The Newport Beach Film Festival presents international and independent cinema over eight days each October in Newport Beach, on the Orange County coast of Southern California. Founded in 1999 and run by a non-profit organisation, it selects narrative, documentary, animated and action sports features and shorts, as well as music videos, youth work and a collegiate showcase. Themed strands include Action Sports and Art, Architecture + Design, and Irish cinema has its own audience award and festival honour. Prizes come in three groups: audience awards, jury awards and festival honours for outstanding achievement. Through its Community Outreach Program, the festival pairs films with partner non-profit organisations whose missions match their subjects.
The dates for the 2026 edition, the festival's 27th, are 15–22 October.
Awards and prizes
The festival presents three groups of prizes.
Audience Awards, in categories such as Best US Feature, Best International Feature, Best Animated Feature, Best Comedy Feature, Best Action Sports Feature, Best Art, Architecture + Design Feature, Best Irish Feature, Best US Documentary, Best International Documentary, and Best Narrative, Documentary, Animated, Action Sports and Art, Architecture + Design Short.
Jury Awards: Best Feature Narrative, Best Feature Narrative Director, Actor and Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, Best Feature Narrative Ensemble, Best Documentary, Best First Feature, and Best Narrative, Documentary and Animated Short.
Festival Honors for outstanding achievement, including feature narrative, ensemble, international and Irish feature, screenplay, performance, editing, cinematography, original score, documentary and animated short.
Categories as announced for the 2025 edition; they may change from year to year.
Festival rules
The festival accepts narrative, documentary, action sports and animated features and shorts, music videos, youth films (18 and under) and a collegiate showcase, submitted through FilmFreeway.
Films must be in English or in the original language with English subtitles.
Accepted films must be available for exhibition as a Digital Cinema Package (DCP); music video and youth entries are exempt.
Submitted films may not be publicly or commercially available online before the end of the festival (music videos excepted), and must not screen in US theatres, air on US television or be released to US consumers before the festival's closing date.
Entrants are responsible for all licences, clearances and permits for their work. The festival does not pay screening fees for accepted films. All correspondence is by email to the original submitter.
