From Oct. 17-25, the New Orleans Film Society will present the 29th annual New Orleans Film Festival (NOFF) at the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans. The event offers guests the opportunity not only to experience over 430 films but also to enjoy the company of  25,000 other attendees. The large assortment of activities offered at the festival will foster a growing appreciation of film for those in attendance.

Over the years, NOFF has increasingly gained attention and credibility as a reputable and

inclusive film festival. NOFF also boasts its attribution of being one of a select few film

festivals that is Oscar-qualifying in all of the three Academy-accredited categories: Narrative

Short, Documentary Short and Animated Short. Of the 25,000 attendees, over 400 are

experienced film makers and many more are other industry professionals.

Filmmakers submitted over 6,000 films to the New Orleans Film Society in hopes of

airing at the festival — about 90 percent of the films that will be screened at NOFF come from

these submissions. These factors contri bute to the uniqueness of the festival and its independent reputation.

To ensure the films portrayed at the festival are representative of all types of

voices, around half of the films chosen have been produced by women or

non-gender-conforming filmmakers. Those in charge of the festival also prioritized the recognition of local voices to encompass New Orleans’ culture — movies created by

filmmakers from Louisiana make up more than 25 percent of the NOFF’s lineup this year.

In addition to the movie screenings, there are also workshops and panel

discussions open to all members. Those with All-Access Passes are invited

to exclusive nightly events and after-parties offering cocktails, food and music. There is an

opening night party, a closing night party and countless events in the middle.

You can buy tickets for NOFF for individual events or packages of events. All-Access passes are also available and cost $270 or $320 for members and non members, respectively.