Festival Overview

We established the Mendocino Film Festival in 2006. In developing our vision statement and goals, we strove to reflect our appreciation of community and the simpler, outdoors-oriented Mendocino lifestyle. In such a quiet and beautiful environment, attending filmmakers can focus less on hype and more on craft and creative kinship. They can hike the headlands and share their work with passionate colleagues and attendees. Mendocino is known for its artistic and politically active population, so local audiences are informed, engaged and supportive.

BUILDING UPON OUR SUCCESS
Filmmakers and filmgoers love our Festival. It’s easy to see why, in a very short time, we have attracted the attention and warm support of both these groups. In 2006, legendary director Sydney Pollack helped us found the Festival as our Special Guest and Advisor.

By 2007, our second year, over 70 filmmakers and celebrity guests attended the Festival, from around the country and across the globe.  They came with their unique visions, expressed in both documentary and narrative films, short and feature-length.  Special Guest Albert Maysles attended for an intimate conversation and screening of The Beales of Grey Gardens, and in his enthusiasm for the Festival offered to establish an annual award in his name, the Albert Maysles Award for Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking.  This award has since been bestowed upon Jasmine Dellal, Robert Elfstrom, and Haskell Wexler.

In 2008 the Festival launched a new category of films, Films for Our Future. The North Coast of California has long been associated with vigorous social and environmental activism. This new category is guided by the words: Films for Our Future – Changing the world, one film at a time.

Our second special category, introduced at our inception, is Films on the Arts. Mendocino County has more artists per capita than any other county in California. In acknowledgement of this creative community, the Festival expressed its commitment to the arts by establishing this special category. This grouping brings to the festival the life and work of outstanding artists, dancers and musicians, whose stories and lives are highlighted through the lenses of world-class filmmakers.

With an interest in educating and entertaining our youngest community members, we also established a Children’s Program in 2008.  In 2009 this highlighted Azur and Asmar, the stunning animation from France, and in 2010 we will present The Secret of Kells, Academy Award ® nominated animated feature from Ireland.

MUCH MORE THAN FILM SCREENINGS
Almost every single film this year will be represented by its director, with an extraordinary 70 filmmakers and special guests attending in 2010.  Given this rare proportion of filmmakers to regular attendees, combined with the intimacy of our venues, there is ample opportunity for film-goers to interact with screenwriters, directors, producers and celebrities from across the industry.

In addition to Q&A’s, the MFF is committed to incorporating panels and special augmentations of programs whenever possible.  For example, a film about Princess Farhana, internationally known belly dancer, was followed by a belly dance performance by two local groups;  Silent Films have flickered in the dark with the accompaniment of special guest live musicians; a panel of Native-American tribal representatives and fishermen’s associations will follow a film on restoration of the Klamath River; blind mandolinist Kenny Hall, at 87, will appear to play with local musicians as the follow up to the documentary on his life; and, a film on master tattoo artist Ed Hardy will be followed by a Tattoo Fashion Show organized by coastal tattoo buffs.

With all this provided against the backdrop of the stunning Mendocino Coast, wrapped up in the trademark welcoming warmth of the Coast’s residents, it is no surprise that this Festival has been labeled a “gem” and is quickly becoming the Go-To film festival of intimate film festivals.