Buffer a Newport Beach Film Festival experience
with luxury shopping, lavish seafood feasts and whale-watching.
As someone who spent a large portion of my life living in California, I’m perhaps the most surprised out of anyone that I hadn’t spent much time in Orange County.
Of course, I was tangentially aware that “the O.C.” is often characterized as L.A.’s quieter, more affluent cousin. I came of age in the 2000s, so I was practically raised on The O.C., Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County and The Hills. I remember being mesmerized by these shows’ orienting aerial shots of azure waves crashing onto rugged cliffs and winding residential roads hugging pristine coastlines. But, admittedly, I didn’t know much about the region – beyond that it’s where Kristin Cavallari confronted Lauren Conrad about their mutual crush at a beach bonfire. So, on a press trip to Newport Beach last fall, I was excited to experience both its foreignness and familiarity.
Newport, along with Laguna Beach, Seal Beach, Dana Point, Huntington Beach and San Clemente, is one of Orange County’s six coastal cities. It’s also one of its most cinematic. It’s where parts of surf-centric blockbusters like Blue Crush and Point Break were filmed, and where movie stars like Cameron Diaz and Nicolas Cage own oceanfront properties.
My trip was also anchored around the Newport Beach Film Festival, an annual, weeklong showcase of more than 300 indie works, documentaries, shorts, international screenings and big-budget studio films, plus industry panels, galas and more.
Established in 1999, the fest has grown into one of the largest lifestyle film festivals in the U.S., attracting more than 50,000 attendees each year. The 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival takes place October 16-23.
Once my flights were booked and my itinerary was sent over, I was also admittedly intrigued by a suggested packing list that included “smart casual” outfits and “even smarter” attire for the opening night of the film festival. As visions of celebrity sightings and private yacht clubs danced in my head, I set out to see what else this land of luxury by the sea was all about.
Opening Credits
I touch down in the O.C. on a sunny Wednesday afternoon and Uber to my homebase for the next few days – VEA Newport Beach (900 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-640-4000, marriott.com). I arrive at the modern, coastal-inspired hotel before my room is ready and wander around the lobby for a bit, from which I catch glimpses of the property’s swanky cocktail bar and infinity pool, and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The concierge suggests I check out the mall across the street while I wait.
Feeling restless and eager to rid myself of my luggage, I agree. Though calling it “the mall across the street” is a serious undersell. VEA is literally steps away from Fashion Island (401 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-721-2000, fashionisland.com), a 75-acre luxury shopping center featuring high-end stores like Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus and Prada, alongside boutique brands, specialty shops and dining destinations. I’m admiring its open-air layout, Mediterranean-inspired architecture, tiered fountains, lush courtyards and landscaped walkways when I stumble upon a large koi pond surrounded by topiaries and water sculptures. I can’t help but think how out of place it feels nestled between a L’Occitane and a lululemon, but I don’t question this unexpected moment of serenity, perching on a nearby bench to read until it’s time to head back to VEA and check in.
My room is on the ninth floor, overlooking the golf course at neighboring Newport Beach Country Club, with glimmers of the ocean in the distance. The view reflects the room’s subtle nautical touches – cerulean wallpaper, robin egg rugs and lamps that look like they’re assembled from sea glass. I quickly unpack and put on my best guess at “smart casual” to head down for dinner.
I feel instantly at home at Ocean 48 (151 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach, 949-989-0048, ocean48.com) – and it’s not because I’m relieved that I’m not underdressed. It’s because, I soon learn over wood-roasted crab legs and wild-caught sea scallops, it’s the brainchild of none other than Jeffrey and Michael Mastro, the James Beard Award-nominated brothers behind the Valley’s own Steak 44, Ocean 44 and Dominick’s Steakhouse. Debuting in Newport last August, it’s the Mastros’ most recent concept, and decidedly its most Californian. The interior is like Ocean 44 on steroids, with a glass-enclosed showcase kitchen, interior reflection pool, resort-style patio and private dining areas.
Scene One
My first full day in Newport Beach starts off at Crystal Cove State Park, which encompasses nearly 4,000 acres of protected land and sea, including a 3-mile stretch of pristine Pacific coastline, an underwater snorkeling and scuba diving park, dozens of hiking and biking trails, and a colorful cohort of 46 beachfront cottages built in the 1930s.
One of the cottages was converted into The Beachcomber Café (15 Crystal Cove, Newport Coast, 949-376-6900, thebeachcombercafe.com) in 2006, though its thatched roof and wooden porch suggest it’s been a watering hole since its construction in 1929. Happy hour is a daily celebration here, with a trumpet call and ceremonial raising of the “martini flag” at 5 p.m., but breakfast at The Beachcomber is also a bucket-list affair. Early birds are rewarded with shrimp- and crab-capped Bloody Marys and crave-worthy beignets with maple syrup.
I’m invited to emerge from my food coma via a tour of Crystal Cove’s historical seaside homes. As I weave through the diverse, multichromatic dwellings – spearmint cabins, crimson bungalows, lemon-colored Craftsmans – I learn that the Crystal Cove Conservancy saved the cottages from demolition in the early 2000s. Then, the nonprofit preservation society got to work renovating and restoring them one by one, updating their amenities while maintaining their vintage charm. Today, 21 of the Crystal Cove Cottages serve as sought-after vacation rentals with authentic décor and whimsical maritime monikers like Fisherman’s Perch. Another has been repurposed into a museum, where visitors can learn about the cottages’ cultural and historical significance, including their myriad Hollywood connections.
Final Take
My next Newport adventure takes me to Balboa Pier, home to the famed Balboa Fun Zone (600 E. Bay Ave., Newport Beach, 949-662-0193, balboafunzone.com), one of Southern California’s oldest coastal amusement parks. First opened in 1936, the theme park boasts nostalgic boardwalk rides, an arcade, eateries and souvenir shops. It’s also the gateway to Newport Harbor, where Newport Coastal Adventure (309 Palm St., Newport Beach, 949-922-8784, newportcoastaladventure.com) launches small Zodiac boat expeditions to get up close and personal with dolphins and whales. My tour guide is good about setting expectations – guests aren’t guaranteed to spot any sea life, and whale sightings are especially rare. But I’m just happy to be here, in a body of water that isn’t man-made, with a breeze whipping through my hair that doesn’t feel like a blow-dryer.
However, I do squeal with joy when a pod of playful dolphins swims up alongside the boat, gliding on its wake and leaping in the waves. On the way back to the harbor, we witness a gigantic, Y-shaped tail waving in the distance and are greeted by more dolphins and a colony of sunbathing sea lions.
My next stop, The Resort at Pelican Hill (22701 S. Pelican Hill Rd. South, Newport Coast, 888-507-6427, pelicanhill.com), offers a spectacle of the human-designed variety. I enjoy a memorable lunch with the O.C.’s high society, their Birkin bags and Tom Ford sunglasses placed gracefully on their tables, while I sit there slack-jawed in my Target slides. No matter – we’re all enjoying the same incredible house-made bucatini with harissa mascarpone. And we’re all gazing out at the shimmering Coliseum Pool, a 136-foot spherical masterpiece lined with more than 1 million hand-cut glass tiles.
As the credits roll on my time in Newport, there’s only one thing left to do: Apparently, you must be chauffeured in a duffy – it’s the local equivalent of riding a cable car in San Francisco or a double-decker bus in London. Sea Señorita Duffy (3333 West Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, 949-375-3413, seasenoritaduffy.com) is Newport’s only full-service duffy boat rental company, providing canopied, electric-powered boats for up to 12 passengers.
I float by Newport’s greatest hits – multimillion-dollar mansions, luxury yachts, private beaches, breathtaking seaside cliffs – on my way to dinner at The Cannery (3010 Lafayette Ave., Newport Beach, 949-566-0060, cannerynewport.com). Housed in a former fish canning facility, the century-old building was transformed into a restaurant in the 1970s and has since become a Newport institution, offering insane lobster rolls, swordfish tacos, sushi and clam chowder. The Cannery is also where I am introduced to cioppino for the first time. I cannot believe I’ve spent three decades on this planet without this smoky, tomato-y delicacy del mar.
But hey, there’s a first time for everything.
Coming Attractions
Here are three can’t-miss events at the 26th annual Newport Beach Film Festival (October 16-23). newportbeachfilmfest.com
Opening Night
Red-carpet entrances, world premieres and an opulent afterparty kick off the first evening of festivities.
Sunset Series
Attendees have the chance to rub elbows with cinematographers, screenwriters, animators and actors at awards ceremonies, interactive seminars and panel discussions throughout the week.
Sleeper Hits
Discover the next cult classic at NBFF’s Collegiate Showcase, Young Filmmaker Showcase or International Spotlight.
