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Tony Gilroy’s ‘Behemoth!’ to Close Newport Beach Film Festival

By Greer Wylder

October 12, 2026

Mark your calendars, film lovers. The Newport Beach Film Festival announced Thursday that Oscar-nominated director and writer Tony Gilroy's "Behemoth!," starring Pedro Pascal, will close the 27th annual festival on Thursday, Oct. 22. The festival runs Oct. 15-22.In "Behemoth!," Pascal plays Alex Serian, a gifted cellist who returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, the constant, all-consuming river that has carried Alex his entire life, pulls him into an adventure that will change him forever. Featuring an unprecedented nine composers, the film is a love letter to movie scoring and to the dizzying power music…

Where to Eat Around the Newport Beach Film Festival

By Greer Wylder

October 11, 2026

Film lovers, mark your calendars for Oct. 15-22, when the 27th annual Newport Beach Film Festival returns to Triangle Square in Costa Mesa. Starlight Triangle Cinemas will screen feature films, documentaries, animated shorts, action sports films and international entries throughout the festival.Round up your friends and book a brunch, lunch or dinner reservation at one of Triangle Square's popular restaurants before or after a screening. Options include elevated Southern comfort food at the recently opened LJ's Lounge, Tulum-inspired fare at Casa de Onda, traditional tapas at Cafe Sevilla and casual steakhouse favorites at Westwood Coast.Sushi fans can make a night…

Newport Beach Film Festival Opens With ‘Frampton’

By Greer Wylder

October 06, 2026

The 27th Newport Beach Film Festival opens Thursday, Oct. 15, with "Frampton," an intimate documentary portrait of rock icon Peter Frampton. The screening begins at 7 p.m. at Big Newport, Screen 1. Frampton and director Rob Arthur will take part in a live Q&A afterward.The film follows Frampton from the stadium-sized success of "Frampton Comes Alive!" in the 1970s through the long road of rebuilding his career and the personal cost of fame. It also looks at his diagnosis with Inclusion Body Myositis, a degenerative muscle condition that threatens his ability to play guitar. Rare archival footage, candid interviews and…

NBFF International Spotlight Films Announced

By Greer Wylder

September 28, 2026

Tickets are officially on sale for the Newport Beach Film Festival, running Oct. 15-22, 2026, and this year's international lineup will take you around the globe without leaving Orange County.With more than 300 films from around the world, plus premieres, filmmaker conversations, industry events and signature experiences, the eight-day festival has plenty to explore.The NBFF International Spotlight selections include:Australia: "How to Talk Australians"Czech Republic: "What a Way to Go" ("Pět švestek")France: "De Gaulle: Tilting Iron" (pictured above)Germany: "Empty Nesters" ("Die Ältern")Ireland: "The Body Is Water," "Trad" and "You'll Never Believe Who's Dead"Italy: "The Greater Good"Japan: "Look Back"South Korea: "Jeju Olle"Mexico:…

Willem Dafoe to Headline “The Process Unlocked” Premiere at Newport Beach Film Festival

By Greer Wylder

September 16, 2026

The Newport Beach Film Festival will host the taping of the pilot episode of "The Process Unlocked" at Witte Hall on Sept. 19, with veteran journalist Jenelle Riley sitting down for an in-depth conversation with actor Willem Dafoe.The new series is a response to a shift in audience appetite. Red carpet interviews built around trivia and games have their place, but viewers are increasingly hungry for something slower and more substantive: real conversation about craft. "The Process Unlocked" delivers that. Rather than a broad career retrospective, each episode digs into specific creative choices, the instinct behind a scene, the vision…