The 49th Mill Valley Film Festival runs October 1 to 11, 2026, with screenings in Mill Valley, San Rafael, and Larkspur. A selection of films also plays at BAMPFA in Berkeley. The festival is presented by the nonprofit California Film Institute (CAFILM) and describes itself as the oldest fall film festival in California.
Film runs close to home for us. Our office is in San Rafael, home to the Smith Rafael Film Center. Jess's neighbors Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto are the Emmy-nominated filmmakers behind Kelly+Yamamoto Productions, and we featured them in our Leaders, Storytellers, Dreamers series. If this is your first festival, here is how to make the most of it.
Where Is the Mill Valley Film Festival Held?
The festival spans five venues: the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, the Sequoia Cinema and the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley, the Lark Theater in Larkspur, and BAMPFA in Berkeley. From San Francisco, the Marin venues are a short drive across the Golden Gate Bridge.
For the story of how CAFILM took over the Sequoia and what that changed, see our piece on the Sequoia Cinema and festival week.
The Outdoor Art Club: The Festival's Living Room
Festival life centers on the Outdoor Art Club, a 1904 clubhouse designed by architect Bernard Maybeck, directly across the street from the Sequoia. You don't need a badge to come in, and festival help is available in the club's library daily from noon to 7 p.m.
Mill Valley Market runs a lunch cart on the patio from noon to 2 p.m. (October 2 to 9), and the patio bar is open from 4 to 6 p.m. (October 2 to 10). Our tip: between afternoon screenings, the patio is an easy way to grab lunch without leaving the festival.
More Than Screenings
This year's program also includes Family Film Day, panels, and the Mind the Gap Summit. After every screening, audiences can rate the film from their phones, and those votes decide the festival's Audience Awards.
How Do Tickets and Standby Work?
Standard tickets are $20, with lower prices for CAFILM members, students, seniors, and youth. Special events are priced individually.
If a screening you want shows as "Standby," don't give up on it. The festival releases more tickets every day at noon, and at the Marin venues, remaining seats are sold in person 15 minutes before showtime, first come, first served. BAMPFA does not offer standby. Lines open one hour before each screening, and the festival recommends arriving at least 30 minutes early.
When: Thursday, October 1 to Sunday, October 11, 2026
Where: Smith Rafael Film Center (1118 4th St, San Rafael), Sequoia Cinema (25 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley), Lark Theater (549 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur), Outdoor Art Club (1 West Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley), and BAMPFA (2155 Center St, Berkeley)
More Info: mvff.com
Source: mvff.com
