Newport Beach Film Festival Tickets On Sale

The Newport Beach Film Festival will kick off on April 28 with the world premiere of East Fifth Bliss, a new comedy starring Michael C. Hall (Dexter) and Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) at Edwards Big Newport Cinemas. 

Tickets for the festival—much of which will be held at Triangle Square in Costa Mesa, a source with the festival said—are on sale and can be purchased here. A full lineup and schedule of the films that will be shown are in a virtual program.

East Fifth Bliss is about 35-year-old Morris Bliss, a down-on-his-luck guy with no money and no job who still lives at home with his widowed father. His new relationship with his former high school classmate's daughter, who is only 18, initiates a comic unraveling of his life. 

"I am thrilled Newport Beach Film Festival chose East Fifth Bliss as the opening-night film of this year's festival. It feels good to have such a prestigious festival support and believe in our film. I'm looking forward to sitting in the amazing opening-night theater and experiencing East Fifth Bliss with 1,100 people, because for me, that's what it's all about," director Michael Knowle said in a press release. East Fifth Bliss marks his feature film debut.

Opening night of the festival will feature red carpet arrivals with the stars of the film. Hall, Fonda and Lucy Liu, also in the film, are expected to be in attendance. 

After the screening of East Fifth Bliss, the festival, which has partnered with Fashion Island and Esquire magazine, will host the Opening Night Gala at Fashion Island. More than 25 top Orange County restaurants will provide food. There also will be a fashion show with looks from Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom and a hosted bar by Absolut Vodka and Perrier. 

A large portion of the festival has been moved to Costa Mesa due to the remodeling of the upper level of Fashion Island, which includes the Edwards Cinemas, the previous home of the film festival. In order to keep the festival in Newport Beach as much as possible, screenings will also be held at the and Big Newport. 

The more than 400 films include exclusive world premieres, feature films,  independent films, foreign films student film series (including films from Chapman University and Orange Coast College), art/architecture series, documentaries and shorts.

The 12th annual Newport Beach Film Festival will run from April 28 through May 5.