Get Outta Town: Mammoth Film Festival

Looking for a winter getaway?  Mammoth Lakes has long been a California favorite for winter sports, but it is now becoming a forerunner in a new genre: cinema.  The Mammoth Film Festival, now in its third year, has recently ranked among MovieMaker magazine's top 25 festivals  “worthy of the entrance fee” alongside local favorites like the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival.

This year, MFF takes place December 9 – 13 and is debuting two new categories: the Green Film Competition, which shows off films with environmental themes or movies produced in an environmentally friendly manner; and the Screening Series, which gives exposure to films which already have distribution deals.  The Extreme Sports category, which is a hit with Mammoth’s ski and snowboarding devotees, returns from last year, along with the elimination-style Film Tournament, where the audience chooses its winner.  Adding to the appeal of the festival, the Westin Monache Resort—which has the charm of a winter cabin with the luxury of an A-list hotel—is the official lodging. Many of the films will be screened right in the hotel, and there is an express gondola to the top of the ski slopes right from the hotel.   Definitely a trip worth the hour-long flight from L.A.

Westin Monache Resort, 50 Hillside Dr., Mammoth Lakes. 888-627-8154 or westin.com. Mention you're visiting for the film festival to receive special booking rates.