The mission of the California Film Institute is to celebrate and promote film as art and education. We achieve this goal through three core programs: year-round programming at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival, and the CFI Education Program. The Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, a beautifully restored, state-of-the-art, three-screen theaters is one of few nonprofit theaters in the United States. The venue exhibits independent documentaries, classics, retrospectives, features, international works and hosts special events with filmmakers from around the world year-round. For weekly movie information, please click here.

In 1978, California Film Institute Director Mark Fishkin founded the Mill Valley Film Festival, the world-renowned 11-day festival is held every October, screening over 200 innovative US and international films. The annual event is consistently rated as one of the top film festivals in the nation.

Through innovative educational programs, CFI Education touches the lives of over 5,000 children annually with free screenings for school groups and their families, filmmaking workshops and a year-long cinema appreciation curriculum. CFI Education promotes tolerance and a sophisticated worldview by expanding classroom topics across borders and disciplines.