The inaugural Ojai Documentary Film Festival will take place from October 26-30 at the historic Ojai Playhouse in Southern California. Spearheaded by Hotel El Roblar owners Eric Goode and Jeremy McBride alongside Playhouse owner David Berger, the new annual event is dedicated specifically to documentary storytelling.
The five-day festival features an eclectic lineup of contemporary releases, influential works of the past, series, in-person filmmaker conversations, special screenings, and experiential events combining food, drink, and live music.
Inaugural Lineup and Special Screenings
The first edition of the festival presents a wide-ranging slate of documentaries and series, featuring:
- “Musk” — Alex Gibney (Bleecker Street)
- “Everest: The Other Side” — Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin (National Geographic)
- “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” — William Greaves & David Greaves (Neon)
- “Jean-Michel Basquiat” — Quinn Whitney Wilson & Viridiana Liberman (Netflix)
- “You Can See Everything” — Nathan Fielder & Lance Oppenheim (A24)
- “The History of Concrete” — John Wilson
- “Nuisance Bear” — Jack Weisman & Gaby Osio Vanden (MUBI), winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, with the filmmakers in person
- “The Bend in the River” — Robb Moss (Netflix), with Moss in conversation with Lauren Greenfield
- “Boatbuilders” — Luke Lorentzen, with the filmmakers in person
- “The Best Summer” — Tamra Davis, with Davis in person
- “Soul Patrol” — JM Harper (Kino Lorber)
- “Barbara Forever” — Brydie O’Connor (Strand Releasing)
- “Remake” — Ross McElwee (Music Box)
- “The Story of Documentary Film,” Chapters 1–3 — Mark Cousins
Vision Behind the Festival
Eric Goode and Jeremy McBride are the filmmakers behind the Emmy-nominated docuseries “Tiger King” and “Chimp Crazy,” as well as the HBO documentary “Monsters of God.” David Berger recently acquired and relaunched the Ojai Playhouse.
The best documentaries introduce you to a world you didn’t know existed, and usually the truth turns out to be stranger than anything you could make up,
Eric Goode said in a statement. Ojai has always attracted eccentrics, artists and independent thinkers, and with David’s Playhouse and Hotel El Roblar working together, we can bring those filmmakers here and let people meet them up close.
