Newhallywood Silent Film Festival
May 22–24, 2026
Old Town Newhall, Santa Clarita, CA
Celebrate the golden age of silent film and discover Santa Clarita’s unique role in film history at the Newhallywood Silent Film Festival in Old Town Newhall! Over three days, enjoy rare films on the big screen, guest speakers and special tributes to legendary figures of the silent cinema across two historic venues: Newhall Family Theatre and The MAIN.
The 2026 festival honors Rudolph Valentino and F.W. Murnau with official induction events.
Friday, May 22
8:00 p.m. F.W. Murnau: Induction and 100th Anniversary “Faust”
In this classic of silent cinema, the demon Mephisto (Emil Jannings) makes a bet with an archangel that a good man’s soul can be corrupted. Mephisto sets his sights on the thoughtful old alchemist Faust (Gösta Ekman), who is desperately trying to save his village from a plague. He is able to help the villagers, thanks to Mephisto, but further dealings with the devil lead Faust on a decadent downward spiral.
1926 | 106 min. | F.W. Murnau
Location: Newhall Family Theatre – 24607 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
11:00 p.m. Silent Screams: F.W. Murnau – “Nosferatu”
F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent masterpiece Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror is an unauthorized adaption of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, following estate agent Thomas Hutter as he travels to Transylvania to sell a house to Count Orlock, a rodent-like vampire who brings plague and terror to the German town of Wisborg.
1922 | 84 min. | F.W. Murnau
Location: The MAIN 24266 Main St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Saturday, May 23
10:00 a.m. Rudolph Valentino: Hollywood Forever Cemetery Tour
Guests are invited to attend a tour of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery led by Karie Bible. Hollywood Forever is the resting place of Rudolph Valentine, who passed away in 1926.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased online or at the tour. Click here to purchase tickets.
Location: 6000 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038
4:00 p.m. Rudolph Valentino: “Blood and Sand”
In this classic silent drama starring Rudolph Valentino as Juan Gallardo, a poor village boy rises to become Spain’s most celebrated matador. He marries his childhood sweetheart, Carmen, but is lured into a destructive affair with the wealthy, seductive widow Dona Sol, leading to personal ruin and a tragic death in the bullring.
1922 | 80 min. | Fred Niblo
Location: Newhall Family Theatre – 24607 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
8:00 p.m. Rudolph Valentino: Induction and 100th Anniversary “The Son of the Sheik”
The Son of the Shiek is a silent romantic adventure and the final film of Rudolph Valentino, who plays a dual role as both the original Sheik and his son, Ahmed. Ahmed falls for Yasmin (Vilma Banky), a dancer whose father leads a band of thieves, leading to a kidnapping, a misunderstood betrayal and a dramatic rescue.
1926 | 80 min. | George Fitzmaurice
Location: Newhall Family Theatre – 24607 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Guest Star: Karie Bible
11:00 p.m. Silent Screams: 100th Anniversary “A Page of Madness”
This avant-garde film is about a man who takes a job as a janitor in a mental asylum to be near his incarcerated wife. The film is famous for having no intertitles, relying entirely on visual, hallucinatory and fragmented storytelling to depict the mental states of patients.
1926 | 71 min. | Teinosuke Kinugasa
Location: The MAIN 24266 Main St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Sunday, May 24
1:00 p.m. 100th Anniversary “The Adventures of Prince Achmed”
This is the oldest surviving animated feature film, created by Lotte Reiniger using intricate silhouette cutouts. Based on The Arabian Nights, it follows Prince Achmed as he is tricked by a sorcerer, flies to magical lands, falls in love with Princess Peri Banu and fights demons with help from Aladdin and a witch.
1926 | 80 min. | Lotte Reiniger & Carl Koch
Location: Newhall Family Theatre – 24607 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
4:00 p.m. F.W. Murnau: “Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans”
F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans is a silent romantic drama following a farmer (George O’Brien) who plans to murder his wife (Janet Gaynor) after being seduced by a city woman (Margaret Livingston). The film explores themes of redemption, temptation and the contrast between rural and city life, ultimately becoming a “song” of reconciliation.
1927 | 95 min. | F.W. Murnau
Location: Newhall Family Theatre – 24607 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
8:00 p.m. 50th Anniversary: “Silent Movie”
Silent Movie is satirical comedy directed and starred by Mel Brooks as Mel Funn, a washed-up director trying to save a failing studio by producing the first silent film in 40 years. Helped by sidekicks (Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman), Funn woos real-life celebrities (Burt Reynolds, Liza Minnelli) to star in it while battling a greedy conglomerate, Engulf and Devour.
1976 | 87 min. | Mel Brooks
Location: Newhall Family Theatre – 24607 Walnut St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
Between screenings, audiences will enjoy a selection of animated and live-action short films, along with live ragtime performances by Kimi Stephens.