California is boiling with emerging cultural icons in all art forms including film and these are the places to be to see them before they get too big.

Fundraising

This is a very important year to support film festivals because in some cases 100% of the earnings will be directly donated to the fire relief organizations working in the area. For example, the Alexander Valley Film Festival raised a total amount of $66,000 that will be invested with a strong focus on the mid and long-term needs of all involved people. There was also a very beautiful initiative in which volunteers, venue partners, attendees and local businesses showed their big hearts full of hope and made their contribution not only financially, but also with the precious resource of time. Another festival donating to this cause will be the famous Napa Valley Film Festival, giving out a 10% of all Festival pass revenue to the Napa Valley Community Foundation´s Disaster Relief Fund.

Upcoming Film Festivals 2017

Asian World Film Fest, Oct 25 – Nov 2

A slogan for this festival is “Your Window to Asian World Cinema” and it´s dedicated to cut the distances between film lovers on this side of the globe and filmmakers on the other end of it. In the past two editions (2015 and 2016), the festival has screened 38 Oscar submitted films and a nominated one. Also 26 Golden Globe submissions were played through the festival´s screen of which one was nominated. Another great feature for filmmakers is that movies will be played for Hollywood´s most specialized media and the Academy. Don´t miss this opportunity to see the whole spectrum of what is happening in today´s cinema.

Napa Valley Film Festival, Nov. 8-12

This huge festival is presented through its slogan as the “Ultimate Film Food Wine Experience” and it is something to believe in. The entire valley receives a lot of attention from the 300 filmmakers who will be arriving to promote the 100 films and that will be joined by 50 local chefs and over 150 Napa Valley wineries. This five-day event is something not to be missed, the founders, Brenda and Marc Lhormer are film connoisseurs but also immerse from head to toe into the wine scene. Before being the founders of this event, they co-directed the Sonoma Valley Festival and produced Bottle Shock, the iconic movie about Napa Valley´s triumph at the wine-tasting competition in Paris in 1976. All attendees should be ready to live a memorable experience and learn a lot since they are in the hands of experts in all topics concerned in the festival. Going is a definitive must.

American Film Institute Fest, Nov 9-16

Also known as the AFI Fest, it is the annual celebration of international cinema by the American Film Institute. Taking place in Hollywood each fall, it features emerging filmmakers along with modern masters and all-time classics. Among the activities held within the festival, the red-carpet galas and the special screenings are a definite must. The AFI Fest is the only festival in its high status that is free to the public, right from the movies capital of the world. The 2017 edition is the 31^st and it promises to be a huge blast, just like 2016 was, featuring Virtual Reality filmmaking and other innovative ways of making movies. It is very important to bear in mind that the festival has screened many Oscar nominations as well as some wins, making it a great opportunity to catch the scoop and watch that movie before it hits stardom. Don´t miss the chance to go deep into the heart of the most important cinema city in the world.