The Ojai Playhouse will present its second annual Ojai Playhouse Film Festival from November 9 through November 15 at its historic single-screen theater in Ojai, California. Curated by Playhouse owner David Berger, the seven-day event features a selection of international arthouse films, festival discoveries, award contenders, and new releases from established directors.
Opening night on November 9 features Mike Leigh’s Tender Loving Care, which earned the Golden Shell for Best Film at the 2026 San Sebastián Film Festival. Additional festival entries include Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, Danny Boyle’s Ink, Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky, and James Gray’s crime drama Paper Tiger.
International titles on the schedule include Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi’s La Bola Negra. The week’s line-up also encompasses animated feature Ray Gunn, documentaries focusing on Bruce Dern and Carl Sagan, a 35mm screening of Ken Russell’s 1971 film The Devils, and a 20th-anniversary screening of Miami Vice: The Director’s Final Cut.
Passes and single admission tickets for all festival screenings are available for purchase directly through the Ojai Playhouse website. The event follows the inaugural Ojai Documentary Film Festival held earlier this year in partnership with Hotel El Roblar.
Originally opened in 1914, the Ojai Playhouse reopened in November 2024 following an extensive restoration project. Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, the 200-seat theater functions as an independent venue serving the region between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara.
2026 Ojai Playhouse Film Festival Schedule
Monday, November 9
- 4:30 p.m. — Tender Loving Care, directed by Mike Leigh
- 7:15 p.m. — The Debut, directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Tuesday, November 10
- 4:30 p.m. — Everytime, directed by Sandra Wollner
- 7 p.m. — La Bola Negra, directed by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
Wednesday, November 11
- 2:30 p.m. — Iron Boy, directed by Louis Clichy
- 4:30 p.m. — Diary of a Chambermaid, directed by Radu Jude
- 7:15 p.m. — Bucking Fastard, directed by Werner Herzog
Thursday, November 12
- 2:30 p.m. — Mouse, directed by Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan
- 4:30 p.m. — Bitter Christmas, directed by Pedro Almodóvar
- 7:15 p.m. — I Play Rocky, directed by Peter Farrelly
Friday, November 13
- 2:30 p.m. — Dernsie: The Amazing Life of Bruce Dern, directed by Mike Mendez
- 4:30 p.m. — Rose, directed by Markus Schleinzer
- 7 p.m. — Paper Tiger, directed by James Gray
- 9:15 p.m. — The Devils (35mm), directed by Ken Russell
Saturday, November 14
- 12 p.m. — Ray Gunn, directed by Brad Bird
- 2:15 p.m. — Coward, directed by Lukas Dhont
- 4:30 p.m. — Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff, directed by Nanette Burstein
- 7 p.m. — Club Kid, directed by Jordan Firstman
- 9:15 p.m. — Miami Vice: The Director’s Final Cut, directed by Michael Mann
Sunday, November 15
- 11 a.m. — Julián, directed by Louise Bagnall
- 1 p.m. — All of a Sudden, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi
- 4:30 p.m. — Ink, directed by Danny Boyle
- 7:15 p.m. — Elsinore, directed by Simon Stone
Tickets and additional information are available at www.ojaiplayhouse.com
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