The 29th edition of the Sonoma International film festival ran from March 25–29, 2026, bringing a program of global cinema to the heart of Wine Country. The event opened at Sebastiani Theatre with the California premiere of the college comedy Poetic License, a debut feature written by Raffi Donatich and directed by Maude Apatow. The screening attracted a full house and set the tone for a festival that mixes mainstream talents with independent voices, while surrounding programming leaned into the region’s culinary and vineyard culture.
Across five days the festival presented 104 films from 37 countries—41 narrative features, 16 documentaries and 47 shorts—and reported rising ticket sales as audiences responded to the lineup. Under Artistic Director Carl Spence, who joined the staff in 2026, and Executive Director Ginny Krieger, the festival continued to emphasize local ties: marquee screenings were paired with tastings at nearby wineries and dinners at area restaurants, and public art installations at estates such as Donum enhanced the cinematic experience for guests.
Opening night and a distribution snag
Poetic License: a lively premiere and delivery problems
The opening-night comedy Poetic License showcased Leslie Mann in a supporting role as a woman auditing a poetry class and connected with young actors Cooper Hoffman and Andrew Barth Feldman in comic turns. After the screening, filmmakers discussed an unexpected obstacle: the film’s initial distributor, Row K, reportedly refused delivery ahead of a planned May 15 release. The situation revived interest from potential buyers who had circulated offers at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, and festival staff expressed relief when a festival print arrived in time for opening night. The episode underscored how festival premieres can still be pivotal moments for films seeking wider distribution.
Centerpiece screenings and polarized reactions
The cinematic centerpiece of the program proved to be Steven Soderbergh’s two-hander The Christophers, written by Ed Solomon for Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel. The film won the festival’s top audience award and was picked up by Neon ahead of its wider release (listed for April 10). Organizers noted strong crowd enthusiasm and speculated that the film could generate awards-season momentum if its momentum continues beyond Sonoma. The documentary Jane Elliott Against the World took home the festival’s documentary audience prize and continues to seek broader distribution after its Sundance exposure.
Schnabel’s polarizing entry
Not all premieres met with unanimous approval. Julian Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante—an ambitious, multi-location adaptation of Nick Tosches’ novel shot in both color and black-and-white—provoked walkouts at the screening, particularly during a harrowing scene involving Oscar Isaac. The director attended the screening and participated in a post-film discussion with moderator Eugene Hernandez, and he expressed frustration about audience departures. Schnabel later suggested he finds other festival audiences more receptive; the film is slated to appear at Tribeca in June and will also play at Netflix’s Paris Theatre, where the streamer may situate it within curated programming.
Panels, juries and community recognition
Programming extended beyond screenings into discussions that addressed industry trends and practical concerns. The festival hosted an ‘Industry Veterans Tell All’ session featuring former Sundance director John Cooper, Cohen Media’s Robert Aronson, IMAX marketing lead Julie Fontaine, Mubi marketing chief Laura Kim, and Kirsten Schaffer of Women in Film. A separate session on casting, moderated by Carole Horst, included contributions from directors Barry Jenkins and Lulu Wang and casting professionals Kerry Barden and David Rubin, reflecting on the creation of the new Oscars casting category. The festival also honored local educator Peter Hansen with a standing ovation and presentations recognizing his long service to Sonoma Valley High School’s media arts program.
Awards and standout winners
Juries and audiences alike handed out a range of prizes. The Grand Jury awarded Best Narrative Feature to Spain’s Maspalomas for its intimate portrayal of an older man’s crisis at the start of the pandemic; a Special Jury Prize for Directing went to Marie-Elsa Sgualdo for Silent Rebellion. The Grand Jury’s Best Documentary honor was awarded to Chase Joynt’s State of Firsts. In shorts, the Grand Jury recognized Al Pattanashetty’s live-action comedy A Very Normal Seeming Man, Irving Serrano and Victor Rejon’s documentary short Voices from the Abyss, and Baz Sells’ animated short Two Black Boys in Paradise, among other mentions. Audience awards included the Stolman Audience Award for Best Film to The Christophers and the A3 Audience Award for Best Documentary to Jane Elliott Against the World, while Abalone Stories: Loss, Connection, Renewal won the McNeely Award for Best Short Film.