The Ojai Film Festival returns November 3-20, 2022 for its 23rd year with both in-person and virtual events, celebrating the works of filmmakers from around the world. The official festival schedule includes 84 selected films (varying from features, shorts, documentaries, and animated films), over a dozen seminars, panels, and receptions with filmmakers, live music from local artists, and the Awards Brunch.
For the second year in a row, the festival will run in hybrid form, screening all films in person from November 4-7 at the Ojai Art Center, and virtually from November 8-20 via the Eventive.org festival hosting platform, doubling last year's length of virtually available stream times.
This year's festival features an expanded selection of conversations with filmmakers and creatives that delve deeper into the world of film, production and post-production, from the Emmy-nominated director and producer team, Michael Milano and Noémie Dumont (137 Shots, Ojai Burning) to VFX Specialist, Bill Mather (Star Trek: Generations, Men in Black and Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope), and more. This year's World Music in Film seminar, designed to raise awareness of the many world cultures that are presented to us through a variety of mediums, will focus on the music in film tracks.
Two Lifetime Achievement Awards, now known as Distinguished Artist Awards, will be presented to audio engineer Paul Massey (Moonage Daydream, Deadpool, 007: No Time to Die) and actress Jacqueline Bisset (Loren and Rose, La Ceremonie, The Deep). For the second year in a row, there will also be two dynamic Diversity in Film panels, and a special Diversity Film Award, sponsored by Panavision. All awards and trophies will be presented at the Awards Brunch on Sunday, November 6, to which all are invited.
“We are very excited about our hybrid festival schedule this year, including 84 wonderful films from around the world, and a full slate of interactive panels and workshops, followed by 13 days of On Demand streaming availability of this year’s films and recorded events,” shares Ojai Film Festival Director, Richard Sven Shelgren. “Something for everyone!”
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Still from Mano de Obra, screening as part of the festival’s Gold Coast block.
Still from Narrative Feature film The Apple Day.
Still from Narrative Short Eger, 1552.
Still from Narrative Short Nights and Days in America.
Still from Documentary Feature Ricochet.
Still from Documentary Short Beyond Homeless: Finding Hope
Still from Animated film Les Chaussures De Louis.
Fran-Evelyn Ervin, winner of the 2022 Ojai Film Festival Screenplay Competition
Travis Greer, winner of the 2022 Bill Paxton Award
Still images from the films screening at Ojai Film Festival can be found here.
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The Ojai Film Festival program consists of the following schedule:
November 4-7 in person, and 8-20 streaming On Demand
Screening 84 films in person at the Ojai Art Center from Nov 4-7, and then from Nov 8-20 streaming virtually via Eventive.org.
November 3rd Opening Night
6:30 PMFree Opening Night screening ofSpirited Away (2001 Japanese animated feature) introduced by Jim Keeshen – Libbey Bowl
Jim Keeshen is an animator, storyman, director, producer, and educator. He started his career by animating on Hanna Barbera series: Capt Caveman, Yogi and Friends, and Super Seven. In 1997 Keeshen was asked by Santa Monica College to start their Entertainment Technology Program by writing the curriculum and hiring teachers for the 2D/3D courses. Keeshen has produced 3 animated awarded shorts: Monkey Love, The Day of the Dead, and Surfer Joe, and is currently producing a series, DANGERWORLD, as well as a short film, INCA MYTHOLOGY, and a feature DAY OF THE DEAD: PONCHO'S AWAKENING.
Friday, November 4
10 AM AC Theater Exit, Pursued by a Bear, Tilework— 15 min, The Apple Day—89 min
10 AM AC GalleryNights and Days in America– 11 min, New Moon – 11 min, Girls of the Sea– 88 min
10 AM AC Raymund Room Matte Painting: Invisible Movie Magic with Bill Mather
Bill Mather is a VFX artist known for his work on notable films like Star Trek: Generations (1994), Men in Black (1997) and the Special Editions of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), among others.
1 PM AC TheaterBad Seeds– 6 min, Mate– 33 min, Gabi: Between Ages 8 and 13– 71 min1 PM AC GalleryDemi’s Panic– 10 min, Foreign Uncle– 20 min, Being Michelle– 80 min
1 PM AC Raymund Room Heroes of Comedy: Creating Unique Characters from Universal Archetypes, with Gunnar Rohrbacher’s Actors Comedy Studio
2:30 PM AC Raymund Room How To Write Great TV & Film Comedy, with Gunnar Rohrbacher’s Actors Comedy Studio
4 PM AC TheaterAbuela Dalad– 10 min, Daughter of the Sea– 19 min, Children of Las Brisas – 82 min
4 PM AC GalleryThe Mask in Our Hands– 13 min, Without Water– 20 min, Ricochet– 76 min
4 PM AC Raymund Room Using YouTube to Establish Your Voice as a Filmmaker with Joel Marshall, Celeste Tauchar
7 PM AC TheaterWei-Lai– 14 min, Hotter Up Close – 14 min, Loren & Rose– 82 min
7 PM AC GalleryOf Wood– 7 min, Belle River – 11 min, 12 Months– 93 min
7 PM AC Raymund Room World Music in Film Panel
9 PM AC Courtyard Opening Reception with live music by Zoe Smith
Saturday, November 5
10 AM AC TheaterThe Owl and the Pussycat– 4 min, When You Leave– 16 min, UNZIPPED: An Autopsy of American Inequality– 90 min
10 AM AC GalleryThe Blame Game– 13 min, Ousmane– 26 min, Jack Has a Plan– 73 min
10 AM AC Raymund Room Art, Activism & the ERA w/ Kamala Lopez, Jyoti Sarda, Kate Connor, Susan Kelejian
1 PM AC TheaterSwimming Through– 15 min, de closin night– 20 min, If you are a Man– 74 min
1 PM AC GalleryEl Carrito– 15 min, Artist Unknown– 30 min, When We Dance– 30 min, Beyond Homeless: Finding Hope– 37 min
1 PM AC Raymund RoomCinematographer’s Seminar w/ Steven Poster, moderated by "American Cinematographer" Magazine Manager & Editor Andrew Fish.
Steven Poster is an American cinematographer and photographer who is the former President of the International Cinematographers Guild best known for films like Donnie Darko (2001), Amityville: The Awakening (2017) and Someone to Watch Over Me (1987).
4 PM AC TheaterSpokespeople– 24 min, Kinderland– 33 min, Breaking Point– 59 min
4 PM AC GalleryEger, 1552– 17 min, The MetallDetektor– 32 min, Do I Need This – 61 min
4 PM AC Raymund Room Matte Painting: Invisible Movie Magic w/ Bill Mather
7 PM AC TheaterPour Games– 4 min, Milk– 5 min, Loren & Rose– 101 min
7 PM AC GalleryBarking Orders– 2 min, Radical Joy– 12 min, Bobcat Moretti– 96 min
7 PM AC Raymund RoomMichael Milano and Noémie Dumont, with HBO’s the making of Burning Ojai: Our Fire Story, with panelists from the film and the Ojai community
9 PM AC Courtyard Festival Party with live music by Christian Greer
Sunday, November 6
10 AM AC Courtyard Brunch, 11 AM Ojai Film Festival Award Presentation
1 PM AC Theater Rough Magic: Exit Shakespeare– 38 min, North Star– 30 min, Dani’s Twins– 39 min
1 PM AC GalleryDress A Cow– 10 min, Powers– 24 min, Belle Vie– 77 min
1 PM AC Raymund Room Diversity Panels featuring panel host and moderator: Rosa Costanza, Chelsea Stardust, Mackenzie Munro, Tamika Lamison and award-winning filmmaker and television director A. Laura James.
4 PM AC TheaterSplit Ends– 14 min, The Ugly Truth– 96 min
4 PM AC GalleryElvis of Laos– 11 min, Manufactured Luck– 15 min, Out and About– 83 min
4 PM AC Raymund RoomWinning Screenplay Table Read Screening
Introducing screenwriter Fran-Evelyn Ervin and a table read of her Pride and Prudence, directed by Frieda de Lackner, a sharp-witted comedy of manners that comes from the Jane Austin cinematic universe.
This winning screenplay will be performed by professional actors and director in a recorded Zoom table read, allowing our festival audience to experience and honor the as-yet-unproduced screenplay.
7 PM AC Theater Glazing – 2 min, Mind Thief– 109 min
7 PM AC GalleryI’m A Pebble– 7 min, Matilda and the Spare Head– 13 min, Beans– 90 min
7 PM AC Raymund Room How to Market Your Film with Colleen O’Mara from PR Agency, Hype
9 PM AC Courtyard Festival Party with live music by SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION
Monday, November 7
10 AM AC Theater Discussion of the making of Netflix’s Emmy-Nominated “137 Shots," with director and producer team Michael Milano and Noémie Dumont
10 AM AC GalleryThe Revolution Generation, with Josh and/or Rebecca Tickell
1 PM AC Theater Gold Coast Block #1:Stairway to the Stars– 25 min, The Octopus – 18 min, Aamal– 86 min
1 PM AC Gallery The Ballad of Gustavo Arellano– 10 min, What Remains Between Us– 15 min, The Adventures of Saul Bellow– 86 min
4 PM AC Theater Gold Coast Block #2:The Little Fox of Limuw– 13 min, Mano De Obra– 21 min, Mariposas del Campo– 86 min
4 PM AC GalleryCosmic Cooking– 3 min, Memento Mori– 9 min, Bella– 98 min
7 PM AC Theater Gold Coast Block #3: Sound of Music Behind the Scenes – 14 mi, I Love Every Part– 3 min, Ms. Rossi 2 : Ms. Rossi Takes The Cake– 18 min, Time Capsule– 88 min
7 PM AC Gallery Les Chaussures de Louis – 5 min, Loose Change: A Memoir of Childhood– 8 min, Night Forest – 96 min
About Ojai Film Festival:
The Ojai Film Festival is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) California corporation dedicated to supporting the art of the motion picture through the presentation of an annual multi-day festival in which films submitted by filmmakers throughout the world are publicly exhibited at several venues in and around the City of Ojai, California.
The Ojai Film Festival fulfills its goal of serving the art of film:
- By providing filmmakers, many of them beginning their careers, with a supportive and enthusiastic audience for their creative efforts and giving them access to film industry professionals who offer guidance and other forms of career assistance.
- By bringing to its audience of both local residents and visitors from all over southern California, a wide array of distinguished motion pictures otherwise inaccessible to them.
Learn more about the festival at: OjaiFilmFestival.com