Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Despite record-breaking snowfall and blizzard conditions, the annual Mammoth Film Festival in Mammoth Lakes, California, hosted incredible talent, screened a wide range of amazing films and survived two snowstorms during its 2023 festival, held March 2-6th. With over 84 films, five days of programming, 22 international features and 14 world premieres, the festival did not let the weather stop them from a successful and buzzed-about run including four films sold to date from the festival marketplace, led by Bad Hombres to Screen Media.
The international festival in its 5th year, founded in 2018 by Tanner Beard, Tomik Mansoori, Alex Chando and Theo Dumont, kicked off with the screening of Lucas Needs An Agent starring High School Musical’s Lucas Grabeel, alongside Corbin Bleu, Sasha Clements and Katie Leclerc. Following the short debut was the highly anticipated film Padre Pio starring Shia LeBeouf and directed by Abel Ferrara. Due to the weather conditions, Shia and Abel were not able to make the screening, but surprised the audience with a video introduction. The film, which first debuted at Venice Film Festival, chose Mammoth Film Festival for its North American premiere.
Opening night of the festival was highlighted by a celebration at Canyon Lodge, located at the top of Mammoth Mountain. Talent took gondolas from The Village up to the notable mountain top, for a party overlooking the snowy hilltops. Guests sipped on Saldo Wines and El Cristiano Tequila cocktails.
Notables in attendance included festival judge, actress Jamie Chung; and The Mental State star, actor Bryan Greenberg; The Duel stars Dyan Sprouse and Hart Denton with girlfriends Barbara Palvin and Elysee Sanville, Callan McAuliffe, Rachel Matthews, Denny Love, and Patrick Warburton; On Fire Director, Producer and Actors Peter Facinelli, Peter Winther and Ross McCall. Talent attendees enjoyed the VIP bash to kick off the festival. Also present were festival judges Rob Weiss and Luke Watson, actor Kyle Stefanski, also producer from Wild7Films, and Lee Keinan from Danny A. Abeckaser’s The Engineer starring Emile Hirsch and Better Daze, and the producing and directing team of Bad Hombres.
Filmmakers and actors also continued to stop by the PEAK IV Therapy and Hydration Activation all weekend at Minaret Cinemas offering hydration, Oxygen Bar, IV Treatments (Vitamin, Energy Boost, Beauty and Hangover), and more. Talent such as Ashey Greene (Twilight), Joel David Moore (Avatar), Paul Johansson, Thomas Jane, Ross McCall and more engaged in the hydration boosts.
The multiple red carpets were packed with four days straight consisting of hundreds of filmmakers, from producers to writers to directors and of course starring talent, making their way down the Mammoth Film Festival red carpet at Minaret Theatres. Guests hydrated with PATH Water at the theatre, and also sipped on Saldo Wines and White Claw while mingling before their screenings at the theatre, as well as daily afternoon tastings by Saldo Wines at the filmmakers lounge.
Another film to note was the premiere of Some Other Woman directed by Avatar’s Joel David Moore was the spotlight film, starring Amanda Crew who was joined by husband Dustin Milligan, Ashley Greene Khoury joined by husband Paul Khoury, and also stars Tom Felton.
The festival and talent enjoyed a tasting event for El Cristiano Tequila’s new XR Extra Reposado at the newly renovated Sierra Nevada Resort. Talent and filmmakers such as Robert Kirkland (Yellowstone/Dyad), Aja Naomi King, Peter Facinelli, Ross McCall, Peter Winther, Paul Johansson, Lucas Grabeel, Wild7Films producers group of Kyle Stefanski, Gustavo Nascimento, Stocktip Dave, Mike Hermosa, Jon Carlo and more were in attendance at the fireside mixer event.
White Claw hosted a daytime event at The Village, featuring DJ sets at the main lift, for an Apre Ski event all afternoon attended by talent, filmmakers, festival goers and attendees, while Paramount+ activated a pop up mountain side streaming event showcasing their key films like Babylon.
Another call out deserved is to Michael Madsen’s American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective from director Dominique Milano, featuring Quentin Tarantino, John Travolta, Ron Perlman, Paul Sorvino, Mario Kassar, Angie Everhart, Donald Gladstein, William Baldwin, Chuck Zito, Mike Starr, Robert Forster, Daryl Hannah, Virginia Madsen, Charlie Sheen and many more. Michael was on hand to introduce the film which also won best documentary at the festival. Danny A. Abeckaser’s The Engineer, which premiered following the documentary, starring Abeckaser alongside Emile Hirsch, Kyle Stefanski, Robert Davi, Oshri Cohen, and Lee Keinan, won for best score by composer Lionel Cohen.
The film Dreamer won Best Picture and Best Actor, with Grand Jury Award going to Bad Hombres, Best Short to The Many Worlds of George Goodman starring Blair Redford, and The film Beach House, took home Best Achievement in Filmmaking International, by Best Director winner Hector Hernandez Vicens. The complete winners list can be found at MammothfilmFestival.org
Each day included a Shutterstock Portrait Studio, held at The Westin Mammoth. Everyone from Dylan Sprouse to Jamie Chung, Joel David Moore to Michael Madsen, Hart Denton to Rob Kirkland, Denny Love to Jimmy Jean-Louis, Bad Hombres director John Stalberg along with cast members Thomas Jane, Paul Johansson, Executive Producer Kyle Smithson, the cast of Dreamer starring Ari Lopez, and many, many more.
Sierra Nevada Resort served as a 2023 Mammoth Film Festival partner, debuting a completely redone property. Occupying a historic 1967 building that was once a preferred getaway for Hollywood elite, the newly reimagined Sierra Nevada Resort will welcome festival guests to a western classic reborn as a modern mountain retreat in the heart of Mammoth Lakes, California. A gallery wall pays homage to the original resort’s early Hollywood patronage with black-and-white photographs of former guests including John Wayne, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. Opened in 1967 by legendary real estate developer and former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, Sierra Nevada Resort has been a beloved fixture on Old Mammoth Road and a go-to for travelers spending time in the mountain town, overnighting en route to Yosemite National Park or beyond in the Sierra Nevada.
The festival could not happen without its sponsors and supporters, with the 2023 partners inclusive of Wild7Films, Sierra Nevada Resort, Saldo Wines, White Claw, El Cristiano Ultra Premium Tequila, Advanced Air, Peak IV Hydration & Therapy, Reign Energy, Honey Drop beverages, TAVI Apparel which presented Alex Chando’s annual “Her Voice” panel, The Westin Monache Resort, RAK The Planet, E-Tech Rentals, and PATH Water, as well as global photo agency and photo marketplace, Shutterstock and VisitMammoth.com.
