So many films, so little time.
With over 300 films (many of them short subjects) in the 2026 Newport Beach Film Festival, it’s impossible to watch them all over the eight days of the Festival, which runs October 15-22. Here are a few that stand out.
Featuring The Houston Ballet, “The Body is Water” is premiering at the Newport Beach International Film Festival on Sunday, October 18 as the centerpiece film in their Irish Spotlight series. The film’s stellar cast, including Saoirse-Monica Jackson (Derry Girls), Allen Leech (Downton Abbey), along with The Houston Ballet’s Julie Kent and Eric Best (both appearing in the film), and director Vicky Wight, will be in attendance for Q&A. The festival is also offering all ticket holders a traditional Irish music session at Muldoon’s Pub following the film. The Body is Water, which is set in Ireland and Texas, has its premiere while the Houston Ballet is at Segerstrom Center, which is why the dancers who worked on the film can attend the screening.
“Sydney Cash Makes Too Much Art” (Executive Produced by Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody), makes its West Coast premiere October 20 and 22. Sydney Cash is an 80-year-old artist who can’t stop making art. When space runs out and time grows short, his family faces an urgent decision about the fate of his life’s work. Turning the camera on his father’s artistic legacy, a son confronts the impact that a lifetime of compulsive creating had on their family.
“Sock It To Me: The Legend of George Schlatter” premieres at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 17). The film features legendary producer George Schlatter, 96, who reflects on a lifetime of groundbreaking television, from the iconic “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” to “Real People” and the creative revolution that followed. The film includes a fantastic ensemble of artists and cultural figures that contributed to the documentary, including Goldie Hawn, Tom Hanks, Lily Tomlin, Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel, Lionel Richie, Berry Gordy, Clive Davis, Jo Anne Worley and many others. The film is directed by Chris Coronado.
“As Far Back As I Can Remember…The Story of Goodfellas” has its World Premiere on October 17. Thirty-six years after Goodfellas changed cinema forever, “As Far Back As I Can Remember…The Story of Goodfellas” is the first feature documentary dedicated to Martin Scorsese’s landmark masterpiece. Directed and produced by Lisa Downs and Ashley Pugh, the documentary takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the most influential films ever made, exploring the extraordinary true story that inspired it and the people who brought it to life, including never-before-seen, behind-the-scenes video and photo archive featuring Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci.
“Emerging From the Shadows: Rediscovering the Legacies of Weinberg & Korngold” screens on October 18. Directed by Veronika Emily Pohl and produced by Bernhard Fleischer (BFMI), the film follows the supremely gifted and versatile cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper and four-time GRAMMY-nominated conductor and chief conductor of the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra Constantine Orbelian as they record works by two 20th-century Jewish composers of profound artistry.
Both composers were forced to flee from the Nazis during World War II. Weinberg’s entire family was murdered in the camps; he escaped Warsaw and established himself in Moscow under the Soviet regime, while Korngold fled Vienna to pursue life as a film score composer in Hollywood. Neither ever returned home.
“Child of the Rouge,” a short film directed by Taz F. Stark, screens on October 7 and 21 at The Lot. The film recounts the harrowing story of a young girl’s entry into the world on April 17, 1975—the day the Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh. The film is Academy Award-qualifying and is currently campaigning this awards season.
“Blow the Horn,” which premieres on October 20, is a film about three couples who are summoned by their psychologist on a Saturday for what they believe is an individual session. Upon arriving at an industrial artist’s studio, they realize that the therapist is a no-show and has instead left a letter and eight envelopes for the couples to conduct their own group therapy session, inviting each pair to reveal their darkest secrets to one another.
“Handle With Care,” a romantic dramedy starring Justin H. Min (“The Umbrella Academy”) and Nicole Brydon Bloom, screens October 16 and 19. The film premiered at the Rhode Island International Film Festival in August, where it won Best Feature and Best Actor. Handle With Care follows Cole, who in the wake of a year-long marriage, is going through a divorce. His life in tatters is further complicated when his lawyer informs him that the unopened wedding gifts they’d stashed in a storage unit are technically “joint assets” that Cole must return or sell online. What begins as an arduous chore leads Cole to unexpected corners of New York City. Each step of the way, Cole learns about his own shortcomings, life, love, and finds unexpected kindness with strangers.
“Wake on Sunday,” which screens October 18, features Cole Sprouse, Penelope Ann Miller, Chris Parnell, Nelson Franklin, Riki Lindhome, Michael Learned, Ali Astin, Willow Shields, Kelly O’Malley, and Ali Gallo, and is directed by Devon Michaels. On the day of their father’s wake, four semi-estranged siblings reunite to navigate their loss amid clashing relatives, awkward guests, botched funeral arrangements, and their wildly different ways of grieving. As a series of mishaps unfold, Rose, Cassie, Becca, and Cade struggle to make it through a day no one is prepared for.
“Stern Fever” has its U.S. Premiere on October 18. Once a closely guarded secret on Tasmania’s rugged southern coast, Shipstern Bluff became an iconic big wave surfing location, capturing worldwide attention in the early 2000’s. As surfers pushed the limits of what was possible, cameras arrived, and the secret was exposed. “Stern Fever” traces the evolution, obsession, and consequences of chasing one of the world’s most dangerous waves.
For show times and ticket info, visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
