Napa Valley Film Festival Announces 2019 Call for Entries
9th annual festival to take place November 13 – 17, 2019; includes twin $10,000 cash prizes for Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature, presented by Meadowood Napa Valley
Napa Valley, CA (February 6, 2019) – The 9th annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) taking place November 13 – 17, 2019 is now accepting film submissions. NVFF is a five-day immersive experience celebrating the best new independent films of the year, accompanied by Napa Valley’s world-class food, wine and hospitality. Visiting filmmakers interact with audiences at screenings and intimate events while enjoying industry panels, culinary demonstrations, wine-tastings, festival parties, and more.
NVFF continues to establish a strong sense of community dedicated to supporting the art of visual storytelling. Programmers will select approximately 100 independent films of any genre to be screened alongside awards season sneak previews. Submission categories include narrative features, narrative shorts, documentary features and documentary shorts. Organizers are looking for films that will inspire, entertain, educate and intrigue audiences.
Feature length films (50 minutes or longer) can be programmed in one of the following sections: Narrative or Documentary Features Competition (U.S. productions only), Verge (foreign and domestic productions) or Special Presentations (foreign and domestic productions). Apart from films shown only on Saturday and Sunday, all films in the Special Presentations category will be up for Audience Awards. The core Narrative and Documentary Features Competitions are juried, as is Verge, a separate selection of bold, eclectic, and boundary-pushing films.
Short films (narrative and documentary, under 50 minutes) are programmed in curated content-centric collections. Separate juries present awards for Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short. Shorts may also be selected as part of the Special Presentations.
The 16-18 films in NVFF’s U.S. Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition categories (approximately 8 in each section) vie for the titles of Best Narrative Feature and Best Documentary Feature. Both of these awards accompany a $10,000 cash prize presented by Meadowood Napa Valley. The films’ directors also participate in NVFF’s unique Artists-in-Residence program, which includes a six-night stay at Meadowood Napa Valley, master classes with industry leaders and networking opportunities at festival receptions, winemaker dinners and parties in premiere wine country destinations.
Past faculty for the Artists-in-Residence Program include casting director Mary Vernieu (Betty Mae Casting), writer/director/actor Jim Rash (The Descendants, The Way Way Back), producer Christine Vachon (Killer Films), director T.J. Martin (Undefeated), writer/actor Jenny Lumet (Rachel Getting Married), producer Suzanne Farwell (The Intern, The Holiday), and actor/producer Nnamdi Asomugha (Crown Heights).
Filmmakers can submit projects through FilmFreeway or Withoutabox. For early submissions with discounted entry fees, the Early Bird Deadline is March 15. The Regular Deadline takes place on April 19 followed by the Late Deadline on May 24. The final opportunity to submit a film for consideration is marked by NVFF’s Extended Deadline, June 28. For full submission details, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org.
About the Napa Valley Film Festival
The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) is presented by Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. Cinema Napa Valley’s mission is to celebrate the cinematic arts and enrich the community by presenting an annual world-class festival and year-round education and outreach programs. The Napa Valley Film Festival will be held November 13-17, 2019. Passes are on sale now.
Visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org for more information or call 707.226.7500.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube
# # #
Media Contact
Emma Steele, Director of Marketing
emma@napavalleyfilmfest.org
