Napa Valley Film Festival: 5 People to See (Including Kevin Costner)

We know it’s not cool to go gaga over celebrities—even if they are two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Costner— but we understand if you just can’t help yourself during the fourth annual Napa Valley Film Festival, taking place in Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga from Nov. 12-16. There will be 12 screening venues, 125 films, 300 filmmakers, 50 chefs and 150 wineries participating in the event that showcases the year’s best new independent films and is directed by co-founders Brenda and Marc Lhormer. We know you’re just dying to know, which haute celebrities are attending? Here are five to keep an eye out for and where you can spot them:

Kevin Costner

Photo Credit: Courtesy Napa Valley Film Festival
On Nov. 13, the extravagant Red Carpet Festival Gala will follow the screening of Director Mike Binder’s new film Black and White, starring Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer. NVFF Patron Circle Members and Pass Plus and Gala ticket holders will mingle with filmmakers and celebrities at the not-to-be missed party of the year. Guests will enjoy cuisine from more than 20 of the Valley’s top chefs including Ken Frank (La Toque), Bob Hurley (Hurley’s), Joseph Humphries (The Fox and the Farmer), and Victor Scargle (Lucy at Bardessono) and wines from more than 50 of Napa Valley’s boutique wineries. Costner will also receive the BVisionary Award by Beaulieu Vineyards at the Celebrity Tribute Program on Nov. 14 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville.

Mike Myers

Photo Credit: Courtesy Napa Valley Film Festival
Mike Myers will attend the festival with Shep Gordon, the original mega talent manager and subject of Mike’s hilarious, touching and award-winning documentary Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon. Fandango’s Chief Correspondent Dave Karger will moderate an on-stage conversation with Myers and Gordon will follow the screening. (Nov. 13, 2:00 p.m., Uptown Theatre)

Michelle Monaghan

Photo Credit: Jeff Lipsky

The always stylish Michelle Monaghan, whose latest film, The Best of Me, was released last month, will receive the Spotlight Tribute at the Celebrity Tribute Program on Nov. 14 at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. Afterward, she’ll attend the exclusive Celebrity Tribute Dinner at the magnificent etoile, at Domaine Chandon along with the other honorees, Kevin Costner and Jeremy Jordan.

Jeremy Jordan

Photo Credit: Courtesy Napa Valley Film Festival

Domaine Chandon will present the Rising Star award to Jeremy Jordan who appears in the NVFF Selection The Last 5 Years opposite Anna Kendrick. The Tribute Program will take place on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Lincoln Theatre in Yountville and will include video highlight reels and intimate on-stage conversations with Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush.

Shailene Woodley

Photo Credit: Courtesy Napa Valley Film Festival
Actress Shailene Woodley (The Fault in Our Stars, Divergent, The Descendants) will receive Variety’s Indie Impact Award at the 10 Producers to Watch event, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz, on Nov. 15 at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena. Variety Executive Editor Steve Gaydos will also be conducting a “Contenders Conversation” with Kevin Costner at the event. A screening of The Fault in Our Stars will run Sunday, Nov. 16 at 10:00 a.m. at the Uptown Theatre in downtown Napa, and Woodley will be in attendance for the Q&A.

There’s plenty more going on, including:

The Festival kicks off Opening Night on Nov. 12 with a Red Carpet screening of The Imitation Game. Fresh off winning the audience award at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, The Imitation Game stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley. Director Morten Tyldum is expected to attend. Following the screening, NVFF Patron Circle Members and other VIP guests will enjoy an Opening Night Party at the Napa Valley Museum catered by Estate Events by Meadowood.

Sideways – 10th Anniversary – Few films have so accurately captured the ethos of friends, wine and wine’s place in modern civilization, as the 2004 romance/road film/buddy comedy Sideways. After the special screening of the movie, festival attendees can enjoy a grand tasting of some of the best Napa Valley Merlots (Screening: Friday, November 14, 1:00 p.m., Yountville Community Center; public tasting and expert tasting panel follow from 2:30-5:00 p.m. at the Yountville Wine Pavilion).

For the full schedule, visit www.napavalleyfilmfest.org/schedule.

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