Founded in 1999, the Newport Beach Film Festival has emerged as the largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California, attracting over 56,000 attendees to Orange County, CA.
The Community Outreach Program was created with the idea that film offers new perspectives and possibilities for a changing world. Each year, the Festival partners with over 40 non-profit organizations and pairs each philanthropic organization with a film that aligns with their mission. The Festival gives non-profit organizations a forum to voice their message to large audiences and spread awareness of their organization and mission through the medium of film. Areas of focus include the arts, health and human services, the environment, education, children’s causes, seniors’ and veterans’ programs, and alumni clubs.
1999
Newport Beach Film Festival founded
2001
NBFF honors Robert Wise with Lifetime Achievement Award
2002
NBFF honors composer Elmer Bernstein
2005
NBFF opens Festival with North American Premiere of ‘Crash’
NBFF hosts Jim Henson Retrospective
‘Cinema Orange’ film series launched with Orange County Museum of Art
‘Action Sports Film Series’ created
2006
Will Ferrell hosts ‘Youth Film Showcase’ as honorary chair at its launch
2007
NBFF presents ‘An Evening of Disney Animation Rarities with Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn’
NBFF hosts ‘Ten Decades of ‘The Duke’: The Official John Wayne Centennial Celebration’
2008
NBFF hosts ‘An Evening with Richard Sherman’
NBFF presents Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Animation
2009
NBFF celebrates 10th Anniversary Cirque Du Soleil performance at Opening Night
McG named Honorary Chair
NBFF launches ‘Cinema Sage Hill’ free community film series at The Studio at Sage Hill
NBFF hosts Nickelodeon Spongebob Squarepants 10th Anniversary Celebration
2010
‘Art, Architecture + Design Film Series’ launched
2011
NBFF presents free screenwriting panel with Aaron Sorkin
2013
Richard Sherman Disney Rarities
2014
Variety Hosts their first “10 Cinematographers to Watch” at the 15th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival
2015
NBFF and Visit Newport Beach Launches the NBFF UK Honours Program and Honors the Cast of “Imitation Game,” including Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley
2016
NBFF Launches our Annual Honors program with Honorees Rita Moreno, Burt Bacharach, Kate Beckinsale, and legendary screenwriter Linda Woolverton in attendance
2018
NBFF ‘Culinary Film Series’ launched
NBFF and Visit Newport Beach host Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch
2019
NBFF Celebrates its 20th anniversary, reaching 58,000 attendees