Every October, filmmakers, celebrities and fans, flock to Marin County for the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF). The festival is one of the Bay Area’s most beloved film festivals, showcasing Independent films, new voices, and unforgettable conversations. The city of Mill Valley may be small Mill Valley covers approximately 4.8 square miles in total area. But this festival is anything but small. The festival always starts the first week of October. MVFF is the unofficial start of Award Season. The festival which also has screenings at nearby cities San Rafael, Larkspur and even Berkeley California. The festival is the first major festival coming after The Toronto Film Festival and before AFIFest.

The 48th Annual Mill Valley Film Festival, ran October 2–12, 2025 in Mill Valley, California , was no exception: packed with star power, passionate audiences, inspiring tributes, standout films from around the globe. The festival showcases multiple films that go on to win Golden Globes and Oscars. In my opinion, MVFF has the best films of all the festivals I attend. There is a good reason for that. Zoë Elton has long served as the Director of Programming, responsible for selecting films and shaping the festival’s overall artistic program. Unfortunately for us in mid-2025, she announced she would be transitioning from that full-time Director of Programming role to a more part-time, curatorial position, where she’ll continue to contribute to programming and special festival initiatives while pursuing other creative interests. In my opinion Zoe, is the GOAT (greatest of all time) and her shoes will be hard to replace.

The festival kicked off in spectacular fashion with Chloé Zhao’s acclaimed film Hamnet, a lyrical exploration of loss and creativity based on Maggie O’Farrell’s novel. Jessie Buckley, who stars in Hamnet, was on hand for multiple packed houses in Mill Valley and San Rafael. The filmmakers participated in post show Q&As and was honored on stage with an MVFF Award recognizing her outstanding work and impact on cinema. As we know both ladies won Golden Globes for the film to go along with Oscar nominations for both of them. The ladies both attended together pose for photos together and solo and gave interviews to the video outlets.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

 All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

World Premiere Of “Valentina”

The next night was the world premiere of Valentina. The film had its debut on October 3, 2025, as part of the 48th Mill Valley Film Festival in California. This red-carpet event drew celebrities and industry guests, including Jessica Alba and Danny Ramirez, who posed together with the film’s cast and friends. Valentina is the debut feature from filmmaker Tatti Ribeiro, set in the border town of El Paso, Texas. The film is described as a hybrid narrative, blending scripted story with real interactions, and has attracted festival buzz for its bold storytelling.

 All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Tribute To Eva Victor

Up next was the first event/film I saw at MVFF 48. Actress Eva Victor had a tribute, and to be honest, I had never heard of her until that moment. Sorry Baby, which was not screened at the festival, debuted later on HBO Max. Eva Victor is a French-American actor, writer, comedian, and film director known for her sharp wit, viral online comedy, television acting, and feature film makers.

In 2025, Eva made her feature directorial debut with Sorry Baby, a film she wrote, directed, and starred in. It premiered at the festival and won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. The actress spoke about the film before a clip was shown. Eva, who really should have been nominated for an Oscar, delivered a movie that is both emotional and superbly crafted.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Spotlight On Zoey Deutch

The next event I covered was one of my most anticipated nights. Actress Zoey Deutch was honored for her work portraying Jean Seberg in the Richard Linklater-directed film Nouvelle Vague, which reimagines the making of Jean Luc Godard’s classic Breathless. The film premiered in 2025 and has received widespread attention for its debut at Cannes and subsequent release on Netflix.

In Nouvelle Vague, Deutch portrays the iconic actress Jean Seberg both as herself and in scenes inspired by Seberg’s role in Breathless, making it one of her most talked-about recent projects. The film is in French, which made it challenging for me to follow the dialogue through English subtitles while watching such a beautifully crafted work.

I would have called it my favorite foreign film of the year, but it was the only one I watched partly due to my dyslexia becoming more challenging as I get older. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

 Spotlight On Joel Edgerton “Train Dreams”

Every year, I see a movie I know nothing about that ends up stealing my heart. This year’s film was Clint Bentley’s Train Dreams. The story follows Robert Grainier (played by Joel Edgerton), a logger and railroad worker in the early 20th-century Pacific Northwest, whose life unfolds against a backdrop of sweeping change in America. The narrative spans approximately four decades of his life—from his orphaned youth and early work on the expanding railroads, through his marriage to Gladys (portrayed by Felicity Jones) and their family life, to experiences of love, loss, and the haunting marks time leaves on an ordinary man. The film is a quiet, introspective meditation on life, memory, and how the world’s expansion reshapes both the environment and individual existence.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Centerpiece Program: “Metallica Saved My Life”

“Metallica Saved My Life” is a documentary film about the band Metallica and the powerful impact their music has had on fans around the world. The documentary was directed by Jonas Åkerlund, who has previously worked with the band on music videos. The film focuses less on the band’s legacy and more on personal stories from fans who were helped by their music theraphy. The film deals with something that Metallica says live in concert “You are not alone”. The film samples themes as Grief and trauma Depression and mental health struggles. I literly could have been in the film. Songs like “Fade to Black” helped me through some tough times. I will be forever grateful to the band for being my therapist and making me realize I was not the only one with these feelings.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

 Spotlight On Rose Byrne

Rose Byrne appeared at a spotlight screening of ‘”If I Had Legs I’d Kick You“, a new film directed by Mary Bronstein, in which she delivers a standout performance as a therapist whose life is unraveling. The film was part of the festival’s Spotlight event on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.

The film has been recognized on the awards circuit for Byrne’s performance, earning acclaim and wins including the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, a Golden Globe Award, and a slew of other critics’ honors underscoring why her spotlight at MVFF was such a draw for audiences and industry members alike.

The actress appeared before and after the film, thrilling fans who were excited to see her live and in person.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

MVFF Award For Lifetime Achievement: Spike Lee

The final Red Carpet I photographed was a Spike Lee tribute for the  MVFF Award for Lifetime Achievement is an honor given as part of the festival’s Tribute program to recognize a filmmaker’s significant contributions to cinema over the course of their career.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

The Closing Night film for the Festival was Rental Family a film about an American actor navigating work in a Japanese surrogat. The film stars Brendan Fraser and was directed by Hikari.

The one of festival’s Audience Choice Award, went to Tia Lessin and Carl Deal’s “Steal This Story, Please,” a documentary about the life and career of journalist Amy Goodman that resonated deeply with festivalgoers. MVFF Overall Audience Favorite HAMNET (Chloé Zhao). You can check out al the winners here:

Audience Favorite | Independent Cinema – IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (Jafar Panahi)

Audience Favorite | World Cinema – CALLE MÁLAGA (Maryam Touzani)

Audience Favorite | US Cinema – HONEYJOON (Lilian T. Mehrel)

Audience Favorite | Documentary – ANDRÉ IS AN IDIOT (Tony Benna)

Audience Favorite | Family – AKIKO, THE FLYING MONKEY (Viet Helmer)

Audience Favorite | Active Cinema – FOREVER YOUNG (David Donnelly)

Audience Favorite | Mind the Gap – HAPPY BIRTHDAY (narrative) (Sarah Goher) and STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE!(documentary) (Carl Deal, Tia Lessin)

Audience Favorite | ¡Viva el cine! – VALENTINA (Tatti Ribiero)

Other awards given during MVFF this year include:

2025 MVFF Awards

MVFF Award, Acting | Jessie Buckley, Hamnet

MVFF Award, Acting | Tonatiuh, Kiss of the Spider Woman

MVFF Award, Acting | Joel Edgerton, Train Dreams

MVFF Award, Acting | Zoey Deutch, Nouvelle Vague

MVFF Award, Filmmaking | Jafar Panahi, It was Just an Accident

MVFF Award for Lifetime Achievement | Spike Lee

2025 Mind the Gap Awards & Prizes

Mind the Gap Award for Filmmaking | Eva Victor, Sorry, Baby

Mind the Gap Award Acting | Rose Byrne, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You

Mind the Gap Creation Prize Tatti Ribeiro, Valentina

This is usually the part of my blog where I thank people for checking out my blog and reminding everyone to support indie and local films, theatres independent music in your city.This blog is deadicated to one of Mill Valley’s own Grateful Dead and Dead and Company’s Bob Weir. Words cannot express how I feel about losing Bobby. “Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile” Here are some of my favorite photos I took him over the years.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography