significant discussion regarding these vital environmental matters.
The Ventura Film Festival was founded in 2004 and has exhibited numerous cinematic works, commonly surpassing 200 films each summer, and has drawn recognition from the worldwide filmmaking community. Since its founding, the festival has grown into a significant cultural event that unites filmmakers, environmental advocates, and audiences from around the world.
Some of the highlights have been hosting award winning filmmaker Dylan O'Neil, the original world champion surfers Peter "PT" Townend and Ian Cairns, 4x world champion Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu/MMA combatant the celebrated Fabio Leopoldo, and the 50th Anniversary tribute to West Side Story, which SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL involved hosting the entire award-winning cast of West Side Story, including Academy Award winner/Golden Globe winner George Chakiris along with Golden Globe honoree/Academy Award nominee Russ Tamblyn. These extraordinary guests and events have cemented the festival's status as an elite gathering place for recognizing cinema and the visionaries who produce it.
The Ventura Film Festival creator and executive director was chosen to participate, alongside numerous Hollywood elite, in the 50th Anniversary tribute of West Side Story and Hollywood's iconic footprint/handprint ceremony celebrating Academy Award winners Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and legendary actor Golden Globe honoree Russ Tamblyn at the famous Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This celebration also functioned as the official BluRay debut by Fox and MGM of West Side Story, which is commonly viewed by critics and fans as the ultimate musical of all time. This esteemed acknowledgment and participation exemplifies the festival's considerable reach and esteemed status within the entertainment industry.