Tarzana International Film Festival unveils 2026 lineup with Gale Anne Hurd gala honor

The Tarzana International Film Festival returns Oct. 2-4, 2026, in Los Angeles with premieres, screenings and awards centered on independent cinema and imaginative storytelling. The fifth annual event will honor producer Gale Anne Hurd, with tributes to Chuck Norris and Sam J. Jones at its closing-night gala.

Why it matters: - The fifth annual Tarzana International Film Festival is leaning into independent film, legacy storytelling and emerging creative tools. - The festival’s closing-night gala connects today’s filmmakers with the Edgar Rice Burroughs creative legacy that helped shape Tarzana’s identity. - The 2026 edition puts star power and genre programming at the center of a three-day event built to draw filmmakers, celebrities and film fans.

What happened: - Tarzana International Film Festival runs Oct. 2-4, 2026, in Los Angeles. - The festival features red carpet premieres, special screenings, filmmaker events and independent films from around the world. - The Closing Night Dinner & Awards Gala will honor producer Gale Anne Hurd with the Edgar Rice Burroughs Legacy Award. - The gala will also include a tribute to Chuck Norris and a Man of Action Award for Sam J. Jones. - Opening night on Friday, Oct. 2, begins at Regal Cinemas at the historic Sherman Oaks Galleria with the premiere of Body Man.

The details: - Body Man is a political action thriller directed by Michele Kanan and starring Sean Kanan, Kate Monroe, Martin Kove, Emilio Rivera, Lochlyn Munro, Tom Arnold and David Chokachi. - Saturday and Sunday bring feature films, shorts, documentaries, animation, music videos, films by women, science fiction, fantasy, horror and two screenwriting categories. - The AI Media Festival, part of TZIFF’s curated programming, will spotlight filmmakers exploring emerging creative technologies and new approaches to cinematic storytelling. - Saturday night closes with Book of Secrets, an anthology feature by award-winning filmmaker Jeff Rector. - Book of Secrets follows stories unleashed by the discovery of an ancient book hidden inside an old Victorian mansion. - Sunday ends with Ring of Kibo, a family adventure directed by Christian Filippella and Kimberly Skyrme and starring John O’Hurley, Vincent De Paul, Bianca D’Ambrosio, Chiara D’Ambrosio and Evan Woodard. - Ring of Kibo follows lifelong friends and explorers searching for the legendary Ring of Kibo, an artifact of immense power. - After the closing-night film, the event moves to the Mulholland Hills Country Club in Tarzana for the dinner, awards, entertainment and special presentations. - Gale Anne Hurd’s credits include The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Tremors, Armageddon and The Walking Dead. - Chuck Norris’s tribute will be presented by actor, writer and producer Sean Kanan. - Special performances will come from comedian and television comedy writer Brian Kiley and singer/songwriter Bonnie Gordon. - Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. has sponsored the festival since its inception. - The festival notes a link to Tarzana through Edgar Rice Burroughs, who bought a San Fernando Valley ranch in 1919 and named it Tarzana Ranch after Tarzan.

Between the lines: - The festival is using familiar franchise names, celebrity tributes and genre titles to frame independent cinema as both accessible and event-driven. - The Edgar Rice Burroughs connection gives the festival a local identity and a built-in theme of imagination and adventure. - The addition of the AI Media Festival signals that TZIFF wants to position itself as forward-looking, not just retrospective. - A quote from Founder and CEO Lori Morrissey ties the festival’s mission to Burroughs’ legacy and the role of modern filmmakers. - For tickets and the full screening schedule, visitors can go to the festival ticket site. - More information on John Carter of Mars: The Audio Series is available at the official project site.

What's next: - TZIFF’s opening-night premiere, weekend screenings and closing-night gala will unfold across the Oct. 2-4 schedule. - Festival-goers can use the ticket link to access the complete lineup and plan attendance. - The awards gala will cap the weekend with honors, tributes and performances tied to the festival’s imaginative theme.

The bottom line: - TZIFF’s 2026 edition blends independent film, genre programming and Hollywood recognition into a three-day celebration designed to make Tarzana a destination for fans of imaginative storytelling.