Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) is an annual film festival in Mill Valley, California. It is run by the California Film Institute and takes place every October. The festival welcomes more than 200 filmmakers from over 50 countries each year. It began as a three-day event in October 1977, created by Mark Fishkin, Rita Cahill, and Lois Cole. The first official festival happened in August 1978. MVFF is known for launching new films and building buzz for awards season, earning a reputation as a filmmakers’ festival.
Notable guests have included actors Gena Rowlands, Forest Whitaker, Alfre Woodard, Robin Williams, and directors such as Sean Baker, Jane Campion, Greta Gerwig, and Denis Villeneuve. Festival sections include World Cinema, US Cinema, Valley of the Docs, filmHOOD, 5@5, and MVFF Music. Initiatives include Mind the Gap: Women | Film | Tech, Viva El Cine!, and Active Cinema. Screenings take place at venues like the Christopher B Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, the Sequoia Theatre in Mill Valley, the Cinema in Corte Madera, and the Lark Theatre in Larkspur. Screen International named MVFF a top-10 US film festival.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:55 (CET).