About
About the Ojai Film Festival
Founded in 2000 to champion uplifting, visionary cinema and foster meaningful connections between filmmakers, industry professionals, and our community. The 27th festival runs November 4–9, 2026.
“Ojai is the next Telluride.”
Our journey
- 1998
Inspiration in Moab
Artist and filmmaker Steve Grumette juries at the Canyonlands Film Festival in Moab, Utah. Seeing parallels between Moab and Ojai, he returns with a question: if Moab could nurture a thriving festival, why not Ojai?
- Nov 15, 2000
The first festival opens
Nearly two years of work by more than 100 volunteers culminate in a packed, enthusiastic launch.
- 2002
An independent nonprofit
The festival formalizes its mission and expands its programs.
- June 2026
A new chapter
Richard Sven Shelgren is named Festival Director and Theodore Melfi Artistic Director. Read the announcement
- Nov 4–9, 2026
The 27th festival
Six days of screenings, conversations and receptions across six venues in downtown Ojai. See the 2026 films
Our mission
We continue a simple, powerful promise:
- Show groundbreaking work audiences might not otherwise see.
- Champion filmmakers with an enthusiastic audience and access to industry professionals.
- Enrich the human spirit by elevating films that uplift, inspire, and celebrate meaningful lives.
This guiding ethos has shaped Ojai’s programming for more than two decades.
The spirit of Ojai
From the Chumash to modern seekers, Ojai has long drawn spiritual teachers and Hollywood creatives to its mountain valley.
A short, scenic drive from Los Angeles, Ojai offers quiet seclusion and an artistic environment, a perfect setting for filmmakers to connect, recharge, and create.
Programs that grow with Ojai
- Screenwriting Competition, spotlighting storytellers and craft.
- A full-day education program. More than 200 regional high school students attend seminars and screenings in Ojai each year.
- Focus Earth, a mini-festival of films and panels on environmental issues, presented with local filmmakers and community experts.
2026 leadership
- Festival Director
- Richard Sven Shelgren
- Artistic Director
- Theodore Melfi
- Co-Artistic Directors
- Paul Dektor and Kimberly Quinn
Reach and recognition
The festival welcomes a diverse lineup from around the world, drawing audiences from Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles counties.
- 2000
- First festival
- 27th
- Festival, in 2026
- 43+
- Countries represented by past entries
- 200+
- Students served each year