The Directors Message for the 2006 Festival...

Platinum 20th Anniversary
Napa Sonoma Wine Country
Film Festival

"This festival gets better with age"

San Francisco Chronicle

A Convergence of World Culture through Cinema • Cuisine • Wine • Live Entertainment

A Special Welcome…
… to all of our new or long-time Festival friends, on this our TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY. It is surprising to think that some of our filmmakers in this year’s Festival were not born when we first realized the dream of establishing a celebration of world culture through the 7th art of cinema. Historically our wine country has been one of America’s most international agricultural regions, settled by the Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Hungarian, Swiss to name a few.
We speak often of “terroir” in these parts. It is a term that expresses our feelings about the deep roots that give us our unique attributes, tastes and cultural distinctions. In these times, these distinctions cut both ways; at this Festival we choose to celebrate our differences rather than fear them. Cinema, and the other arts (especially the culinary arts and music) awaken us to cultural diversity and lead us to a richer and deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
This year the celebration reaches new heights as we unveil cultures through the eyes and works of Iranian and Iberian filmmakers; Chinese and Chilean, English and Egyptian, Italian and Irish, Israeli and Iraqi, Australian and Afghan, Cuban and Czech, Macedonian and Mexican, German and Guatemalan, Canadian and Catalan, Bosnian, Sri Lankan and Singaporean, French, Russian, Hungarian, Argentine, Japanese and Nepalese, Polish and Turkish.
What a Feast for our hearts and minds!
And the taste of culture extends to the table as well! In the tradition of our Festival we will compliment international cinema with international cuisine. Don’t be surprised to find some of our visiting filmmakers sharing their favorite traditional recipes. We are planning a Balkan Barbeque, an Argentine Asada and a Nepalese night with cooking demonstrations.

A SALUTE TO RHOMBUS MEDIA
DEFINING THE “ARTS IN FILM”
From the beginning we have sought out films that lead us to a deeper appreciation of the arts through the medium of cinema. This year we salute the film company that better than any defines our series “The Arts In Film.” Rhombus Media’s Barbara Willis Sweete, Niv Fichman and Larry Weinstein have been making beautiful, insightful and original films for a quarter of a century. You will see a collection of their very best ranging from the new feature length FIVE DAYS IN SEPTEMBER by Barbara Willis Sweete to revelatory unraveling of the mystery of Beethoven’s tortured life and death by tracing a lock of his hair! FIVE DAYS shows how the charismatic Maestro Peter Oundjiian inspires the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, stirring them to new life with help of his friends, soloists Emanuel Ax, Renee Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma. Look out for them scattered throughout the Festival indicated by a blue “RM” in the programs.
Our Opening week in Napa at Frazier Winery and Cave and Copia will be attended by Reza Badiyi, an Iranian director who has been making films in the US for decades, with his new feature THE WAY BACK HOME staring Julie Harris, Ruby Dee and Michael Houston King.
Dr. Amir Har-Gil of Netanya Academic College is coming from Israel to present his touching film THE ART OF LIVING (Sun. Frazier Cave). Expected also from Israel is Gil Karni who shot his TROUBLED WATER over a 15 year period of time, artfully documenting the rise and fall of a Jewish settlement on the Gaza coast where Jews and Palestinians worked, ate and played together…until…
Visiting guests from Beijing, China include writer/screenwriter/producer Ning Dai and the young Ning Yuanyuan with their film LITTLE RED FLOWERS, a charmer for all ages.
Screenwriting Master Class… Stephen Rivele an expert in biographical screenplays with the SECRET SCREENING of his latest work under the stars. Don’t miss out on Rhombus Media’s BEETHOVEN’S HAIR, a perfect choice to cap the Closing Sunday of the first week of our four week festival.
Come see us every week
through August 20th!

(PART TWO BELOW)

Imagine yourself in California's world famous vacation spot! Napa and Sonoma Valleys, where locals and visitors alike converge during wine country's oldest and biggest celebration of world cinema, just 45 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

You are sitting under the stars in an open air theater venue, sipping good wine, savoring seasonal cuisine, and socializing with new and old friends.

Dozens of festivities range from open air film screenings to educational

symposia, informal receptions with guest celebrities to over a dozen cooking

demos, live entertainment, barrel tastings and fun for all ages.

What sets us apart from the zillion other film festivals worldwide is our distinctive approach to film programming, committed celebrity guests and friendly

leisurely pace. You can have plenty of time to enjoy wine country's amenities.

Internationally known for our spectacular "Films al Fresco™" open air film screenings, there are several celestial film nights planned for our 20th Anniversary.

A Festival-within-a-Festival, each long weekend or week offers a program of timely and fascinating films which evolve organically from the programming process.

 A host of special events, tributes & symposia are in the works.

"Films al Fresco™" - Celestial Film Nights

Get ready for an unbelievable experience. Typically festival goers arrive around 6pm to catch a flick in the winery's indoor theater or to participate in a food sampling following a cooking demonstration. There might even be a special barrel tasting! Most nights there is live entertainment before the feature film begins.

Nights are cool so bring a jacket. Chairs are provided and low lawn chairs are welcome.

Some nights you might glimpse a celebrity guest mingling informally with festival goers. Past celebrity guests include Gregory Peck, Teri Garr, Vin Diesel, Nicolas Cage, Richard Dreyfuss, George Lucas, Lynn Redgrave and Kirk Douglas to name a few.

Dinner and a Movie

No reservations required! Dining is al fresco.

The festival's popular Ciné Café and Wine Bar is open nightly from 6:30p.m. - 9p.m. during each celestial film night.

Our menu offers delicious seasonal cuisine, beverages and wine by the glass for sale. The offerings frequently reflect and enhance the International culture represented in the feature film each evening.

(In compliance with California State rules and regulations governing special events, wine by the bottle or case are not available for purchase during film festival hours.)

Please no outside food or drinks.

Film Buffs

Over 100 films from around the world (in addition to our several celestial film nights) screen at special venues throughout Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

The Wine Country Film Festival stands for quality films that engage, inspire and deepen our common humanity. Many of the films are simply unavailable elsewhere. Our tradition of showcasing remarkable international cinema continues, providing a familiar environment which dedicated filmfestgoers find comforting. Our program of features, docs, shorts and animation promises to be the strongest slate ever.

See a little of this, a little of that or zero in on one or more of our

festival's theme programs which include:

• World Cinema

• EcoCinema (eco-friendly films about people and the planet)

• American Independent Films

• Arts in Film

• Music in Film

• Food on Film

• Cinema of Conscience (films about social and political issues) and a few surprise Hollywood premieres!

Groups are Welcome

Bring your business groups for a truly constructive and unique team

experience. Contact Justine Ashton at 707•996.2536 for group rates. She and our team will create a memorable special event for you. Recent participants include Acura, Daimler-Chrysler, Washington Mutual, Volvo, Country Living Magazine, Samsung, Diablo Publications, Wine Country This Week, The Napa Valley Historical Society.

Sponsorship Information

Contact Justine Ashton at 707•996.2536

A Director’s Message - for the Second Section of the 2006 Festival.
Welcome Back…

“REELS ON WHEELS”

The Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival is a known for its “REELS ON WHEELS” projects which include our popular “FILMS AL FRESCO™” screenings in beautiful outdoor vineyard settings. And we have for two decades had the philosophy that a “rural” event like ours could reach out to different communities. Rather than cram everything into one period of a few days, we choose to span over a longer period. This amounts to four Festivals within A Festival. We take the Festival to various communities, one week at a time. Last Week… Napa. Next week… Sonoma town. Two weeks from now… American Canyon, Napa County.

A new project this year, focusing on the area known mostly for its superb wines, CINEMA IN CARNEROS™ takes place at Larson Family Winery, Cline Cellars and Roche Carneros Estate Winery. These venues will become a FESTIVAL VILLAGE for the run of this section of the Festival.
Historically our wine country has been one of America’s most international agricultural regions, settled by immigrants from near and far. Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Hungarian, Swiss to name a few. And this section of the Festival brings the world to our doorsteps through the Seventh Art of Cinema.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!
AND THE CHINESE, PERUVIANS, THE JAPANESE and MORE!
This week we will be visited by some truly extraordinary individuals… filmmakers from near and very far. The near are featured in a show dubbed LOCAL HEROES – Sonoma County Filmmakers, (including NS WCFF Intern Josiah Maselli’s “Lord of the Keys”) at Cline Cellars Saturday, August 5th.
Those coming from afar include JULIA TAYLOR STANLEY who, as a new director, had the gumption to work with Angelica Huston, Lauren Bacall and Terence Stamp on THESE FOOLISH THINGS. It will be preceded by the motorcycle diaries of Evan Somers, a quadriplegic biker whose ride to the Sturges Motorcycle Raley is documented in THE SEEKER. Somers will be riding his bike right up to the ‘theatre’ on August 5th for the before-dark screening in the cool barrel room of Roche Winery.

And from quite far, Beijing, China, come the courageous woman screenwriter Ning Dai and the 9 year old actress of the film LITTLE RED FLOWERS, directed by Zhang Yuan, to debut their film at a gala “Films al Fresco” screening under the stars at Roche Winery on Thursday, August 3rd.

"TERROIR OF CINEMA"

You have heard us speak of “terroir” as a reference to the cultural character of international cinemaIt applies to film as well as wine. Cultural terroir expresses our feelings about the deep roots that give us our unique attributes, tastes and cultural distinctions. In one remarkable film, Sofia, we see how a young girl dreams of becoming a world class athlete in a sport not common to its people– surfing. The film traces her path through international competitions to the World Championship. But it is the effect that her conquest has on the people of Peru that is the real story here. She leads a movement of pride and self-respect that has been subjugated by the recent history of their land. Filmmakers will be attending.
Argentina Day at the Festival this year is truly special. We have fine Tango Dancers who will perform and teach, and the film “Tango – A Strange Turn,” by Mercedes Garcia Guevara followed by Diego Rafecas’ profound and personal feature drama “A Buddha.” With a little luck Diego will join us!
Sunday August 6th – Hiroshima Day – will be memorialized with the remarkable film “Takahashi’s Dream” by Nick Aquilino with Hiroshima survivor Takahashi Tanemori honoring us with his presence. And just in case you think we are so so serious, don’t miss the chance to meet director Rick Stevenson and his cast from “Expiration Date,” a far out American independent offbeat romantic comedy.

The Closing Night of Cinema In Carneros at Roche Winery is remarkable; the North American Premiere of “Serko” from France and Russia. Telling the true story of one of the longest solo horseback rides in recorded history, from Mongolia to St. Petersburg, “Serko” is the winner of the Festival’s Jack LondonLondon Spirit Award.
Stephen Ashton
NS WCFF Founder/Director