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In January 2015, a group of concerned citizens banded together to form the community coalition Napa Vision 2050—to protect the health, safety and welfare of the Napa community. If the standing room only crowd at September’s town hall meeting in St. Helena was an indicator, the group’s momentum is gaining. Some of the 100 that attended sported blaring red T-shirts with the catchphrase “Heli-no!” in celebration of the Napa Planning Commission’s 4 to 1 rejection of the Palmaz proposal for private helicopter use in Napa Valley. The group’s president, Dan Mufson, balks at the notion of the group’s “senior” status. “We’re doing this because we care. We could retire and sip Chardonnay all day, but instead we have come together because we care about our community.” Sentiments such as, “Whose home is this anyway?” “Don’t locals count anymore?” And my favorite: “Napa is nothing more than a boozy amusement park for grownups,” pepper the meeting. Issues discussed included out of control development, spa expansion, water treatment, hotel development and expansion, vacation rental abuse and traffic concerns. The question of balance (or lack of it) was raised, some fearing that Napa Valley is dangerously close to monoculture territory, while others feel we’re already there.
Only days after the town hall, the group announced its support (as did Napa Valley Vintners) for the Napa County Watershed and Oak Woodland Protection Initiative of 2018, which was shot down last year on a legal technicality.
Reel time
The Napa Valley Film Festival (NVFF) blows back into town November 8 to 12. This is one seven-year itch that refuses to be scratched, according to festival co-producer Brenda Lhormer. “We’re at a place where our process is smoother and our team is able to execute more flawlessly. The community knows what to expect from the festival
so they are more engaged. The retention rate among partners and the audience is greater, which means a richer more exceptional experience across the board.”
As far as local businesses are concerned, the value is evident according to Lhormer. “They’re excited the event continues to add significant economic value during the week of the festival. There’s an obvious increase in spending from new customers and they recognize and see this and want to capitalize on it.” Last year’s attendance reached 50,000 with economic spending weighing in at $5 million with similar results expected this year.
Local residents roll out the red carpet, with more than 90 families November 2017
more fully exploited this year with 13 culinary demos stirring it up on the culinary stage as filmmakers, CIA students and guest chefs team up to create inspired dishes at corresponding film screenings. This year brings the new NVFF app that will offer capacity/attendance push notifications to let festival goers know when a theater is close to full. This is especially helpful for those interested in scoring rush seats, which will range from $10 to $20 depending on the venue.
More than 100 films will screen this year, including features, shorts and provocative documentaries that cover topics as varied as female empowerment and grassroots political organizations, to foodie and wino fodder and offbeat flicks like Gateway Bugs, which dissects the movement of nearly 2 billion people on Earth that eat bugs for protein.
The fest serves up its share of celebrity struts with Will Farrell and famed director Nancy Meyers, and Michael Shannon being honored at celebrity tribute events, as well as David Arquette, Dennis Quaid, Elijah Wood, Ian Sumerhalder, and Nikki Reed, who are also expected to attend.
Lhormer gives suggestions for maximizing the experience. “Passes offer some of the best ways to enjoy the festival. This year we are offering lower-priced options, including midweek, day, and the new “flex” pass that lets holders pick five movies to attend at any time throughout the festival. If you can’t afford one of the passes, we like to say, ‘limited time/limited budget,’ rush tickets are another way to go.”
Bay Area filmmakers reign with more than 19 films that feature locations or filmmakers from the area including two doc shorts with subjects and storylines in Napa Valley schools.
While growth-related issues continue to divide our valley, events like NVFF attempt to straddle both sides by offering programing that appeals to tourists and locals alike.
