We’re ready… are YOU?!?!

Hotly Anticipated Wine Documentary “SOMM” will World Premiere at
Napa Valley Film Festival, November 7-11, 2012

Festival Passholders Will Enjoy Exclusive Screenings and Special Events involving SOMM; Passes On Sale Now

The Napa Valley Film Festival will kick off with the world premiere of the documentary feature film SOMM on Wednesday, November 7, 2012. SOMM (slang for “sommelier”) follows four talented young sommeliers as they cram for the grueling, notoriously difficult Master Sommelier exam. The exam – a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world – covers everything to do with the pairing of wine and food on a global level.

“We are honored to host the world premiere of SOMM,” said Marc Lhormer, Executive & Artistic Director of the Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF). ”Not only is the content a perfect fit for the food and wine-obsessed culture of Napa Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, but the film itself is a tremendously well-executed, hilarious and compelling thrill ride of a documentary that will appeal to a broad movie-going audience.”

In addition to its four engaging subjects, SOMM also includes appearances and enlightening commentary from a who’s who of top food and wine personalities, including sommelier Rajat Parr, chef Michael Mina, winemaker Bo Barrett, wine legend Fred Dame, and many others.

While the just-completed film has been courted by major international film festivals, SOMM’s filmmakers were unanimous about where it should debut. Director/Producer Jason Wise said, “Nothing I have ever done has meant more to me than SOMM. For me, there is only one logical place in the world to premiere the film – it had to be where it started, in Napa Valley.” Cinematographer/Producer Jackson Myers agreed, saying, “There is no other festival in the world that fits SOMM better than the Napa Valley Film Festival. People go to Napa Valley to experience the world of wine, and SOMM’s overarching purpose is to enrich people on that experience.”

Prior to its first public screening, SOMM is already generating media buzz and is poised to become one of the breakout hits of this year’s Napa Valley Film Festival. “The greatest thing about this movie is that you don’t have to be a wine expert to love it,” says NVFF Co-Founder Brenda Lhormer. “The level of commitment these four guys show in their pursuit of this honor is staggering, and the movie is both suspenseful and laugh-out-loud funny. SOMM is going to generate a lot of conversation.”

For NVFF Passholders, there will be multiple opportunities to see SOMM, and to meet the filmmakers and featured sommeliers who will attend the festival’s screenings and related special events. SOMM’s filmmakers and starring somms will also be special guests at the spectacular Festival Gala at Robert Mondavi Winery on Thursday, November 8. Specific screening times, locations and many more extraordinary food & wine events celebrating SOMM will be announced, along with the entire NVFF programming schedule, on October 1, 2012.

As with all Napa Valley Film Festival presentations, buying a Festival Pass, Pass Plus or joining the Patron Circle are the best ways to enjoy SOMM’s screenings and events. Passes are on sale now at http://napavalleyfilmfest.org/.