The New Orleans Film Festival has established itself as one of the leading cinema events in the US. It's been hailed as the 'Cannes on the Mississippi' for its prestige and importance, and now draws in nearly 500 filmmakers and 25,000 attendees each year. It's an Academy-accredited and Oscar-qualifying event, which means some of the crème de la crème of global filmmaking will be on if you happen to be around when it takes to the screens in New Orleans come October.

New Orleans Film Festival - one of the highlights of 10 Best Festivals in New Orleans (Read all about New Orleans here)

A brief history of the New Orleans Film Festival

The New Orleans Film Festival has been run by the not-for-profit New Orleans Film Society since 1989. The first event was known as the New Orleans Film & Video Festival. It aimed to showcase some of the best regional filmmaking talents from Louisiana and the Deep South.

The 1990s saw a major expansion in the festival when it broadened its scope to include films from all around the globe. Later, it gained recognition as an Oscar-qualifying festival and shifted its focus to pieces made by a diverse range of filmmakers and directors, particularly from the BAME and LGBTQ+ communities.  

What are the highlights of the New Orleans Film Festival?

Don't go thinking that the New Orleans Film Festival is like all other film festivals. Not a chance. This is the Big Easy, remember? No event can pass the city’s honky-tonk-riddled streets without getting a little bit wild and raucous.

The multiple showings that take place are spread over 20 or more venues throughout the city. Many of them lurk in the depths of the rambunctious French Quarter, the historic Warehouse District, or lively Uptown. Examples include the grand Orpheum Theater, with its Art Deco auditorium dating from 1918. Compare that to the indie-style arthouse Prytania Theatre, with its noir viewing rooms close to West Riverside.

Of course, motion pictures are the main draw of the New Orleans Film Festival. Most are submitted by filmmakers from all around the globe and then curated for viewing by the New Orleans Film Society. They all fit the mantra of the festival – to be unique, engaging, and show a different perspective.

On top of that, you also get open-day parades and Mardi Gras-style afterparties that really channel the iconic character of Louisiana's biggest city. That means you'll spend your evenings sipping Sazerac cocktails with the VIPs of Hollywood South or chatting about the latest developments in cinematography on a moody Mississippi steamboat cruise.

foto av Reading Tom (CC BY 2.0) redigerad

Good to know about New Orleans Film Festival

The New Orleans Film Festival takes place in autumn, typically in the first or second week of October. It's an annual event that's open to the public. Tickets for individual screenings can be purchased separately. Or, you can go for access-all-areas passes that'll give you free rein of the festival for the whole duration.

The festival takes place all over town in a variety of venues. However, its nerve centre is around the south side of the French Quarter, with the main hub being the Contemporary Arts Center on Camp Street.

New Orleans Film Festival

Adress: Various venues in New Orleans

Öppettider: October

Telefonnummer: +1 504-309-6633

Joseph Francis | Skribent