Guide to Film Festivals in Sonoma County

As spring blossoms in Sonoma County, so too does our film festival season. There’s no more picturesque place than Wine Country in which to mingle with film makers and movie stars with local wine in hand. Festival organizers know this and have woven an array of iconic silver screen celebrations into the fabric of Sonoma County.

Ranging from small venues showing a half-dozen screenings on a single day, to multiple-day schedules celebrating some 100 movies all across downtown Sonoma, these festivals showcase international talents and attract people from all over the world. What’s more elegant, after all, than an afternoon in an artsy movie theater, nibbling West County charcuterie and sipping local wines?

Sonoma International Film Festival, March

Held over five days in the eastern Sonoma County town of Sonoma, the Sonoma International Film Festival is an intimate celebration of unforgettable cinema, world-class food, and fine wine. The line-up typically features more than 90 hand-selected films, including independent features, documentaries, world cinema, and shorts. The festival is dedicated to promoting independent film, supporting filmmakers around the world, and inspiring film lovers. Details: sonomafilmfest.org

Israeli Film Festival, March

Founded in 2016 and hosted by the Jewish Community Center, the Israeli Film Festival features handpicked films from Israel. The festival seeks to nurture an appreciation of Israeli culture, exploring the human stories and important issues facing Israeli society, and the larger world. The films focus on issues of gender identity, love at old age, the pull between secular and orthodox, and the Palestinian and Israeli conflict. Details: jccsoco.org

Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, March

Each year the Sebastopol Center for the Arts strives to bring the best documentaries and filmmakers from around the world to Sonoma County for its annual award-winning Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival. Twice named “One of the Coolest Film Festivals” by MovieMaker Magazine, the Sebastopol event has become one of the important and special stops on the documentary festival circuit.  Details: sebastopolfilmfestival.org

Alexander Valley Film Festival, April

The Alexander valley Film Festival regularly showcases and hosts new and emerging talents from all over the world, creating opportunities for the community and students to meet, interact with, and learn from visiting artists. They will also offer deeply discounted tickets to students and neighbors in need so that no one will be turned away. AVFF features cutting-edge indie films and selections of diverse works from and about underrepresented artists and communities. They actively seek: socially conscious films that depict characters in the richness of their culture and identities; works from directors of color; Latinx-, LGBTQ+-, and female-driven narratives; and youth-oriented stories. Details: avfilmsociety.org.

Sonoma County Jewish Film Festival, October

Each year the film festival committee at the Jewish Community Center in Santa Rosa screens more than 100 dramas, comedies, and documentaries to pick six that will be shown during the annual festival in October. The goal is to present a slice of Jewish life from around the world, and the festival’s tagline is that you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy these movies.