Newport Beach Film Festival set to roll in August

The pandemic-postponed Newport Beach Film Festival is set to return Aug. 6 through 20, organizers announced Tuesday.

The festival, now in its 21st year, will kick off with the world premiere of the documentary “A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story” in all seven theaters at the Lot at Fashion Island.

The film, by Brown’s eldest son, Dana, is a tribute to the man behind the iconic 1965 surf documentary “The Endless Summer” and the Oscar-nominated 1971 motorsports film “On Any Sunday.”

“Dad started the whole action sports film genre. He broke the mold, he broke the rules, he broke open the film category. There will never be another one like him,” Dana Brown said in a statement. “We could not think of a better fit for our world premiere than the Newport Beach Film Festival, which places such a strong focus on action sports programming and continually acknowledges Dad’s legacy in the Southern California community.”

The festival was originally scheduled for late April but delayed because of the coronavirus. Organizers will continue to take precautions, including physical distancing, no-contact temperature checks for attendees, single-use food containers, sanitizing stations and thorough cleaning.

All screenings will be held at the Lot multiplex, 401 Newport Center Drive. Opening night screening starts at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 6.

Passes and tickets go on sale July 7 at newportbeachfilmfest.com.

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