Cambria Film Festival
A few weeks ago we headed up North and to check out The 3rd Annual Cambria Film Festival! Each years theme is “Romance and Complexity of Love”, so you know we were all about it! The little beach town itself is just straight out of a love novel.
Keep reading to find out about some of the favorite films we saw, what to expect at the festival, Where to stay -WITH DOGS! As well as some delicious food recommendations and the best little cliff beach walk we have ever been on!
Where is Cambria?
Cambria is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles along California State Route 1. The name Cambria, chosen in 1869, is the Latin name for Wales. Cambria is situated amidst Monterey pines in one of only three such native forests
LA to Cambria
Cambria is just a couple hours from LA! just about 3 1/2 hours to be exact just a little bit past SLO! We love a good road trip and this one our favorite! It takes you on the scenic HWY 1 most of the time!
As soon as we arrived we picked up our VIP tickets at the Cambria Center For The Arts building.
We love exploring new things and not having any reserves or expectations. At film festivals you are forced to do this. You are placed in the present moment without really knowing much about what you are going to see and we love that.
In our opinion film festivals are a meeting places for filmmakers and people who are interested in the world in its variety, different approaches to life, film as an art form, a medium and a tool of social expression. Film festivals offer filmmakers a platform to introduce their work and discuss topics shown in the film as well as the filmmaking process. Hence festivals encourage and create dialogue between people.
Immediately we saw a few great movies! A feature about a neurotic bride that pranks her soon to be husband, only to have the whole thing backfire –called “Batshit Bride”. It was great and the actress was there after the screening to answer questions.
Where To Stay – DOG friendly!
Oceanpoint Ranch
We stayed at the lovely OceanPoint Ranch and we a serious fans of this place! First the property is huge, beautiful and right across from the beach. It dog friendly upon request and availability and it the perfect spot for a slow getaway.
A True Seaside Retreat Among Moonstone Beach Hotels
Cozy, comfortable, and affordable, Oceanpoint Ranch is nestled just steps from the stunning shores of Moonstone Beach. Sprawling across 9 seaside acres, be among the first to experience our oceanfront hotel in Cambria, CA surrounded by landscaped gardens, historic Cypress Trees, and Monterey Pines.
They have huge fire pits that you can use, lawn games and really well manicure lawn to walk he pups around on.
The Lobby is just straight goals ALL DAY!
And the rooms are just the perfect touch of western chic!
The Canteen
They have a convention little store that is open for breakfast and an early dinner.
At The Canteen, you will find made-to-order breakfast for on-site dining alongside an array of grab and go items to make picnicking an absolute breeze. 
We ate here every morning and a few times at night! They are open for Dinner Tuesday through Saturday serving up home-style favorites! Definitely recommend the Mac and Cheese and Spinach Salad!
The Canteen can also Build you a Picnic: Basket: Check. Blanket: Check. Wine: Check. Charcuterie: Check. S’mores: Check. Find out more HERE
The Perfect Spot For a Hotel
Just moments from town, This Cambria hotel is positioned in a secluded spot on Moonstone Beach Drive, only 6 miles south of Hearst Castle and within easy driving distance to Paso Robles wine region.
We loved walking the property with the dogs!!
At Oceanpoint Ranch, guests have direct access to a private beach trail, which connects to the 1-mile boardwalk that meanders along the coast of Moonstone Beach. They’re also just a short walk from Leffingwell’s Landing, as well as Hearst San Simeon State Park, a state picnic ground that features tide pools and great wildlife viewing opportunities.
Where to Eat
The Cafe
Nestled in the town of Cambria in an old house, “the Cafe on Bridge St” offers a quaint, lovely ambiance for travelers from near and far. This is such a great place and will not disappoint.
The best sandwich ever and the service is great too. Cute English tea style decor, we loved sitting in their front outdoor area and they have a cute little back patio area too!
Small, quaint, privately owned and operated. We met the owner and he is a gem as well! Ask him about his favorite bulldog on Instagram!
Food we think you would make for yourself at home if you had the time!
Leo had the Hot Beef Ortega Meltsliced beef, pepperjack and cheddar cheese, ortega chile, tomatoes, pickles, jalapeños, mayo, mustard served on a toasted wheat bun with choice of salad and I had the best Cobb Salad! with bacon, chopped egg, blue cheese crumble, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, walnuts and avocado with balsamic dressing! YUM!
There isn’t much to say other than these sandwiches were so delicious!! Great portions for the price and on the way out of town we picked up two more! The Big Sur and the Tuna Stack!! So BOMB!
Main Street Grill
We stopped into the Main Street Grill to grab a quick bite in between films. It was a fun, open sports bar. The BBQ was great and the fries were HUGE!
The Black Cat
We stumbled across Black Cat Bistro on our last dinner. It’s a cozy place with a variety of main courses and a quality wine list! They specialize in the freshest local ingredients and have very creative dishes. It was a very delicious dinner!
Film Festivals
The festival was so much fun! We saws so many films that we loved but one sticks out as ours Favorite! It was a short Documentary called “The Love Bugs”
The Love Bugs
Over the course of 60 years, Lois and Charlie O’Brien, two of the foremost entomologists and pioneers in their field, traveled to more than 67 countries and quietly amassed the world’s largest private collection of insects–a scientific gamechanger with more than one million specimens and more than 1,000 undiscovered species. And now after decades of research and the development of a parental bond with their collection, these two soulmates decide to give it away. But they live in a time when the beleaguered field of science needs them most. And the O’Briens know they need to continue fighting for it. So they turn to their one million insects for a little help. This humorous and poignant documentary short explores the nature of Love–and the love of Nature–and what it means to devote oneself completely to both.
Film festivals are a vital link in the chain of global film culture! It’s sharing. Thanks to global digitalization film festivals are now an exceptional tool for crossing the communication channels from the most distant places!
We saw so many great documentaries, shorts, animations and feature films that inspired us and really got our creative juices flowing! We actually conceived a brilliant idea for a short film too!
Visit Cambria
Beach Access
One of the best parts the trip up north was the beach access. We were right across the street from the beach and having the dogs with us was the perfect excuse to walk morning and night on the sand!
Fiscalini Trail
Serene preserve with pine forests, fields & oceanside bluffs featuring walking trails & wildlife were just a short drive from our hotel.
Unique beauty and solitude encompassing ocean bluffs, grasslands and a Monterey pine forest on the central California coast. The dramatic ocean bluffs run over a mile along the shoreline and extend inland from the rocky coast to a forested ridge with breath-taking views of migrating whales, birds, and sea otters. Join us in enhancing the quality of life by helping conserve open space and habitats through stewardship and engagement.
We had such an amazing time we ever recreated the Festival Art work!
Would you be interested in attending this film festival? Have you ever been to Cambria!? We would love to hear your thoughts!