Blog: Film festivals

The New Urbanism Film Festival is a film festival with a purpose. We want to encourage audiences to think about how they can make their cities and towns a better place. If your film addresses issues in that area, we'd like to see it.

We give awards for the best short film in each of these categories
-Architecture
-Bicycles
-Economic Development
-Healthy Cities
-Street Art / Public Art
-Tactical Urbanism
-Urban Design
-Walkability

The Top Prizes are
-Best of Fest (Best Film (feature or short) explaining New Urbanism
-Emerging Ideas (Workshop, Installation, Presentation, or Event held during the festival)

After the screenings, audiences are invited to dialogue with leading urban thinkers about the issues raised during the movie and discuss current local projects.

The festival also offers lots of special events, workshops, tours and classes that help audiences take lessons from the film and apply them to their hometown. We strongly encourage filmmakers to attend the festival.

This festival attracts filmmakers, artists, street artists, architects, urban planners, political leaders, bicycle advocates, faith-based community leaders, and fans of the urban environment. Here's a list of some of our past guest speakers.

Melissa Balmer, California Bike Coalition
Howard Blackson, president California Chapter of the Congress for the New Urbanism
Andy Boenau, host Urbanism Speakeasy,
Chris Bruntlett, director, Vancouver Cycle Chic
Diego Cardoso, L.A. Planning Commission, Director of Planning at LA METRO
Rick Cole, Los Angeles Deputy Mayor for Budget & Innovation,
Tim Deegan, former Chair of the Mid City West Community Council
Chris Elisara, board member, Congress for the New Urbanism
Scott Epstein, chair Mid City West Community Council
William Fain, architect and urban planner, partner Johnson Fain,
Dawn Finley, co-founder, Feminist Library On Wheels
Nat Gale, LA Great Streets Program Director, Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti
Debra Gerod, Partner, Gruen Associates,
Dean Haglund, actor, the X-files,
Tim Halbur, director of communications at Congress for the New Urbanism
Karney Hatch, director, Plant This Movie
Eric Jacobsen, author, Sidewalks in the Kingdom
Scott Hamilton Kennedy, director The Garden
Colin Marhsal, host of Notebook on Cities and Culture
Kellie Morris, author, We All Ride Bikes
Bob Nesson, director, Power to the Pedals
Taylor Nichols, Mid City West Communit Council Transportation committee co-chair
Marquis Olison, community organizer
Moncho1929, street artist
Neal Payton, West Coast director of Torti Gallas Partners,
Stefanos Polyzoides, architect & urban planner MoulePolyzoides
Peter Quintanilla, Prince’s Foundation for Building Community
Thomas Rigler, producer of the KCET series CITYWALK
Rebecca Autumn Sansom, director, Trainsforming America
Meghan Sahli-Wells, Mayor of Culver City, co-founder of the Culver City Bike Coalition
Scott Schultz, creator, BUSted True tales from people who ride the bus in LA
Kyle Sears, New Parish Collective
Maria Sipin, co-host of Women Talk Bikes
Ryan Swanson, founder The Urban Conga
Barry Taylor, Art Center Professor of Advertising & Marketing
J. Keith Van Straaten, host, Beat the Geeks,
Mike Wells, producer, American Makeover: Fresno
Will Wright, AIA-LA honorary, Government affairs liaison

Awards & Prizes

Prizes include:

Award Certificate
Gifts from our sponsors and media partners
Free submissions for life
All Access Pass to NUFF2015