The 2026 Ojai Film Festival has set a lineup of films and events with Martin Sheen, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone and Jeff and Beau Bridges. The festival is scheduled to run November 4-9 in Ojai, California.
There will be 74 films from over 30 countries, including 20 narrative features, 11 documentaries and six Special Showcase movies. The festival will open with the U.S. Premiere of the biographical music drama, ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans.’ Sheen will host the world premiere of the short musical documentary, ‘American Mosaic.’ The Ojai Film Festival will close with the Rob Burnett-directed dramedy, ‘In Memoriam.’
In addition, McCarthy and Falcone will receive an Artists of Distinction Award and toast the 10th anniversary of ‘The Boss.’ Jeff and Beau Bridges will be in attendance for ‘The Fabulous Baker Boys.’ Industry panels will include ‘Agenting in the New Media World,’ with dealmakers from UTA, CAA and WME. Actor-director Ed Burns will discuss his professional experiences in the discussion, ‘The State of the Indie.’
The Ojai Film Festival is organized under the artistic direction of ‘Hidden Figures director Ted Melfi. Tickets for the festival go on sale today.
The Grant Gee-helmed ‘Everybody Digs Bill Evans’ launches the festival on November 6. The biographical drama stars Anders Danielsen Lie as the titular jazz piano legend, with Bill Pullman, Laurie Metcalf and Barry Ward starring in supporting roles. The film follows Evans in the ten days after bassist Scott LaFaro’s sudden death, as grief, addiction and creative paralysis threaten to silence one of jazz’s great innovators. The film won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Burnett’s satire ‘In Memoriam’ will close the festival on November 8. Marc Maron plays a dying aging actor who becomes obsessed with landing a spot in the In Memoriam reel at the Oscars.
Other movies that are scheduled to play at the Ojai Film Festival include Asghar Farhadi’s ‘Parallel Tales,’ Jay Duplass’s ‘See You When I See You,’ Leah Nelson’s ‘Tangles’ and Paul Schrader’s ‘The Basics of Philosophy.’
“Ojai Film Festival is put on by filmmakers for filmmakers and an army of volunteers who love cinema,” Melfi said. “We want to screen the best films of the year in an intimate setting where real conversation and connection can happen.”
