By Zoe Luczaj | Special to the NB Indy Let me set the scene. The ocean hums softly behind the red carpet. The sun dips behind the sand as bulbs flash in its place. Another year of the Newport Beach Film Festival begins, and I was there to bear witness—not...

By Zoe Luczaj | Special to the NB Indy The Newport Beach Film Festival concluded its 2025 slate on Thursday, Oct. 23 with Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited “Frankenstein,” a nearly three-hour gothic epic that filled both the historic Lido Theater and the Regal Edwards Big Newport screens. The screening marked the...

The 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival featured movie premieres, A-list talent, independent filmmakers, and memorable after-parties as part of the Festival’s 25th anniversary. Not to be outdone, this year’s 26th edition of the Newport Beach Film Festival managed to exceed expectations and actually outdo last year’s impressive edition. From October 16...

By Zoe Luczaj | NB Indy Arts Columnist Universally acclaimed Korean director Park Chan-wook, celebrated for his iconic works like “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden” and “Decision to Leave,” enthralled audiences at the Newport Beach Film Festival with a sold-out screening of his highly anticipated film “No Other Choice.” He describes his newest...

Newport Beach has several long-running holiday celebrations. One of the most colorful is the annual Lighting of the Bay at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Every night from November 28 through January 4, the bay comes alive with more than 50 floating and lighted...

At last summer’s Orange County Fair, more than 50,000 ears of corn were shucked by County Fair Corn Stars. At Segerstrom Center for the Arts, nearly 50,000 theatergoers are getting “Shucked” this fall. “Shucked” is the Tony Winning musical comedy that was planted on Broadway in 2023 and is now on...

Luna is an outgoing immigrant from the Philippines. The more cautious Jane has recently arrived from South Korea. They meet in a grocery store on Thanksgiving Day, 1973. Alone in a country they don’t know, they join forces to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Longing for connection, Luna invites Jane to...

Excitement is building for Pacific Symphony as the orchestra launches its 2025-26 Classics and Pops seasons. Longtime Music Director Carl St.Clair is passing the baton to Artistic and Music Director Designate Alexander Shelley, who conducted his first Classics Concert of the season October 16. Relative newcomer Enrico Lopez-Yañez, the symphony’s Principal...

The Newport Beach Historical Society presents Chris Epting on “Lost Landmarks of Orange County” for the Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Balboa Fun Zone. Epting is a New York Times bestselling author and television host. Join us to explore his "Lost Landmarks of...