MENDOCINO CO., 5/23/26 — This year marks the 19th iteration of the Mendocino Film Festival, with 80 films shown across four viewing venues. Featured is the largest short-film program in the festival’s history, local and foreign films, ten films from the prestigious Sundance film festival, and special events keyed to the films. The festival starts Thursday, May 28 and runs through Sunday, May 31.
The Mendocino Film Festival was founded by Keith and Judith Brandman in 2006. The couple had been hosting movie nights in their Mendocino store, Gallery of the Senses, to demonstrate the sound quality of Keith’s handmade speakers. The screenings brought Mendocino’s film lovers together, and the idea for a film festival began.
Jill Eldridge, now the Mendocino Film Festival assistant director, remembers those early days, which consisted of people watching films in a room with 12 or 16 lounge chairs.
Nineteen years later, the festival has mushroomed, with an estimated 3,000 people attending last year.
“We have a hugely supportive community,” said Angela Matano, the festival’s executive director and programmer, who estimates that attendance has increased 10 to 20% every year since 2022.
This year, the festival is showing 80 films from 35 countries. Screenings will be spread across four coast venues—the festival’s own tent, Crown Hall, Matheson, and Coast Cinemas in Fort Bragg.
Give people what they want to see
Curating these films was a lengthy process. The festival’s programmers ultimately watched 500 films before making their selections. Their decisions came down to not just their own tastes, but what they thought Mendocino County residents would enjoy.
In that spirit, two-thirds of the programming is dedicated to documentary films, many of which focus on environmental stories, a category that Mendocino audiences tend to enjoy.
Some of these films are even set in Mendocino. One feature-length film, The Last Forests Project, documents the kelp forest decline along the Mendocino Coast with visually striking imagery. There is also a local short film program, called REEL MENDO, featuring stories in and around Mendocino County. And on the final day of the festival, a sneak preview of Coming Home: From Shadowland to Spirit World will screen. The documentary follows a Kashia Pomo tribal elder as he mentors a pair of young tribal members.
From documentaries to narrative films, children’s films to Spanish-language movies, the festival strives to have something for everybody, according to Matano.
“The fest is thriving because of the wonderful community that supports us through memberships, sponsorships, volunteer work, hospitality donations for our visiting filmmakers, and our high school team of projectionists led by Marshall Brown,” said Matano’s fellow programmer, Ann Walker.
Children’s choir and Democracy Now spawn special events
The weekend will also have special events and panels.
After the May 29 screening of You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine, local folk quartet Sweet Root will perform. While all 400 tickets of the show have sold out, festivalgoers still have a chance to attend a live performance the following day. On May 30, the Mendocino Music Festival Chorale will sing after a screening of Tina, a New Zealand film about a children’s choir.
Other events include a discussion with local journalists about the state of media, in response to Democracy Now! reporter Amy Goodman’s documentary, Steal This Story, Please!, and a pie sale inspired by Pieowa, a documentary about pie’s cultural importance in America.
And on May 30, the festival will host a free screening of children’s short films at Coast Cinemas, followed by a bike giveaway.
While tickets can be purchased at the festival’s office during festival week and at a screening’s venue 30 minutes before the film, the Mendocino Film Festival expects many sold-out shows. To ensure a seat, purchase tickets in advance on the festival’s website.
Visit the Mendocino Film Festival official website to purchase tickets, learn more about the festival, and view the screening schedule.