Vanessa McMahon

Celebrity Tributes include Kevin Costner and Jeremy Jordan. Notable Attendees include Shailene Woodley, Mike Myers, Shep Gordon, Anna Camp, Skylar Astin, Tate Donovan, Chris Messina, Joe Carnahan, Angela Kinsey, Carla Gugino, Melanie Lysnkey, Ned Benson, Richard LaGravenese, Matthew Lillard, James Keach and More

Napa, California – The fourth annual Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) announces its complete line-up, Opening Night & Gala screenings, special events and honorees for its Celebrity Tribute Program. NVFF returns in full force with a five-day festival showcasing the year’s best new independent films in 14 unique screening venues in the four postcard-perfect towns of Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, November 12-16. Organizers also showcase Napa Valley’s finest food and wine at all special events, VIP receptions and Vintners Circle dinners, pre-screen wine tastings, and a series of celebrity chef presentations and demonstrations on the Culinary Stage.

The Festival kicks off Opening Night, Wednesday, November 12, with a Red Carpet screening of The Imitation Game, fresh off winning the audience award at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, The Imitation Game, stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Director Morten Tyldum is expected to attend. Following the screening, NVFF Patron Circle Members and other VIP guests will enjoy an Opening Night Party at the Napa Valley Museum catered by Estate Events by Meadowood.

On Thursday, November 13, the extravagant Red Carpet Festival Gala will follow the screening of Director Mike Binder’s new film Black and White, starring Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer. NVFF Patron Circle Members and Pass Plus and Gala ticket holders will mingle with filmmakers and celebrities at the not-to-be missed party of the year. Guests will enjoy cuisine from more than 20 of the Valley’s top chefs including Ken Frank (La Toque), Bob Hurley (Hurley’s), Joseph Humphries (The Fox and the Farmer), and Victor Scargle (Lucy at Bardessono) and wines from more than 50 of Napa Valley’s boutique wineries.

Napa Valley Film Festival Co-Founders/Directors Brenda and Marc Lhormer are excited to announce that the BVisionary Award will be presented by Beaulieu Vineyards to Screen Icon Kevin Costner at the Celebrity Tribute Program. Domaine Chandon will present the Rising Star award to Jeremy Jordan who appears in the NVFF Selection The Last 5 Years opposite Anna Kendrick. The Tribute Program will take place on Friday, November 14 at the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville and will include video highlight reels and intimate on-stage conversations with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush. Additional Tribute Honorees will be announced over the next few weeks.

Actress Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars, Divergent, The Descendants) will receive Variety’s Indie Impact Award at the 10 Producers to Watch event, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, on Saturday, November 15 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. Variety Executive Editor Steve Gaydos will also be conducting a “Contenders Conversation” with Kevin Costner at the event. A screening of The Fault in Our Stars will run Sunday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m. at the Uptown Theatre in downtown Napa, and Ms. Woodley will be in attendance for the Q&A.

“This year’s lineup is particularly diverse, including work by established directors alongside promising debuts by newly emerging talents,” said Artistic & Executive Director Marc Lhormer. “We are so gratified to see how many directors, writers, producers, and actors are planning on attending in support of their films. The interaction between artists and audience conversing about the films and enjoying wonderful food and wine is truly magical to behold.”

Other film highlights include:

· Alex of Venice - In actor Chris Messina’s directorial debut feature, Alex (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a workaholic environmental attorney, is forced to reinvent herself after her husband (Messina) suddenly leaves the family. Messina will participate in the post-screening Q&As. (November 15, 12:30 p.m., Cameo Cinema; November 16, 10:00 a.m., City Winery)

· Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me - An intimate, devastating, and inspiring look at the final tour of musical legend Glen Campbell as he faces the end of his career due to Alzheimer’s disease. This special screening takes place at the Uptown Theatre in downtown Napa that was the venue for Campbell’s final poignant performance. Director James Keach will attend the Q&A. (November 16, 5:30 p.m., Uptown Theatre)

· Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon – Mike Myers will attend the festival with Shep Gordon, the original mega talent manager and subject of Mike’s hilarious, touching and award-winning documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon. Fandango’s Chief Correspondent Dave Karger will moderate an on-stage conversation with Myers and Gordon will follow the screening. (November 13, 2:00 p.m., Uptown Theatre)

· The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her & Him - A special presentation of a unique cinematic achievement: back-to-back screenings of Ned Benson’s two versions of a film about a marriage falling apart, one from the wife’s perspective and one from the husband’s, starring Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy. A post-screening discussion with Director Ned Benson will follow. (November 15, 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., City Winery).

· Sideways – 10th Anniversary - Few films have so accurately captured the ethos of friends, wine and wine’s place in modern civilization, as the 2004 romance/road film/buddy comedy Sideways. After the special screening of the movie, festival attendees can enjoy a grand tasting of some of the best Napa Valley Merlots (Screening: Friday, November 14, 1:00 p.m., Yountville Community Center; public tasting and expert tasting panel follow from 2:30-5:00 p.m. at the Yountville Wine Pavilion).

Additional sneak previews include:

· The Better Angels - Director A.J. Edwards’ debut feature tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s childhood in the wilderness of Indiana. Starring Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling and Wes Bently (November 14, 12:30 p.m., Cameo Cinema; November 16, 12:30 p.m., City Winery). California Premiere

· The Last 5 Years - Based on the 2002 off-Broadway musical, and adapted by writer/director Richard LaGravenese, The Last 5 Years is the story of a couple’s tumultuous relationship, from entanglement to denouement starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan. An on-stage conversation with Mr. LaGravenese will take place after the screenings (November 12, 5:00 p.m., Cameo Cinema; November 13, 8:30 p.m., City Winery). Mr. Jordan will join the Q&A on November 13). West Coast Premiere

· Match - A Seattle couple (Carla Gugino and Matthew Lillard) travels to New York to interview an acclaimed former ballet star (Patrick Stewart) for a research project on the dance scene in the 1960’s. (November 14, 8:00 p.m., Cameo Cinema; Saturday, November 15, 5:30 p.m., City Winery). California Premiere.

· Escobar: Paradise Lost – The debut feature from writer/director Andrea Di Stephano traces the journey of a young Canadian surfer (Josh Hutcherson) who falls under the spell of a beautiful young woman in Columbia. Unfortunately she also who happens to be the niece of international drug kingpin Pablo Escobar (Benicio Del Toro). An edgy crime drama and a soul-searching love story about family ties and loyalty, the film is a look at a dark chapter in the war on drugs and the casualties. (November 13, 5:00pm, Barrel Room Theatre; November 15, 5:30pm, Oddfellows Hall). West Coast Premiere

The Narrative and Documentary Feature Competitions are sponsored by Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors of the Narrative and Documentary films in competition participate in NVFF’s unique Artists-in-Residence Program presented in partnership with the incomparable Meadowood Napa Valley. Directors stay at the luxury resort for six nights during the festival and are treated to special events and workshops with their competition group and industry mentors. Meadowood Napa Valley will also award $10,000 to the winning filmmakers in both the Narrative and Documentary competition categories at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 16.

Documentary Competition: · #chicagoGirl: The Social Network Takes On A Dictator, Director Joe Piscatella (California Premiere) · American Native, Director Steven Oritt (World Premiere) · An Honest Liar, Directors Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom (California Premiere) · Botso, Director Tom Walters (Bay Area Premiere) · Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank, Directors Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler (West Coast Premiere) · Flying The Feathered Edge; The Bob Hoover Project, Director Kim Furst (World Premiere) · Havana Curveball, Directors Ken Schneider and Marcia Jarmel· States of Grace, Directors Helen S. Cohen and Mark Lipman · Underwater Dreams, Director Mary Mazzio · What the F@#- is Cancer and Why Does Everybody Have It?, Director A.W. Gryphon

Narrative Competition: · Amira & Sam, Director Sean Mullin (California Premiere) · East Side Sushi, Director Anthony Lucero (World Premiere) · Fall To Rise, Director Jayce Bartok (California Premiere) · Kinderwald, Director Lise Raven · Like Sunday, Like Rain, Director Frank Whaley · Little Accidents, Director Sara Colangelo · Song One, Director Kate Barker-Froyland (West Coast Premiere) · Sun Belt Express, Director Evan Buxbaum (California Premiere) · Teacher of the Year, Director Jason Strouse · Thank You A Lot, Director Matt Muir (California Premiere) · The Road Within, Director Gren Wells · WildLike, Director Frank Hall Green (West Coast Premiere)

The rest of the NVFF film line-up is as follows:

Lounge Features: · All Stars, Director Lance Kinsey (West Coast Premiere) · Bar America, Director Matthew Jacobs · Big In Japan, Director John Jeffcoat (California Premiere) · Cheatin’, Director Bill Plympton · Gone Doggy Gone, Directors Brandon Walter and Kasi Brown · Goodbye To All That, Director Angus MacLachlan (West Coast Premiere) · Growing Up and Other Lies, Directors Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky · Mudbloods, Director Farzad Nikbakht (Bay Area Premiere) · Time Lapse, Director Bradley King (Northern California Premiere) · We’ll Never Have Paris, Directors Jocelyn Towne and Simon Helberg (California Premiere)

Special Presentations: · #standwithme, Directors Patrick Moreau and Grant Peelle (World Premiere) · Big Dream, Director Kelly Cox (Special Sneak Preview) · Buscando A Gaston (Finding Gaston), Director Julia Patricia Perez (US Premiere) · Food Chains, Director Sanjay Rawal (West Coast Premiere) · Hairy Who & the Chicago Imagists, Director Leslie Buchbinder (West Coast Premiere) · Half The Road: The Passion, Pitfalls & Power of Women’s Professional Cycling, Director Kathryn Bertine · Harlem Street Singer, Directors Trevor Laurence and Simeon Hutner (West Coast Premiere) · Harmontown, Director Neil Berkeley · Last Days In Vietnam, Director Rory Kennedy · Stretch, Director Joe Carnahan (World Premiere) · True Son, Director Kevin Gordon · Impossible Light, Director Jeremy Ambers

2014 Festival Sidebar – Architecture (sponsored by Blue Homes): · Henry Hornbostel in Architecture and Legacy, Director Mark Fallone (California Premiere) · Lutah, Director Kum-Kum Bhavnani (Northern California Premiere) · Paolo Soleri: Beyond Form, Director Aimee Madsen (Northern California Premiere) · Robin Boyd: Australian Beauty, Director Kerry Gardner

Special Presentation Short Stories: · Ace of Diamonds, Director Ana Overgaard · LA Miner, Director Thomas Wood (Bay Area Premiere) · The War Photographers, Director Steven Kochones

Special Presentations: Pixar & Disney Programs: · Lava, Director James Murphy · The Tunes Behind the Toons, Director Dave Bossert (Bay Area Premiere)

Special Presentations: The Whinnies: · Freedom of the Heart, Director Jolanda Ellenberger (US Premiere) · Horse Medicine, Director James Anaquad Kleinert · Riding My Way Back, Directors Robin Fryday and Peter Rosenbaum

Documentary Short Programs: A Stroll the Park: An Asbury Symphony, Albie (World Premiere), Cab City (World Premiere), Crooked Candy (California Premiere), David Hockney in the Now: In Six Minutes, Slomo, The Bulletproof Stockings, The Lion’s Mouth Opens, The Ox, White Earth (Bay Area Premiere), The Invisible Peak

World Cinema Shorts: 5 Tropoina Pethaneis (5 Ways 2 Die), Bis Gleich, Chronophobe (California Premiere), Into the Silent Sea, Lan Yen, Rez Carz

Narrative Shorts:

His Keeper, Horrible Parents (World Premiere), Last Shot (Nor Cal Premiere), Mediation, My New Apartment, Pin It (Nor Cal Premiere), Snail (Nor Cal Premiere), Team Work (World Premiere), The Gunfighter, An Honorable Man (California Premiere), Care, Gift, Immaculate Reception, Looms, Be My Unfinished (World Premiere), New, One Foot In (World Premiere), Plain Clothes, Salvatore (Nor Cal Premiere), Selling Rosario (World Premiere), The Inheritance, Undercover, Bunion, Humpty (California Premiere), Leonard in Slow Motion, Neighbors, Sure Thing (Nor Cal Premiere), The Motion Picture Co. 1914 (Nor Cal Premiere), The Oven

Animated Shorts: Collectors, Silent, Humanexus, John Doe, Prelude, Sticky, The Box, The Duck, The Missing Scarf, The Umbrella Factory

Panel Discussions:

Each year the Napa Valley Film Festival welcomes a long guest list of filmmakers and industry attendees for its informative and entertaining panels covering a wide range of topics. The Film Industry Panels take place Friday, November 14 – Sunday, November 16 and are located at 500 First Street, Napa.

Friday, November 14th · Pitch Contest Boot Camp - Industry veterans Peter Belsito and Scott Manville teach aspiring writers, directors and producers the ins and outs of how to successfully pitch a new project. Help decide which of the 24 semifinalists move on to the final pitch on Sunday. (10:00 a.m.) · Actors in Conversation - Moderator Dave Karger, Fandango’s Chief Correspondent, gets up close and personal with some of visiting actors as they discuss choosing projects and preparing for roles (12:00 p.m.) · Power Players - Top talent agents, managers, studio executives, producers and financiers talk about what it really takes to put movie projects together in today’s rapidly evolving entertainment industry. Moderated by J. Todd Harris. (2:00 p.m.)

Saturday, November 15th

· Bill Plympton Presents... – “The King of Indie Animation” unspools a tour de force presentation on the art of creative visual story-telling. (10:00 a.m.) · Hope For Film: A Conversation with Ted Hope - Multi-talented indie producer Ted Hope believes the best days of the film industry still lie ahead. (12:00 p.m.) · Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch - Variety’s executive editor Steven Gaydos moderates a roundtable discussion with some of the hottest rising stars in the producing world today. The conversation will dive deep into the myriad of challenges and opportunities they encounter every day. (2:00 p.m.)

Sunday, November 16th · Pitch Contest Final - A dozen finalists pitch their new ideas and audience members get to vote. The winner gets a $1000 cash prize from Scott Manville’s TV Writers Vault and a chance to present to The Weinstein Company. (10:00 a.m.)

· Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Women Behind the Camera - Lissa Gibbs moderates a discussion of the challenges faced by women writer-directors in an industry heavily dominated by men. Our female competition filmmakers share their experiences. (12:00 p.m.)

· Meet the Artists: Documentary Filmmakers - Documentary filmmaking has been having a great run over the past decade. Join 2013 Academy Award winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom) and other directors for a lively discussion on bringing their stories to life on the big screen. (2:00 p.m.)

For information or to buy passes, visit NVFF.ORG or call 707-226-7500. About the Napa Valley Film Festival and Cinema Napa Valley The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) is produced by Cinema Napa Valley, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization headquartered in Napa, California. Cinema Napa Valley’s mission is to support the art of independent filmmaking and cinematic storytelling; enhance and diversify Napa Valley’s cultural landscape, and to provide educational opportunities in and out of the classroom for local students.

Major Sponsors: Mercedes-Benz (Official Automobile Sponsor), Amazon Web Services & Intel, Sterling Vineyards & Beaulieu Vineyards, Meadowood Napa Valley.

Leading Sponsors: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Stella Artois, Terlato Family Wineries, AVMS, Domaine Chandon, Caesarstone, BRKLY

Supporting Sponsors: ColorZone, The Vintage Estate, The Weinstein Company, Cognition Studio, Classic Party Rentals, Benchmark Wine Group, Indian Springs Resort & Spa, City Winery Napa, Westin Verasa Napa

Top Media and Marketing Partners: Variety, Traditional Home Magazine, More Magazine, Wine Spectator, NBC Bay Area, and XFINITY by Comcast

OFFICIAL NVFF PRESS RELEASE