The Marfa Film Festival is a Film festival occurring annually in Marfa, Texas.
The Marfa Film Festival was founded in 2007 by creator Robin Lambaria and filmmaker Cory Van Dyke.
The program features works from promising newcomers and established filmmakers, as well as beloved or forgotten classics, including outdoor evening screenings in the arid landscape surrounding Marfa. The Festival does not designate winners, celebrating innovation and excellence in film through passionate curation and fostering a relaxed social space where up-and-coming filmmakers mix with adventurous cinephiles, industry veterans and living legends in a captivatingly scenic, culturally rich environment. Movies are shown one at a time to allow the possibility of viewing every film in the program without scheduling conflicts. Musical performances by popular acts, art installations, lounge spaces, and other special events are also a customary part of the 5-day event.
Festival alumni include Dennis Hopper, Larry McMurtry, Lou Reed, Omar Rodriguez–Lopez, and Heath Ledger.
The 2008 festival received accolades for an opening night screening on the "Little Boston" set of There Will Be Blood, which was filmed near Marfa. 400 attendees including crew members and extras who had never seen the film were shuttled to the set location 20 miles outside of Marfa. Other movies shown that year included Night of the Hunter, True Stories, The Innocents, Man On Wire, and two music videos directed by Heath Ledger. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes played their first-ever show at the 2008 festival, with an opening performance by artist Mia Doi Todd and Antony Langdon's band Victoria. John Paul and Eloise Dejoria, owners of Patrón and Paul Mitchell, financed the first festival.