Wine Country Film Festival opens July 23

Submitted Photo
DELTA: Oil’s Dirty Business, plays on Sunday, July 27 at the Kenwood Depot at 7:30 p.m.

The roving cinematic smorgasbord known as the Wine Country Film Festival is set for July 23 to August 3 at venues in Sonoma Valley as well as Napa. Now in its 22nd incarnation, the event will present – in between lectures and parties – features, documentaries, shorts and animation in six categories: World Cinema, Latin Cinema, US. Cinema, The Arts in Film (movies about music, dance and the arts), Cinema of Conscience (social issues) and Eco Cinema.
The festival will be centered in Sonoma for the first few days, before moving to Napa Valley for the second half. That schedule will be made public on July 13.
Ecological concerns play a big role at this filmfest, where the opening night film is “Dolphins” by British director Mark Jay. The movie, set in Brighton, focuses on a coming-of-age romance. On July 24, opening night festivities will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. beneath a huge tent at the Kenwood Depot, 314 Warm Springs Road in Kenwood, and will feature food and wine. Admission is $35 and benefits Dunbar and Kenwood elementary schools.
On Saturday, July 27, the second annual Paseo de Espana celebrates Spanish culture not only with movies, but also with a paella class and a samplilng of wine and food products from various Spanish regions.
Beyond the movies, the festival offers community activities such as Planet Party on July 27, which will feature a bird walk, green exhibits and a cooking demonstration by a chef from Tra Vigne in St. Helena.
The closing night movie, “The Maiden and the Wolves” by French director Gilles Legrand on July 27, tells the tale of an Edwardian-era femme whose fate becomes entangled with that of Mont Blanc’s last remaining wild pack of wolves.
The Wine Country Film Festival is seeing volunteers to host filmmakers and special guests, distribute promotional materials, sell tickets and usher visitors and perform other support services. Interested parties should call Justine Ashton at 707.935.3456.
Ticket prices range from $7 to $15 depending on the program. For a full list of events, visit www.wcff.us.