The New Orleans Film Festival
Photo courtesy of The New Orleans Film Festival/Craig Mulcahy
The New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) has been constantly evolving since its inception in 1989. As the movies and the technology behind them have become more advanced, so too has this local event, which promotes and fosters the cinematic arts for audiences and filmmakers in the Crescent City.
To date, the New Orleans Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in the South and is the longest-running festival of its kind in the state. The festival has grown to the point of attracting thousands of attendees and industry insiders, plus more than 400 filmmakers and over 200 films annually.
This year, the festival kicks off on Thursday, October 22, and runs through Tuesday, October 27, 2027, at multiple venues across the city.
The event is facilitated by the New Orleans Film Society, which is a nonprofit, year-round organization made up of full-time staff, volunteers, local cinephiles, and donors. The Film Society screens movies in the greater New Orleans area throughout the year, but there is no cinematic event in the city’s busy calendar quite like the NOFF.
Now in its 37th year, the Film Festival has grown into a massive undertaking. It’s one of the few film festivals in the nation that showcases Oscar-qualifying films drawn from all three Academy-accredited categories: Narrative Short, Documentary Short, and Animated Short. The festival is a subject of considerable media attention too.
As befits a city that has a long history of involvement in social justice and civil rights movements, the festival has a stated commitment to diversity. As such, over 50% of the featured films are created by women and gender non-conforming filmmakers, and the same goes for productions created by filmmakers of color.
The festival also works hard at creating networking events for the filmmakers to connect with the industry presence and meet the distributors and the media. You can see the film lineup here.
In addition to film screenings, there will be panels, workshops, and artist talks. Back this year is the South Pitch, which is a program that selects up to 12 film teams to pitch their works-in-progress to a distinguished panel of funders, broadcasters, distributors, and producers. Each pitch lasts five minutes, followed by 10 minutes of feedback.
South Pitch features two tracks: South Pitch Narrative and South Pitch Documentary. According to the festival organizers, “The program commits a total of $25,000 in grants and prizes, including a $5,000 top prize, a $2,500 runner-up prize, unrestricted grants of at least $1,500, and $500 audience choice awards per category.”
More than that, “Selected teams receive pitch coaching, one-on-one mentorship, travel stipends (for out-of-town participants), and All-Access passes to the New Orleans Film Festival.” Winners are announced during the Festival Awards Brunch.
Last but not least, let’s not forget to mention all the parties, receptions, and a VIP lounge experience. For more information on the panels, parties, special guests, and a schedule of events, visit the New Orleans Film Society website, the festival’s Facebook page, or Instagram.
Want to attend the NOFF? There are several different ticket packages available for attendees, including individual screenings and all-access passes. You can buy all-access passes online ($350). New Orleans Film Society members, students, and teachers get a discount on the passes.
Fall in New Orleans is packed with festivals and other celebrations of art, music, food, and culture. Looking for a place to stay when you’re visiting? There’s no place better than a historic French Quarter hotel! Visit FrenchQuarter.com/hotels to see our top picks.
