10th Annual Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival

the biggest, little FILM festival you’ve never heard about:  

10th ANNUAL OJAI-VENTURA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

TO BE HELD NOV. 5 – 8, 2009

Newly-Expanded Film Festival Celebrates 10 Years of ‘Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film’ with a Celebrity Golf Classic, World Premieres, Nonstop Indie and Classic Film Screenings and More

WHAT

The Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival celebrates two milestones this year: its 10th anniversary and joining forces with the City of Ventura to bring its selection of world class feature, short, animated and documentary films to an even broader audience. Known for its welcoming, familial spirit and dedication to showcasing compelling stories from budding and established filmmakers, the Festival is located just 70 miles from Hollywood’s doorstep and has evolved into a top regional destination festival over the past ten years. Screened in locations throughout Ojai and Ventura, including the legendary Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, the Festival’s past films include many that have subsequently received widespread distribution, honors and awards, including Academy Awards. Also, each year the Festival bestows Lifetime Achievement Awards on industry icons and a Limelight Award on the best film submitted by a student filmmaker. Past lifetime achievement honorees have included Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451), Richard Donner (Lethal Weapon franchise, The Omen), Lauren Shuler Donner (St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty in Pink, Dave) and Laszlo Kovacs (Ghostbusters).

WHY

Hailed as “the next Telluride” by producer Peter Guber (Rain Man, The Color Purple) at 2007’s Toronto Film Festival, for four days, visitors from around the world descend on Ojai for a taste of quaint California town life, premieres, nonstop screenings of indie and classic films, filmmaking seminars, and opportunities to interact face-to-face with filmmakers and celebrities.

WHEN

November 5 – 8, 2009

Schedule of events (exact times TBD)

• Thursday, November 5:  2nd Annual Celebrity Golf Classic, hosted by Malcolm McDowell; casino night opening party; free opening night film screening
• Friday, November 6:  Film screenings; special event (TBD)
• Saturday, November 7:  Film screenings; special premieres; Lifetime Achievement Awards presentation
• Sunday, November 8:  Film screenings; wrap party

WHERE

Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
905 Country Club Rd
Ojai, CA 93023
www.ojairesort.com

Additional screenings held throughout Ojai and Ventura will be announced prior to the Festival

HOW

Tickets to individual screenings are $10, or $7 for students with a valid student I.D. Money-saving packages such as the Four-Pack ($35), Six-Pack ($50), Film Screening Passes($100) and VIP Passes ($300 and up) are also available. Call (805) 640-1947 or visit www.ojai-venturafilmfestival.com to purchase tickets or for more information.

About the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival

Established in 1999 as the Ojai Film Festival, the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting and 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 picturesque cities of Ojai and Ventura, Calif. Awarded for its short-film content by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts of Los Angeles (BAFTA/LA), many of the  Festival’s films have subsequently received widespread distribution, honors and awards, including Academy Awards. The Festival is overseen by a passionate board of community leaders, film industry veterans and members of the greater business community. The Festival also boasts a litany of high-profile advisory board members including Ellen DeGeneres, Colin Farrell, Robert Friedman, Matthew Perry, Peter Strauss, Sally Kellerman, Malcolm McDowell and Diane Ladd.

For more information about the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival, please visit www.ojai-venturafilmfestival.com or call (805) 640-1947.

About Ojai

Nestled in northern Ventura County, a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles and a 40-minute drive from Santa Barbara, the City of Ojai has long been known as a haven for artists, musicians and health enthusiasts.  Locals consider Ojai the “Shangri La” of Southern California.  Its natural beauty and quietude offer a charming departure from the two major cities just a short drive away.

Filled with unique shops, art galleries, museums, exceptional restaurants and a host of recreational activities, Ojai is the ultimate Southern California destination for retreat. Spring is the season to catch Ojai’s unique weather phenomenon: the “pink moment”, which is when a bluff of cloud cover above town turns pink at sunset. Summer brings Ojai’s wildly popular Ojai Wine Festival (www.ojaiwinefestival.com) and Ojai Music Festival (www.ojaifestival.org), held in the Libbey Bowl amphitheater in Libbey Park. Fall is home to the Ojai-Ventura International Film Festival and Ojai Day, a free festival to honor the city featuring artists, service groups, food booths, vendors, multiple stages of live music and much more. For more information, www.ojaichamber.org.

About Ventura

Just 27 miles south of Santa Barbara and 60 miles north of Los Angeles, the coastal city of Ventura is the gateway to Channel Islands National Park; home to a thriving arts district; and shelter to one of California’s last “working” harbors. The centerpiece is Ventura’s revitalized downtown that reflects the charm of another era and the bustle of new boutiques, wine bars, restaurants, inns, galleries and stage theaters. For more information, visit www.ventura-usa.com.

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