Newport Beach Film Festival 2026 Closing Night Films and Venues

Newport Beach Film Festival 2026 closing night films offer two very different finales on Thursday, October 22: Behemoth!, a drama written and directed by Tony Gilroy, and Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires, a music documentary receiving its West Coast premiere. Both screenings are listed for Newport Beach venues, giving festivalgoers a choice between a Los Angeles-set character story and a behind-the-scenes portrait of a rock supergroup.

The closing program concludes the festival’s eight-day run, which began October 15. The official Newport Beach Film Festival site describes the event as an international showcase of contemporary screen culture and filmmaker conversations. Visitors should check their ticket confirmation before traveling because screening times and access instructions can change.

Newport Beach Film Festival 2026 closing night films

Behemoth! is scheduled at Regal Edwards Big Newport, located at 300 Newport Center Drive. The film stars Pedro Pascal as a cellist returning to Los Angeles after two decades on the road. Gilroy and production designer Jade Healy are scheduled to participate in a conversation connected to the screening, adding a filmmaking component to the closing-night presentation.

The second headline selection, Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires, is scheduled at the Lido Theater, 3459 Via Lido. Directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, the documentary follows the Hollywood Vampires—the group featuring Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen—from rehearsals and recording sessions to arena performances.

The documentary’s West Coast premiere makes the evening especially relevant to music-film audiences. Festival information has indicated that the director, members of the band and executive producer Paul Geary are expected to attend. As with any live festival appearance, guests remain subject to change.

Closing-night venues and timing

Current event listings place both headline screenings at 8 p.m. on October 22. Big Newport and the Lido Theater are separate venues, so the two programs should be treated as alternatives rather than a double feature. Earlier promotional material used a later time for the Hollywood Vampires documentary; ticket holders should rely on the time printed in their current order or the festival’s live ticketing system.

A closing-night reception has also been promoted for Sherman Library & Gardens in Corona del Mar. The reception and theater screenings are not at the same location. Allowing time for parking or rideshare travel is important, particularly for anyone moving from the reception to an 8 p.m. film.

The regional tourism listing for the festival reports a program of more than 300 films from 50 countries across the full eight days. That scale means the closing selections are not simply the final available screenings; they are programmed as public finales to a broad international lineup.

Which closing-night film should you choose?

Behemoth! is the stronger choice for viewers interested in narrative filmmaking, performance and a production-design conversation. The scheduled discussion offers a direct connection to the creative decisions behind the film.

Unleashed Spirits is designed for audiences interested in music documentaries, touring, studio work and the collaboration between established rock performers. Its West Coast premiere and announced guests make it the more event-driven option, while the Lido Theater provides a distinct historic-cinema setting.

Plan before leaving for Newport Beach

Have the ticket QR code ready, verify the venue name rather than searching only for “Newport Beach Film Festival,” and confirm whether a reception credential is separate from the movie ticket. Festival traffic, parking and guest arrivals can slow entry, so arriving early is sensible.

Hollywood Weekly’s earlier Newport Beach Film Festival 2026 practical guide covers the broader event. For closing night, the decision is straightforward: choose the Gilroy drama at Big Newport or the Hollywood Vampires documentary at the Lido, then verify the latest ticket details before departure.