The New Orleans Film Festival is coming back to the Contemporary Arts Center this October, and The Shop at the CAC will be right in the middle of it.
The 37th annual New Orleans Film Society New Orleans Film Festival, presented by Andscape, takes place October 22–27, bringing more than 150 films and 250+ filmmakers to New Orleans. The festival is an Academy Award-qualifying event for documentary, narrative, and animated short films, and features filmmakers and stories from New Orleans, across the South, and around the world.
For this year’s festival, the CAC will serve as the Festival Host with The Shop being a primary hub, making 900 Camp Street one of the main gathering places throughout the week. Festival events at the CAC will include screenings in the Black Box and Warehouse Theaters, Cinema Reset, free events and panel discussions, and special programming for filmmakers. Guests should enter through the St. Joseph Street entrance directly into the Festival Hub.
The Shop as a home base for filmmakers
The Shop’s third-floor workspace will also have a special role during the festival. The VIP Filmmaker Lounge will be located inside The Shop, giving filmmakers, All Access Pass holders, and industry guests a place to work, meet, recharge, and connect throughout the festival.
It’s a pretty natural fit for The Shop. We’re used to being a place where people come to work, meet with clients, collaborate, grab a coffee, or take a break between meetings. During NOFF, that same space will become a gathering point for filmmakers and people working throughout the film industry.
The festival is also moving its free Filmmaker Conference entirely into the CAC Hub this year. The conference will feature workshops, live podcast recordings, lunch-and-learns, and fireside chats, giving filmmakers and film fans opportunities to learn, meet people in the industry, and hear directly from working filmmakers.
More than just movies
One of the best things about the New Orleans Film Festival is that it isn’t limited to sitting in a theater and watching movies. Along with screenings and filmmaker Q&As, NOFF includes parties, receptions, panels, workshops, South Pitch, and other events throughout the city.
This year’s festival also continues the Film Society’s focus on bringing new voices to the screen. The 2026 competition lineup was selected from nearly 4,000 submissions representing 38 countries, with 53 films made in Louisiana. The lineup includes documentaries, narrative features, shorts, animation, experimental work, and plenty of stories with a connection to New Orleans and the South.
Whether you’re coming to see a film, meeting a filmmaker, attending a conference session, or just looking to experience one of the city’s biggest creative events, the CAC will be a great place to start.
The New Orleans Film Festival runs October 22–27, 2026. The festival is hosted at venues throughout New Orleans, with the CAC at 900 Camp Street serving as the Festival Hub. Most of the festival can also be experienced virtually through November 1.
For the full lineup, schedule, tickets, and information about this year’s festival, visit New Orleans Film Society.