Newport Beach Film Festival opens Oct. 15 with galas, premieres

The Newport Beach Film Festival opens its 27th year on Thursday, Oct. 15, with galas at Regal Edwards Big Newport and Fashion Island.

The eight-day festival runs through Thursday, Oct. 22, and is expected to draw more than 50,000 attendees, according to Orange Coast magazine. The lineup includes world premieres, awards contenders, international spotlights and programs covering food, design, music and family films.

Main Stage events at Fashion Island follow opening night, running Oct. 16 through Oct. 18.

The festival again co-hosts Variety's "10 Actors to Watch," an annual showcase pairing the trade publication with the Newport Beach event. This year's honorees are Esmé Creed-Miles, Mariana Di Giròlamo, Rosalind Eleazar, Guitarricadelafuente, Summer H. Howell, Jaafar Jackson, Ruth Madeley, Inde Navarrette, Ray Nicholson and Joseph Zada. They will be celebrated at the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Brunch on Sunday, Oct. 18. The full class will be profiled in Variety's Wednesday, Oct. 7 issue.

Gregg Schwenk, CEO and co-founder of the festival, said the partnership with Variety remains a highlight. "We couldn't be more honored to be hosting this incredible group of emerging talent at the 27th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Brunch this year," Schwenk said in a statement to Variety.

Tickets are on sale at newportbeachfilmfest.com. Early Bird passes, including the Premier Insider and Party Pass, went on sale in August through the festival's ticketing site. The festival has not yet released its full program or announced an opening-night film.

Filmmakers are already circling the event. Santa Monica filmmaker Queen Mimi posted on X on Sept. 14 about an upcoming screening: