VFF: Our Mission

Much like producing a film, producing a film festival requires a lot of time, money, and navigating red tape. VFF is an all-volunteer staff and we've committed ourselves and our resources to a cause we believe in: furthering the production, distribution, and education of filmmaking in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.

Production We don't put cameras into the hands of filmmakers (yet), but we do connect filmmakers with each other! Not only do we provide filmmakers with opportunities to meet each other once a month, but we are often asked to help out with crew and casting calls. We love being able to hook up a DP from Reseda or an Editor from Arleta. Plus, our signature program, “Made in the (818)” showcases our commitment to keeping production local. Don't be shy! If you need something or someone, feel free to ask -- if we don't have access to it ourselves, we know someone who does.

Distribution When The Valley Film Festival was founded in 2000, we were the first & only film festival in the (818). Over the years a few have popped up (one even tried infringing on our name), but as we enter mid-summer 2010, only two remain standing -- our friends at International Student Film Festival Hollywood and us! One of the biggest misconceptions about VFF is that we only screen films made in The Valley. Not true. We place an emphasis on films made in the fabulous (818) but our love for indie cinema spreads far & wide. We love that we've been able to bring films from Israel, Sun Valley, Australia, Studio City, Mexico, Woodland Hills, France, Van Nuys, Italy, and more to the NoHo Arts District. And we get just as excited as the filmmaker when theatrical distributors pick up a short or feature at VFF.

Eduction As a non-profit project of Community Partners, it was important for us to add an educational element to the festival. After all, it's part of our mission. We've gone from having informal round tables (thanks Chris Gore!) to partnering up with Video Symphony, FotoKem, EVS, Monkeyland Audio, and more to create seminars that leave you knowing more about a process, piece of equipment, or software program. We're always looking for trending tropics or companies who wish to share their expertise with us. If you have an idea, send it our way. If you want to be involved, get in touch!

We know L.A. is saturated with film festivals, large and small, but our corner of the city, The Valley, still only has one and we are dedicated to showcasing independent and studio produced work as long as we can.