Blue Moon and Frankenstein Headline 26th Newport Beach Film Festival Lineup

The 26th Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF) in Southern California will screen over 100 feature films and 250 shorts from 32 countries from October 16-23, 2025.

The Festival will open on October 16 with Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon starring Ethan Hawke, Margaret Qualley, Bobby Canavalle and Andrew Scott; and Closing Night will feature Frankenstein directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Oscar Isaac & Christoph Waltz.

“As we celebrate our 26th year, this lineup unites the season’s most exciting films with visionary filmmakers from around the world. Newport is continuing in its tradition of spotlighting the films that go on to become massive award contenders throughout the season,” said Gregg Schwenk, CEO and Executive Director of NBFF. “We’re thrilled to share this dynamic program with our loyal Orange County audience and can’t wait to reveal even more special events as the Festival approaches.”

Film Highlights

Centerpiece Films

“Adult Children” (United States), Director Rich Newey (California Premiere)
“Arco” (France), Director Ugo Bienvenu
“Bad Haircut” (United States), Director Kyle Misak
“Billy Knight” (United States), Director Alec Griffen Roth (West Coast Premiere)
“Cutting Through Rocks” (United States, Iran, Germany, Chile, Qatar), Directors Sara Khaki, Mohammadreza Eyni (Southern California Premiere)
“Furcy” (France), Director Abd Al Malik (North America Premiere)
“Hedda” (United States), Director Nia DaCosta
“King Ivory” (United States), Director John Swab (United States Premiere)
“The Mastermind” (United States), Director Kelly Reichardt
“No Other Choice” (Republic of Korea), Director Park Chan-Wook
“Nouvelle Vague” (France, United States), Director Richard Linklater
“Renoir” (Japan), Director Chie Hayakawa (West Coast Premiere)
“Sentimental Value” (Norway, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France), Director Joachim Trier
“She Dances” (United States), Director Rick Gomez
“Sirât” (Spain), Director Olivier Laxe
“Wake Up Dead Man” (United States), Director Rian Johnson

International Spotlight

“Báite” (Ireland), Director Ruán Magan (North America Premiere)
“Blazing Fists” (Japan), Director Takashi Miike (West Coast Premiere)
“Broken Voices” (Czech Republic, Slovakia), Director Ondřej Provazník (West Coast Premiere)
“Christy” (Ireland, United Kingdom), Director Brendan Canty (North America Premiere)
“Frieda’s Case” (Switzerland), Director Maria Brendle
“If He Dies, He Dies: Dolph Lundgren” (Sweden), Director Andrew Holmes (North America Premiere)
“Köln 75” (Germany, Belgium, Poland), Director Ido Fluk (West Coast Premiere)
“The Man Who Saw the Bear” (France), Director Pierre Richard (West Coast Premiere)
“Peg O’ My Heart” (Hong Kong), Director Nick Cheung
“The Raftsmen” (Australia), Director Chadden Hunter (West Coast Premiere)
“Rock, Weed and Wheels” (Mexico), Director J.M. Cravioto
“The Secret Agent” (Brazil, France), Director Kleber Mendonça Filho
“A Sip of Irish” (Ireland, United Kingdom, France, United States), Director Frank Mannion (North America Premiere)
“Song of the Fireflies” (Philippines), Director King Palisoc (West Coast Premiere)
“The Unsinkable Entrepreneur” (Ireland), Director Craig Stuart Garfinkle (World Premiere)
“When Mom is Away… With The In-Laws” (Italy), Director Alessandro Genovesi (United States Premiere)

Special Events

The Newport Beach Film Festival will once again partner with Fashion Island and StyleWeekOC to celebrate fashion and film in Southern California. On Saturday, October 18, Sophie Ansari, Penn Badgley, and Nava Kavelin will join a conversation and book signing for their new book “Crushmore: Essays on Love, Loss, and Coming-of-Age.”

Additional Films

The additional list of films screening at NBFF include (in alphabetical order):

“25 Cats From Qatar” (United States, Qatar), Director Mye Hoang (California Premiere)
“Akris: Fashion With a Heritage” (Germany), Director Reiner Holzemer (West Coast Premiere)
“American Clown” (United States), Directors Guilford Adams, Caset Pinkston
“Antarctica – Domain One” (Argentina), Directors Joaquin Azulay, Julian Azulay (North America Premiere)
“Bird Boy” (South Africa, United States), Director Joel Soissen (Southern California Premiere)
“Blue Zeus” (United States), Directors Rocky Romano, Miranda Winters (California Premiere)
“Bob Gurr: Living By Design” (United States), Director Frank H. Woodward
“Cabali And The Tiki Mug Obsession” (United States), Director Josh Dragotta (World Premiere)
“Chaplin | Spirit of The Tramp” (France, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom), Director Carmen Chaplin (West Coast Premiere)
“Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause” (United States), Director James L. Freedman
“Diamond Diplomacy” (United States, Japan), Director Yuriko Gamo Romer (Southern California Premiere)
“Dickens of a Christmas” (United States), Director Gillian McKercher (World Premiere)
“Everest Dark” (Canada), Director Jereme Watt (Southern California Premiere)
“Farmacy of Light: A Quantum Leap In Healing” (United States), Director Ryan Wirick (West Coast Premiere)
“The Floaters” (United States), Director Rachel Israel (Southern California Premiere)
“Forge” (United States), Director Jing Ai Ng
“Frankenstein” (United States, Mexico), Director Guillermo del Toro
“From That Small Island” (Ireland), Directors Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy (North America Premiere)
“Golden Era of Skateboarding” (United States), Directors Eddie “El Gato” Elguera, Alfredo M.R. Vicente (North America Premiere)
“Harbour Chronicles: Shaping a Legacy” (United States), Director Chris Joesph Sardelis (World Premiere)
“The Harvard Five” (United States), Director Devon Chivvis (West Coast Premiere)
“Honey Bunch” (Canada, United Kingdom), Directors Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer
“I Hope We Can Still Be Friends” (Ireland), Director Aisha Tyler (North America Premiere)
“Idiotka” (United States), Director Nastasya Popov
“In Our Blood” (United States), Director Pedro Kos
“The Last Dive” (United States, Mexico), Director Cody Sheehy (California Premiere)
“Leave One Day” (France), Director Bonnin Amélie (Southern California Premiere)
“Lemonade Blessing” (United States), Director Chris Merola (West Coast Premiere)
“Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” (United States), Director Elizabeth Guest (World Premiere)
“Reading Lolita In Tehran” (Israel, Italy), Director Eran Riklis
“Lone Samurai” (Indonesia, Japan, United States), Director Josh C. Waller
“Looking Up” (United States), Director Elena Neuman (California Premiere)
“Magic Hour” (United States), Director Katie Aselton (Southern California Premiere)
“Memory for Burial” (France), Directors Charlotte Jarrix, Maud Guillaumin (U.S. Premiere)
“The Nation of Namul” (Republic of Korea), Director Songyi Park (West Coast Premiere)
“The Negotiator” (Northern Ireland), Director Trevor Birney (North America Premiere)
“Never Get Busted!” (Australia), Directors David Anthony Ngo, Stephen Mccallum (West Coast Premiere)
“The OC Effect: Surf-Skate Business Evolution” (United States), Directors Terry Corwin, Scott Hays (World Premiere)
“Omaha” (United States), Director Cole Webley (West Coast Premiere)
“On The Wave” (Germany), Directors Peter Wolf, Axel Gerdau (North America Premiere)
“One Stupid Thing” (United States), Director Linda Yellen (West Coast Premiere)
“Out of Plain Sight” (United States), Directors Rosanna Xia, Daniel Straub (West Coast Premiere)
“The Pantone Guy” (United States), Director Patrick Creadon (California Premiere)
“Paul & Paulette Take a Bath” (United Kingdom), Director Jethro Massey (North America Premiere)
“Peacock” (Austria, Germany), Director Bernhard Wenger
“A Promise to a Friend; The Story of Gale Webb” (United States), Director Billy Henrickle (World Premiere)
“The Queen’s Jewels” (United States), Director Joshua Friedman (West Coast Premiere)
“Queens of the Dead” (United States), Director Tina Romero
“A Quiet Love” (Ireland), Director Garry Keane (United States Premiere)
“Raoul’s, A New York Story” (United States), Directors Greg Olliver, Karim Raoul (West Coast Premiere)
“Retirement Plan” (Ireland), Director John Kelly
“Rising Phoenix: A New Revolution” (United Kingdom), Director Sheridan O’Donnell
“Rosemead” (United States), Director Eric Lin
“Sequoias of the Sea” (United States), Directors Natasha Benjamin, Ana Blanco (Southern California Premiere)
“Sicilia” (Italy, United States), Directors Colin West, Rupert Critchley (North America Premiere)
“Sin City: Newport Beach” (United States), Director Ed Olen (World Premiere)
“Stand Together as One” (United States, Ethiopia), Director Chip Duncan (West Coast Premiere)
“Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere” (United States), Director Maura Smith (Southern California Premiere)
“Stronger Than You Think” (United States), Directors Janice C. Molinari, Melissa Forman (West Coast Premiere)
“Theater is Dead” (United States), Director Katherine Dudas (West Coast Premiere)
“Thom Browne: The Man Who Tailors Dreams” (Germany, Italy), Director Reiner Holzemer (West Coast Premiere)
“To the Hands” (United States), Directors Robert Istad, Marty Austin Lamar (North America Premiere)
“Tokito” (Japan), Director Aki Mizutani
“Tow” (United States), Director Stephanie Laing (West Coast Premiere)
“Trango” (United States), Director Leo Hoorn (West Coast Premiere)
“Two to One” (Germany), Director Natja Brunckhorst
“An Uncommon Kindness: St. Damien of Molokai” (United Kingdom), Directors Stephanie J. Castillo, Walter Josten, Daniel Marra (World Premiere)
“Undercard” (United States), Director Tamika Miller (West Coast Premiere)
“Underland” (United States, United Kingdom), Director Rob Petit
“Viva Verdi!” (United States), Director Yvonne Russo (West Coast Premiere)
“Volcanoes and Us” (Republic of Korea), Director Byoung-Gil Park (North America Premiere)
“Wealth Untold” (United States, Belize), Director Eladio Arvelo (North America Premiere)
“William Wyler, Willie Forty Takes” (France), Director Bertrand Tessier