ABOUT US

A: Napa Valley Film Festival refers both to the event itself and to the organization that produces it (not uncommon in the festival world). The legal name of our organization is Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization based in Napa, California. Cinema Napa Valley does business as Napa Valley Film Festival via what’s referred to as a DBA (doing business as) filed with Napa County. Cinema Napa Valley DBA Napa Valley Film Festival was legally incorporated in the summer of 2009. The organization’s mission is to support the art of independent filmmaking through a) producing an annual film festival, b) developing an increasing array of film-related events throughout the year, and c) supporting and nurturing student filmmaking programs in local schools.

A: Brenda and Marc Lhormer are the co-Founders of NVFF. Marc serves as both Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Executive & Artistic Director. Brenda serves as Vice Chair of the Board and Co-Director. After running the Sonoma Valley Film Festival for seven years (2001 – 2008), and then producing their first feature film (BOTTLE SHOCK, which tells the story of Napa Valley wines beating the French at the infamous 1976 wine-tasting competition in Paris), Brenda and Marc decided to create a world-class film festival for Napa Valley with the notion of marrying the valley’s renowned food, wine and hospitality with a celebration of the art of cinematic story-telling.

A: Brenda grew up in the SF Bay Area and attended Stanford University. She has a long background in marketing, public relations and event production. Brenda has worked for the Los Angeles Olympics, the San Francisco 49ers, Oracle and Microsoft, and for an event production company called Amazing Events where she met her husband Marc. Marc is a native of Pittsburgh who went to college at Yale and business school at Stanford. Marc’s skills and experience span from strategic/financial to artistic/creative. He worked at Bain & Company, and then with several high-tech startups, before turning his attention to the non-profit space by starting the youth leadership development program City Year in Seattle. Brenda and Marc were married in Napa Valley and have lived in Sonoma since 1999.

A: After incorporating in the summer of 2009, Brenda and Marc worked to secure buy-in from both local interests (winemaking industry, lodging/hospitality/tourism, restaurants, local government, etc) and the film industry. They created a Founding Patron program and rolled this out with a trio of gatherings in November and December 2009. $50,000 startup loan from Napa County and a $50,000 grant from Leslie & Keith Blodgett (NVFF’s other Movie Moguls besides the Lhormers), provided just enough capital for Brenda and Marc to use calendar year 2010 to demonstrate to the local community what a film festival might taste like. Three stand-alone special film evenings (THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN IN AMERICA, THE TILLMAN STORY, and WAITING FOR SUPERMAN) led up to a 6-film mini-fest in November 2010. This year zero “amuse-bouche” included eventual Best Picture Oscar Winner THE KING’S SPEECH, as well as both RABBIT HOLE and BLUE VALENTINE, both of which had Oscar nominations for their lead actresses (Nicole Kidman and Michelle Williams). Three other low-budget indie gems completed the line-up, and the weekend included both Opening and Closing Night VIP Dinners (at Farmstead in St. Helena and Morimoto in Napa) and a late-night party for 400 guests on Saturday night in the courtyard between Oenotri and Gordon Heuther Gallery in Napa. After the local launch, Brenda and Marc arranged for a trio of VIP events during the January 2011 Sundance Film Festival to announce NVFF’s arrival onto the scene. The St. Regis Deer Valley sponsored and hosted a VIP Reception for 150 guests, and then a winemaker dinner for 60. The following evening, NVFF’s official Launch Party was repeatedly referenced as the most fun and elegant party at Sundance ever: 400 guests at the Kimball Art Center just off Park City’s Main Street, with 15 Napa Valley vintners pouring wine and Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello serving up fantastic cuisine. After Sundance, Brenda and Marc began assembling their team and designing the most ambitious film festival debut in U.S. history. The inaugural NVFF (November 9 – 13, 2011) included 101 films and 250 film industry guests, with screenings in 11 venues clustered in the four villages of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga. Over 125 wineries poured and 30 restaurants and top chefs participated. Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush hosted Tributes to Jeffrey Wright, Judy Greer and Felicity Jones. THE DESCENDANTS, J. EDGAR, BUTTER, LIKE CRAZY, and UNDEFEATED (which went on to win the Oscar for Best Documentary) were among the many films enjoyed by festival-goers. Total attendance was approximately 25,000.

A: It takes a village to raise a Film Festival: Year round core team members, seasonal hospitality and production crews, interns, and an amazing army of Volunteers who come together as Teams to be the “face of the film festival” with our audiences. The hard working year round core team is comprised of the following: Marc Lhormer, Exec & Artistic Director Brenda Lhormer, Co-Director Carrie Markham, Administrative Director Eden Umble, Marketing Director Ben Mahoney, Operations Director Herb Stratford, Sr. Programmer Monica Barrows, Development Manager Kerry Hardy, Senior Marketing Associate Kyle Talbot, Web Master/Audio Engineer Stephanie Gerbracht, Marketing/Filmmaker Hospitality Associate Paige Smallhoover, Marketing Assistant Melody Mahoney, Operations

A: NVFF is defined by a) where it falls on the calendar and within the film industry’s annual cycle, b) its interrelationships with the marketable assets of its destination (legendary Napa Valley), and c) the shared passions, tastes and values of its founders, Brenda & Marc Lhormer. The Lhormer’s former festival in Sonoma took place in April. In contemplating when to hold a festival in Napa Valley, Brenda and Marc identified a unique opportunity: just as Sundance officially kicks off each new annual cycle for the film industry (introducing a fresh new batch of indie films), NVFF stakes out the positioning of officially closing the year – showcasing the best of each year’s new indie films, no matter where they may have previously played, and giving audiences sneak peeks at the studio’s awards-season contenders prior to their theatrical releases in the holiday period from Thanksgiving through Christmas. By design, NVFF perfectly weaves the food, wine and hospitality of Napa Valley into the festival experience. The physical beauty of the area comes into play as well, the vineyards awash in fall colors. The experience a festival-goer enjoys is a direct outgrowth of shared passions that brought Brenda and Marc together as a couple: eating and drinking well, showering family and friends with warm hospitality, losing oneself in the magic of the movies, and at the same time discovering the diversity and commonality of the human condition. Unlike most other film festivals where the founders and directors are filmmakers and/or serious students of film, NVFF’s leaders are directly reflective of its audience. Whether in their 20s, 40s or 70s, attendees – whether they live in Napa Valley or are drawn to visit – all share an aspiration to live well and give well. Rather than selecting films for their academic, technical and/or story-telling inventiveness, Marc, as Artistic Director, along with Laura Henneman, Sr. Programmer, and Brenda curate a program of films that they like – films they believe the audience most likely will respond to as well. Most importantly, NVFF is about slowing down, getting out of the car, unplugging cell phones and laptops … and plugging into uplifting, educational and inspiring cinematic-storytelling; conversing about the films with old friends and new; being so sense-awakened and alive that one doesn’t want each day and night to end; and bounding out of bed each morning to weave the threads of community and inter-connectedness together that much more closely.

A: More of what happened in 2012, but even better! The ultimate celebration of film, food and wine, the Napa Valley Film Festival lights up the picturesque towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga at the most colorful time of year. NVFF features over 100 new independent films screening in 12 eclectic venues throughout 4 walkable villages, as 300 visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events. Enjoy film & culinary panel discussions, wine tasting pavilions, Festival Gala, Celebrity Tributes, Awards Ceremony, and an array of parties, VIP receptions and winemaker dinners. For information or to buy passes, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org or call 707-226-7500. Advance lodging reservations are strongly recommended. Come join us in November and See you at the Movies! The Napa Valley Film Festival Team