Historic Ojai Playhouse Launches Inaugural Film Festival

October 22, 2025 — Coinciding with its one-year anniversary, the Ojai Playhouse is proud to announce its inaugural Ojai Playhouse Film Festival, running November 11–16. Curated by Playhouse owner David Berger, the festival brings the best international arthouse films of the year to the Ojai Valley—showcasing award contenders and distinctive cinematic visions that reflect the diversity and creativity of contemporary filmmaking. Many selections will not be in theaters until later this year or next, offering audiences a rare opportunity to experience them first. Tickets are available now at www.ojaiplayhouse.com, with general admission priced at $12.50 and seniors (60+) at $10.

As a precursor and unofficial kickoff to the festival, the Ojai Playhouse will screen Bradley Cooper’s new film Is This Thing On? for free on November 10th. The festival officially opens November 11 with a free screening of How to Shoot a Ghost, winner of the Europa Cinemas Label at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. Other highlights include The Chronology of Water, Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir; Nouvelle Vague, Richard Linklater’s playful reimagining of the making of Godard’s Breathless, starring Zoey Deutch, Guillaume Marbeck, and Aubry Dullin; and No Other Choice, Park Chan-wook’s satirical South Korean thriller. International festival favorites include Sirat, winner of the Joint Jury Prize at Cannes; A Poet, Jury Prize winner in Un Certain Regard at Cannes; Mad Bills to Pay, Sundance 2025 NEXT Special Jury Award-winning ensemble comedy-drama; Silent Friend, six-time Venice Film Festival award winner; and Sentimental Value, Joachim Trier’s Cannes Grand Prix-winning exploration of family, memory, and art, starring Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, and Elle Fanning. In Mona Fastvold’s The Testament of Ann Lee, Amanda Seyfried and Tim Blake Nelson star in a stirring historical drama that examines the life and beliefs of the pre-Revolutionary religious figure Ann Lee. Rounding out the lineup, families can enjoy Arco, a magical animated journey through time.

The Ojai Playhouse Film Festival features a compelling selection of documentaries, including Cover-Up, Laura Poitras’ exploration of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh; Seeds, Brittany Shyne’s Sundance 2025 US Grand Jury Prize-winning film capturing multiple generations of Black farming families in Thomas County, Georgia, highlighting their social challenges, financial struggles, and enduring dedication to one another; Monk in Pieces, Billy Shebar’s mosaic on boundary-breaking artist Meredith Monk, featuring interviews with Björk and David Byrne; and Ghost Elephants, Werner Herzog’s atmospheric journey across Angola’s highland plateaus with National Geographic Fellow Dr. Steve Boyes, documenting the last survivors of a vanishing lineage of African elephants. 

“My intention with this festival is to bring the best of the global film festival circuit to Ojai,” says David Berger. “We’re keeping ticket prices low so audiences can explore multiple films, discover new voices, and experience the magic of cinema in our intimate, restored Playhouse.”

Nestled in the scenic Topatopa Mountains, the Ojai Playhouse originally opened in 1914 and reopened in November 2024 after a decade-long closure. The single-screen theater has since become a cultural hub for the region, screening over 500 films in its first year, offering free and For Your Consideration (FYC) screenings, and championing both local and international filmmakers. As the only independent arthouse cinema between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, the Playhouse provides a unique opportunity for the Ojai Valley to experience world-class cinema without traveling to a major city.

The full festival schedule, along with additional fall, winter, and holiday programming at the Ojai Playhouse, is available at www.ojaiplayhouse.com. 

Ojai Playhouse Film Festival Schedule

MON• 11/10

7:00 PM IS THIS THING ON?

TUE • 11/11

6:30 PM HOW TO SHOOT A GHOST

7:15 PM THE TESTAMENT OF ANN LEE

WED • 11/12

5:00PM COVER-UP

7:15PM THE SECRET AGENT

THU • 11/13

3:00PM MIRRORS NO. 3

5:00PM NOUVELLE VAGUE

7:15PM NO OTHER CHOICE

FRI • 11/14

4:00PM SEEDS

6:30PM HAMNET

9:15PM SIRAT

SAT • 11/15

12:00PM ARCO

2:00PM A POET

4:30PM GHOST ELEPHANTS

6:30PM THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER

9:15PM F**KTOYS

SUN • 11/16

12:00PM MONK IN PIECES

2:00 PM MAD BILLS TO PAY

4:00PM SILENT FRIEND

7:15PM SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Connect With Ojai Playhouse

Website | Instagram | Facebook

# # # # #

For more information on the Ojai Playhouse, contact

Shore Fire Media at ojaiplayhousepr@shorefire.com