Lights, Camera, Film Fest! http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com The official blog of the Newport Beach Film Festival. Join us – April 28th - May 5th, 2011 posterous.com Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:08:31 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Lisa Gossels http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-lisa-gossels http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-lisa-gossels
By Kelly Strodl
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Today we talk with Lisa Gossels, director of My So-Called Enemy, the coming of age story of six Palestinian and Israeli teenage girls who travel to the U.S. to participate in a women's leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace and the transformative journey that follows both in the program and upon their return to their native countries. In July 2002, 22 women came to the U.S. to participate in the program, and during their time learned to reconcile their experience in the program with the realities of life back home in the Middle East over the next 7 years. What unfolds is an emotionally-charged film about the human consequences of all conflicts--as seen through the eyes of 6 young women who are thoughtful, intelligent and articulate beyond their years.

Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

From Steve Shor, a Film Festival Advisor to the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

When I started making "My So-Called Enemy" in 2002, I had no idea how long it would take to make the movie, or how transformative the 8-year journey would be.  I did not make the film with any answers;  the process was all about asking questions. 

Right after 9/11, I remember engaging in heated political debates about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.  I came to understand how wars could be fought on words and how easy it is to reduce conflicts to black and white terms. 

Two months earlier, I had the privilege of meeting Melodye Feldman, the founder of Seeking Common Ground (and its Building Bridges for Peace flagship program), at a Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education conference (CAJE) in Denver.  Melodye shared the stage with some Palestinian and Israeli participants from her 2001 summer program.  I was so taken by the stories from the teenage girls about how the program had changed them that I knew I had found the subject-matter for my next film. "My So-Called Enemy" was never a film about an idea, but about young people. And, I loved the idea that those young people were women, because, as Nicholas Kristof once wrote, "focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism."

While the first act of "My So-Called Enemy" takes place in the emotionallly charged 2002 Building Bridges program, to me the film is really about what happens to the six participants when they return home to the Middle East over the next 7 years.

Q.  What is the core message of your film? 

The central message of "My So-Called Enemy" is the transformative power of knowing  "the other," or "the enemy," as a human being.  Through the stories of the young Israeli, Palestinian and Palestinian Israeli women in the film, we see how creating relationships across emotional, ideological and physical borders is a first step towards resolving conflict.  Because "My So-Called Enemy" is an emotional journey, it opens hearts and minds and creates the space for dialogue about not only the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, but issues that divide us in our families, schools and communities.  By watching "My So-Called Enemy," viewers will see the complexities of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through a human lens--and the possibility and hope that comes from listening to each other's stories.

Q: Your take on the main characters in your movie (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

Adi, Gal, Hanin, Inas, Rawan and Rezan, the main characters in "My So-Called Enemy," were teenagers when I first started filming them.  Because they live in a conflict region, it took a great deal of courage for them to participate in the movie.  While we had some access issues of where we could film some of the girls, particularly the Palestinians, all of them opened their hearts, minds and lives to our cameras.  Because films can be very manipulative and will be seen by mass audiences, we have an awesome responsibility as  documentarians to not only convey the personal truths of our subjects, but to honor the trust they have bestowed upon us--with the understanding that will have to live in their societies with the final film.  We were always careful to respect not only the girls' dignity, but their personal safety.  We never created high drama, or humorous moments, at their expense.  The young women in "My So-Called Enemy" are my hope. They all have become my family.

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MY SO-CALLED ENEMY screens on Sunday, May 1 at 1 PM at the Triangle Square Theater 3. And Wednesday, May 4 at 3:30 PM at the Regency Lido Theater.

Click on link below to watch a sample of the film:

Click below to buy tickets for the film:

http://newportbeach.slated.com/2011/films/mysocalledenemy_lisagossels_newportbeach2011

Or for more information on the film and program, follow the links below:

www.mysocalledenemy.com

www.facebook.com/mysocalledenemy

www.s-c-g.org

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Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:49:08 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Richard Gabai http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-richard-gabai http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-richard-gabai

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By Kelly Strodl

For today’s edition of Filmmaker’s Five I spoke with Richard Gabai, director of Insight, a thrilling story of altered states of mind and messages from beyond! While ER nurse Kaitlyn attempts to resuscitate a critically wounded stabbing victim, she is accidentally electrocuted with a defibrillator and nearly killed. After recovering from the shock, Kaitlyn starts to experience memories that are not her own. Haunted by visions of a crime that ended an innocent woman's life, she takes it upon herself to try and solve the grisly murder and unravel a terrifying mystery that threatens her own sanity. 

Teaming up with the detective on the case, Kaitlyn begins to weave her way through the victim's past – discovering as much about herself as the crime she’s seeking to solve.

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

Adam Gentry from the Festival called inviting me to submit the film - telling me that they'd "heard about it" - very mysterious...

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

The film follows Kaitlyn (Natalie Zea from TV's "Justified") as she tries to unravel the mystery behind a seemingly random murder. Over a dozen witnesses saw the crime but nobody called the police. Kaitlyn is having visions of the grisly murder and also dealing with her mother's illness; the pressure of it all is getting to her and she thinks she may be losing her mind. Kaitlyn teams up with Detective Peter Rafferty (Sean Patrick Flanery) and discovers the crime might not be as random as it seems. There is a slew of potential suspects including the creepy neighbor (Christopher Lloyd), the ex boyfriend (Thomas Ian Nicolas) or her former therapist (Adam Baldwin)


The script was brought to me by my Dp Scott Peck. I read it in one go which for me is rare. Right away I wanted to make the film - it's much more than a murder mystery. The writers I think really succeeded in exploring some of the questions we all have a bout life, death, what is real, and what isn't.

We shot the film in 15 days, so the art department, lead by my super talented designer Gabor Norman, and Scott and the camera/lighting crew really had to bust it out.

Post was no easier. Jeff Murphy my editor and Otis Van Osten and our post sound department worked tirelessly.

Film is arguably the most collaborative art. If not for everybody's complete dedication, the movie wouldn't have worked.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

I was born in New York but raised in Southern California. I started my career as an actor but quickly figured out that I wanted to make movies. I directed my first film (Assault of the Party Nerds) 22 years ago which starred me and my friends and featured music recorded by my high school rock band "The Checks". As ridiculous as that film seems to me now - that is what got me in the business and I've never looked back. All I've ever done for a living is make films, act, and record music. I am extremely lucky. I have a normal middle class life with a wife and 3 kids. Needless to say it is extremely difficult (like almost impossible) to make a living and the business seems to be getting harder for independents every year.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

I am very lucky to have this group of actors and actresses in my film. My casting director Billy DaMota did a brilliant job helping me put the cast together. I had worked with Christopher Lloyd last year on "Call of the Wild 3D," and we had become friends so when I read the script I sent it right over to him.

It is incredible to me that I have the honor of calling a gentleman like him my friend. My kids knew him as "someone that worked with Daddy" but after they saw "Back to the Future" that all changed :)

We didn't read anybody for the film we just made offers to people that we felt were right for the roles. One by one the cast fell into place like it was meant to happen. The script I think is what attracted them - I can promise you it wasn't the money :)

The performance that Veronica Cartwright delivers in this film in my biased opinion is award worthy. She is just wonderful as Patricia, Kaitlyn's ailing mother.

Truthfully I don't think any of the performers missed a beat. Sean and Natalie are so compelling and believable - I really think the audience will take the ride with them. We are all excited to see the film with an audience for the first time.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

I am making non-smash indie films :)

INSIGHT screens on Saturday, April 30 at 7:30 PM at the Triangle Square Theater 2. And Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 PM at the Triangle Square Theater 6. Cast and crew will be at the screening for a Q&A following the film.

Buy tickets for Saturday’s showing here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=355330

Buy tickets for Thursday’s showing here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=355331

Or watch the trailer on YouTube, here:

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Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:58:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Kevin Van Hagen and Drew Pierce http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-kevin-van-hagen-and http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-kevin-van-hagen-and

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By Kelly Strodl

Yup, you know what this means... We're back with the 2011 edition of NBFF Filmmaker's Five a quick and quirky Q&A with independent filmmakers showing their films at the festival each year. For our kickoff edition, I talked with producer Kevin Van Hagen and director Drew Pierce – of DEADHEADS, a postmodern take on the buddy flick, where the two friends just happen to be two inexplicably coherent zombies!

Reminiscent of such 80’s-epics as Goonies, TeenWolf, My Best Friend’s a Vampire, and the like, the story follows two slackers, Mike and Brent, who find themselves surprisingly un-dead amid a disastrous zombie outbreak. After discovering an engagement ring in his coat pocket, Mike enlists his new found zombie pal, Brent, to embark on a quest in search of his lost love. So they’re undead, that doesn’t mean the two can’t embark on a road trip adventure of Goonies proportions – full of high jinks, awkward reunions,  and a search for lost love, unaware that they are being pursued by ruthless, zombie-killing bounty hunters!

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

It had been recommended to us and we'd read an article about the 10 best fests that were worth the price of submission and Newport was up there. Advice to any new filmmakers like ourselves, budget for festival submission costs and do your homework about which ones are worth it. 

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

It's a zombie/buddy/road trip/action/adventure/romantic comedy. Say that three times fast! It's about two zombie pals newly risen from the dead, Mike and Brent, whom embark on a cross country road in search of Mike's lost love as they are pursued by a team of ruthless bounty hunters. After moving to LA to pursue our dreams we quickly entered the lovely world of production assistant employment. Drew came up with the idea of a zombie buddy film andI chimed in with the lost love angle and we started burning the midnight oil on draft after draft of the script out of fear of becoming permanent PA's. 

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

Drew and I grew up amid the production of EVIL DEAD as kids, our father was the visual FX artist on it. Watching Sam Raimi and the guys spin out their crazy horror/comedy flick got us itching to do the same. We made some zero budget indie films with our friends back in our home state of Michigan and that was our film school. Every weekend someone was shooting something and if you didn't show up to lend a hand (or your camera) you weren't pulling your weight. 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

Our cast is amazing. Michael McKiddy and Ross Kidder are our zombie comedy duo and it kills me that others haven't picked up on these two yet. Mike and Ross are the type of actors you pray you get. They never flinched that we shot 10 weeks/6 days a week, covered them in fake blood, and rigged them with explosive squibs. Truth is, they wanted to be there just as much as us, they believed in us and the movie. I remember one night we we're setting up for this beautiful wide shot of an old creepy barn with encroaching zombies, and there's Mike next to me in full makup and costume. He looked at me and said with a smile "I can't believe we're doing this!" That makes me smile even to this day. 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film? 

I'm a production coordinator on a reality TV series and my brother is a freelance animator. After work it's still a full time job on DEADHEADS. The battle for distribution is an entirely different monster and applying to fests can be very up and down emotionally but you just keep moving forward. Making movies is a series of insurmountable problems but it's also the most fun we've ever had in our lives.

DEADHEADS screens on Friday, April 29 at 8:15 PM at the Triangle Square Theater 1. And Tuesday, May 2 at 7:45 PM at the Triangle Square Theater 6.

The Friday show has already sold out, but there are still tickets available for the Tuesday screening.

Purchase tickets here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=358115


Or watch the trailer on YouTube, here:

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Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:01:19 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Nicolas Simonin http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-nicolas-simonin http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-nicolas-simonin

By Kelly Strodl

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Today I spoke with Nicolas Simonin, director of the short film DERAILED. The film, part of a collection of short films called DETOUR.FR, a project that will take the watcher into a dark side of Paris. In DERAILED, An anonymous man finds himself lost on the no man's land of railways in a strange train station at night, in Paris, as he tries to help a woman. A woman who is not all that she seems. 

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

I heard about the New Port Beach Festival few months ago in France while I was searching for Festivals to submit my movie to. I found the previous selection of movie interesting and the place really great. New Port Beach is a really nice set for Networking and for enjoying movies.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

DERAILED is part of a collection of short stories I wrote a year ago. My goal is to make one or two shorts per year. All the stories share the same concept: “a dark story happens the same night in a large western city like Paris, London, or Sao Paolo”. What’s important is, it always starts with a simple situation that turns to scary life-to-death situation. I am currently working on the feature version of the short ‘DERAILED’.

Making an Horror movie on real locations was very challenging but it worth it. With DERAILED I had to deal with a lot of elements: the weather, the windy cold, the security of the set and of the actors. My first DA fainted the second day of the shooting. I had no choice but to continue shooting the movie without DA. But at the end, we had amazing images and a really scary atmosphere…as scary as it was on the real set.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.
DERAILED is my second short movie. I am a ‘traveling’ film maker. I did my first short in Argentina few years ago. Then with DERAILED I moved to the United States. I am originally an Engineer who switches 8 years ago for a career in the movie industry.

I have been working as a producer assistant in France for 3 years, then as a professional screenwriter for the French TV networks for 5 years. Now I am moving my career toward the Feature movie industry with a first movie in development in France and a lot of projects here in the US. DERAILED is my first success with already 5 official selections since January and two Awards (Honor Award at the NPB Festival and “Best Foreign Film” at the Fearless Film Festival Forth Worth, Texas).

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

Hubert Benhamdine is a well known actor in France. He has done lot of TV shows. His physical performance on the set was so great. He did all the stunt performances. He was so involved physically on the set, that the last day Hubert’s legs were almost paralyzed by the cold.

Julie Louart who plays the Creature of the rail tracks, did an amazing job. We did a lot of rehearsal to built the Creature gestures and movements. She stayed incredibly resistant to the cold. We filmed the movie during 4 cold winter nights in Paris and she was wearing almost nothing during the whole shooting.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

By day, I work as a social media consultant and graphic designer. Internet has always been my thing since 6 years now. I also work as a professional TV screenwriter for France.

THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE FILM: www.DETOUR.FR I suggest Internet users have a look to www.detour.fr : we’re building an Interactive game that will allow Internet users to try to save the main character of the short from his curse. The game will start in late summer on this website. You can Join us on Facebook.

JOIN the film's Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=72869249417&ref=ss

Or check out the film's official blog www.aboutderailed.com

Find Simonin on IMDB:  http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2144991/resume

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Mon, 10 May 2010 16:37:00 -0700 Win a Trip for Two to the Edmonton International Film Festival http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/win-a-trip-for-two-to-the-edmonton-internatio http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/win-a-trip-for-two-to-the-edmonton-internatio
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The Newport Beach Film Festival is proud to partner with the Edmonton International Film Festival this year. 
Win A Trip for Two to Attend this fall. Just Text ALBERTA to 88704 to enter.
* Message and data rates may apply
 
About EIFF:
The Edmonton International Film Festival has prided itself for years on one concept - 'discovery'. Striving to uncover cinematic gems and celebrate unique voices in moviemaking such as directors, writers and producers. EIFF is about films and the people who make them.

Just a couple hours drive from the majestic Rocky Mountains, Edmonton is known for its big sky, endless sunshine, and its glorious crown jewel - The River Valley (which contains the largest stretch of urban parkland and trail systems in North America). Located east of Vancouver and west of Toronto, Edmonton is THE heart of the Canadian Prairies, the northernmost big city in North America. And with a population of more than one million people, this is a city that loves movies.

For nine days each autumn, Edmontonians feast on all things cinematic. It's a veritable buffet of fantastic, independent films from around the globe. Whatever the genre, EIFF programmers search the world over for entertaining films that exhibit great storytelling qualities. The  schedule includes 55 feature-length slots, and 110 short films programmed into feature-length packages. All films screened at EIFF must be Edmonton premieres.

Over the years, they've hosted John Waters, Patrick Warburton, Norman Jewison, Deepa Mehta, Jorgen Leth, Arthur Hiller, Anne Wheeler, Werner Herzog, Don McKellar, Bruce McDonald and more at the festival.

For more information on EIFF visit: 

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Fri, 07 May 2010 19:26:30 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Jason Victor Everett http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-jason-victor-everet http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-jason-victor-everet
By Kelly Strodl 

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Today I spoke with Jason Victor Everett, director/writer/producer of the Sitdown, a short film showcased in the “Find Your Voice” set of films that screened the final day of the 2010 Newport Beach Film Festival. This short film asks the question: How do concerned foster parents cope with today's generation of violent wayward youth? What guidance can be offered to the adopted offspring of abusive homes and troubled streets? Perhaps delivering a few stern words is still the best place to start...

Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A:  We've been hearing good things about the festival from various sources for a while now, but the Newport Beach festival was portrayed in an especially good light in the documentary entitled "Official Rejection," which we saw about two months ago.  After attending this year, we can happily attest to the festival's rave reviews.  They really care a lot about the filmmakers and audiences at NBFF.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: THE SITDOWN is a short comedic piece we put together in early 2009.  It's about a concerned foster parent providing advice to a troubled wayward youngster.  We shot it over the course of two weekends in my living room.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: Seems like it's been a long road, since I had sort of an unfortunate detour along the way known as law school.  While working in the legal world in the years since graduation and trying to pay down huge student loans, I attended film classes at night and started up a small production company named Sound & Fury Productions.  We were lucky to start playing the festival circuit with THE SITDOWN in late 2009, which was the first short film out of that venture.  I also want to acknowledge the efforts of Olivia Lee, a very talented graphic designer by day, who helped immensely with THE SITDOWN in terms of both the production and promotional process.     

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A:  Hmmm ... well given that the lead performance was from a non-actor (unfortunately yours truly), I'd have to say the acting was especially weak!   

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: Well, as I have a very very long way to go before ever making a "smash indie film," I'd say in my spare time (what is that? some kind of foreign concept?) I'm doing my best to hopefully make semi-competent short films.  But most of the time I'm working the non-film day job, which is both a blessing (glad to be working in this economy) and maybe a curse, since it takes up so much time and energy.  In sum, I truly believe I have consumed enough 5-Hour Energy over the past two years that I could be their official spokesperson by now.

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Wed, 05 May 2010 15:35:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with David Orr http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-david-orr http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-david-orr By Kelly Strodl

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Today I spoke with David Orr, director of Refresh, a sci-fi thriller about Roger Dean, a successful businessman, who has been clinically depressed for years, to the point of suicide. He has attempted a range of remedies, some prescribed, some radical, but none have worked for him. At the end of his rope, he approaches PDLAS, a mysterious private company that promises an effective - but irrevocable - solution. All he is told is that he will emerge 'completely refreshed.'

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: Through a colleague of mine, Stuart Shook of Shelter Post. He works with our editor, Christopher Willoughby, and suggested we submit to Newport Beach. I'm really glad I did - I saw some great stuff here.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: REFRESH was based on an experience of mine at a sleep study lab - where they monitor sleep patterns during an overnight stay, although in the film that experience is taken to an extreme! I wanted to address the idea that some people would do anything to utterly change their life. We shot on a DSLR with video capabilities, the Canon 5D mark II in May of last year. We were the first narrative piece ever shot with that technology (at the time only Vincent Laforet and Shane Hurlbut had used the camera as a production tool: Vincent for a montage titled 'Reverie' and Shane for some viral packages for Terminator Salvation). Canon had no idea that people would take the 5DmkII seriously as a production tool (the video function was really intended for photojournalists to grab clips on the fly), so had not developed refined controls for filmmakers. As pioneers, we were figuring out a lot of fixes and workarounds on our own. For instance, this was before you could even set the exposure on the camera itself; we'd establish what the exposure should be, point a light in the lens, then move it off the center until the exposure was correct. Then we'd hit the exposure lock and shoot. The week after we wrapped, Canon announced an upgrade to allow setting exposure! Since the production, I've been invited by Canon to consult on hardware and software development.

The results are astonishing. I showed clips of REFRESH at a symposium on emerging technologies at the Directors Guild of America. This was Theater 1 - one of the best screens in the world - and it held up! It looked better than the RED footage we saw there.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: I am a commercial director and fine art photographer. I had done some experimental works quite a while ago (FAIRCHILD and NOCTURNE), which did well in festivals, and were shown repeatedly on PBS here in the states and Channel 4 Britain. This is my first narrative piece, and is a teaser for a feature I'm developing. 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: I knew that Andrew (Turman, cinematographer) and I could make it look great; but I was adamant that we get great performances. In fact, the production was designed to accommodate faster setups to allow ample time with the actors.

Casting was, by far, the most critical aspect of the production (as it should be), and I have to give thanks to Anthony Krauss, our Casting Director. Luckily everyone: Anthony, actors we approached, and their representation, liked my reel, and really responded to the script. Steven Culp loved it - he's a big 'Twilight Zone' fan - and signed on quickly. That was a game changer - suddenly our calls to Endeavor and CAA were being returned quickly! Scott Michael Campbell signed on after that, and we were good to go. Both, of course, are excellent and accomplished actors, so were a significant asset on a project like this. They were both enormously sympathetic to the rigors and realities of an indie flick, and both worked very, very hard.

Their working styles were different, of course: if pressed, I'd say that Steven works more from the inside out and Scott from the outside in. In order to work more effectively with actors, I'd studied acting at Playhouse West, and had taken the Judith Weston (acting for directors) course, so was able to navigate both styles fairly well. The most exciting moments by far were seeing what a talented actor brings to character and a story. Not only seeing the words come to life, but the nuances that are brought into play - the 'inner life' of the characters and situations. That's gold, especially when those things are something you may not have thought of initially, but seem so dead-on, furthering the story and bringing additional layers to it. Both Steven and Scott have the presence and charisma that makes you want to watch them constantly - especially on a big screen.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: I’m also a fine artist. Lately, the main medium has been photography. I love the collaborative nature of filmmaking, but it's nice to be able to create something without needing access to thousands of dollars and a crew! I've had some success with it - I'm in collections with Ansel Adams, John Baldessari, Jim Dine, David Hockney, and Edward Weston, and have shown all over the country and in Europe. I had originally tinkered with still cameras to become more fluid with the mechanics of lenses, exposure, composition etc., but now also love it was a means of expression. I do artists talks and presentations, and have been a guest speaker at UCLA on several occasions. The print work is fairly large, 20x30 inches to 40x60 inches. I will most likely be integrating motion into my artwork as time goes on. In my view, still and motion picture photography are merging quickly so one medium very much feeds and informs the other, both technically (look at my film!), and aesthetically.

Watch the film’s trailer here:

http://www.refreshfilm.com/trailer.html

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Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:43:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Seth W. Owen http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-seth-w-owen http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-seth-w-owen

By Kelly Strodl

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Today I spoke with Seth W. Owen, director of Peepers, an interesting film about a rag-tag group of peeping toms, led by the eagle-eyed Steve, who take to Montreal's chilly rooftops under cover of night to get a vantage of people in their most intimate, within their homes. They're on the prowl for the perfect peep desperate to glimpse a "hottie hookup," a "panty party" or a "big booty buffet" through un-shuttered windows. But their lives are about to change. Enter Annette, a brazen academic who turns the tables by setting her sights on the peepers themselves. Soon it's a Battle Royale for rooftop supremacy will these die-hard obsessives manage to defend their turf, or will peeping as they know it never be the same?


Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?
A: Met a fine fellow at Cinequest who recommended it. Then, looking into it, we may have heard something about yacht parties. At that point it became really clear we had to make it to Newport.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.
A: The story does not stem from any illicit yoyeuristic experiences in my own life, surely! But Montreal is a city conducive to peeping, in all its many guises, and spending a lot of quality time on Montreal’s glorious rooftops – for purely non-peeping purposes! - sparked the initial idea. Later, when I was writing the film with Dan Perlmutter and Mark Slutsky, our writing room had these big, big windows that looked out at an opposing apartment building’s bathroom windows. There were a lot of hard-to-ignore showers going on over there. So that fed into the script, to be sure, and maybe slowed us down, too, because it took us a few years to finish the thing. Then Andi State came on board as producer, and it was damn the torpedoes full steam ahead right to production. We shot predominantly on the chilly November rooftops of Montreal. We were a little army of peeping toms, making it - under cover of night! With nudity! But it was cold, cold, cold, and we had to hustle. We were shooting like crazy to get the thing done in two weeks, and it was an ambitious little production for the budget and time that we had.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.
A: For over a decade, I’ve been making underground films under the umbrella of Automatic Vaudeville Studios, and screening them at our boisterous live events. We’re somewhere between a comedy troupe and a major motion picture studio. We’ve shot every genre under the sun – monster pictures, westerns, musicals, Germanic art films. All for around ten bucks. Peepers was an amazing opportunity to make a film with a real budget, and all the perks that come with it. Now I may have to stay above-ground for a little while longer. That having-a-budget thing – I fear it’s gotten its bejeweled claws in me.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)
A: Automatic Vaudeville has a nice little repertory of friends and actors who’ve been in a lot of our films, and our producer Andi State also happens to be a talent agent, so we kind of brought those two houses together to create the ensemble. Montreal is a city with a lot of amazing, undiscovered talent, and I’m so happy we managed to get so many great folks in the film, even in the smaller roles. The actors had it pretty rough on this one. It’s tough to be funny when you’re freezing your ass off on a windy rooftop in the middle of the night. And they all rose to the occasion.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?
A: I spend most of the time on the couch, wondering when I am going to be able to make another smash indie film. The couch is also a great place for finding change, and the perfect vantage point from which to indulge my appetite for an unhealthy amount of reality television programming. When it’s nice out, I may even take a walk.

 

PEEPERS screens at 8:15 PM today, Thursday, April 29 in the Edwards Island theater 4.

 

Click here to purchase tickets for shorts showcase:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256887

 

Watch the film’s trailer here:

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Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:20:00 -0700 NBFF Wednesday Night Lineup http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-wednesday-night-lineup http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-wednesday-night-lineup

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Take a gander at what we have lined up for tonight at #NBFF.

Plus the Asian and Irish Spotlights hit tonight with:

Asian Spotlight: SOPHIE'S REVENGE screens at 8 PM in Edwards Island Theater 5. With an after party at Ten, 4647 MacArthur Boulevard, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1946

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256917

Dumped by her fiance just two months before their wedding, comic strip writer Sophie hatches an elaborate plan to get her Jeff back and punish the movie star, Joanna, who seduced him away. She finds herself a partner, Gordon, an ex-lover of Joanna's. The two start on a comic adventure full of laughs and tears, aided by Sophie's two best friends, Lucy and Lily. At the eve of her success, Sophie suddenly realizes that she has been so focused on revenge that she has not heard her own change of heart...

Irish Spotlight:A SHINE OF RAINBOWS screens at 8 PM in the South Coast Village Theater. With and after party at Muldoon's Irish Pub - 202 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256753

Tomas, a frail, shy eight-year-old boy, has been living a solitary life in a drab orphanage - sad, friendless and alone. Then a joyous burst of colour comes into his world: Maire, whose smile and spirit light up the darkest room - and Tomas's heart. Soon, Tomas is on a boat, sailing to wind-swept Corrie Island off the coast of Ireland, where he meets Alec, her reticent husband who cannot hide his disappointment with the boy. Undiscouraged, Maire introduces Tomas the wonders of his new world.Slowly, Alec too begins to see in Tomas what Maire always has. But when tragedy strikes, Tomas is faced with his greatest challenge yet, for he'll lose everything unless he can find, and share, the magic that's inside him.

 

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Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:54:00 -0700 NBFF Screener CHRISTINA Wins awards at BNFF http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-screener-christina-wins-awards-at-bnff http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-screener-christina-wins-awards-at-bnff

Christina

CHRISTINA, the thrilling drama from director Larry Brand, raked in the awards last week at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival on the other side of the states, winning Best Director, Best Actress (Nicki Aycox), Best Actor (Stephen Lang), and Best Picture.The film showed there as the closing night feature, and drew audiences in with it's powerful story about the destructive power of secrets, and finding a future with the after experiencing a horrifying past.

Inspired by a true story about a young German woman prepares to leave her war-ravaged city to begin a new life in America with her G.I. fiance. But standing between her and a hopeful future is a relentless police inspector, determined to prevent her from escaping her past. He pushes her to face the truth about a child, whose secret the woman has kept all this time. Before she can leave for her new life, she will be forced to confront the past she's been trying to leave behind.

CHRISTINA screened Friday, April 23 and will be showing again, due to raving response, at 1:15 PM on Thursday, April 29 at the Edwards Island Theater 4. Cast and Crew are scheduled to attend the event.  

 

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Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:49:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Marco Amenta http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/17474025 http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/17474025

By Kelly Strodl 

The-sicilian-girl

Today I talked with Marco Amenta, director of The Sicilian Girl, a film about a young girl who is raised within the mafia. Motivated by a combination of idealism and revenge after the murder of her father and brother, both members of La Cosa Nostra, 17-year-old Rita Atria went to Palermo's legendary anti-mafia magistrate Paolo Borsellino and revealed all she had written in her diary since she was seven years old. The contents of that diary unlock a hunt against the mafia with details that can ruin the organization. The magistrate takes the girl under his wing and offered her protection against the sure-to-come retribution. Based on true events.


Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: The US distributor of my film got in contact with the festival. The us distributor is showing the film in many festival before the official US theatrical distribution that will start August 4th in NY (Film Forum). Only 2 Italian films have US distribution this year! So I am so happy abut this. Us audience love the film ! go to the Facebook page "The Sicilian Girl" and become a fan !

 

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: My sister Simonetta is the producer of the film. We have a family business !!! She got money to produce the film from Italy and France. And the film has be sold and theatrical released to many countries - Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

 

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: It is the story of a young Sicilian girl who grows up in a mafia family. She believe mafia is good! And that her father is a good guy, like robin hood! Growing up mafia will kill his father.. and she will go against the mafia... the first girl against the mafia ! a big fight for a young girl.. against powerful and strong godfathers...

 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: It was very difficult to choose the lead actress, Veronica D'agostino, who plays the girl against the mafia. I auditioned hundreds of actresses and non actresses.. but in the end I was sure : she was the girl! The right one! No doubts! She is perfect in the role. she has the strength but also the tenderness of a young 17-year old girl, and she felt so natural and real in the role since the first audition.

A she has a great energy. We rehearsed a lot before the shooting, exploring the context, I look to do this with all the actors. and it is the moment where we change sometimes the lines, to adapt to the characters. And after, during the shooting we don't need to talk a lot, because they know exactly what i want from them. Veronica was so "inside" the character, that we almost didn’t need to talk...

 

For the role of the prosecutor, because it is based on a famous anti-mafia Italian prosecutor, I wanted that he looked like the true character. and also I wanted a new face. not an actor that everybody knew... So I chose a very famous French actor that in Italy is not famous.

Then the role of the father, the mafia boss, Don Vito, is Marcello Mazzarella a great actor, who is also a friend of mine. he felt do much inside the character, that during the days of the shooting he wanted to go around the village with the motorbike of the character in order to continue to be him... even out of the shooting. I like actors that "do not act,” meaning that feel their emotion. They don't play the emotion in a fake way. During the shooting days "they are the character" and they feel like him/her. They are actors that play with "guts" not with the head. Even if the study and prepare a lot, then they are able to be instinctive and true.

 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: I work full time in film. While not filming a lot of working is for writing the films and also in financing the films. I have a production company together with my sister, so we produce also other filmmakers and we are trying to grow also a s a film company.

 

THE SICILIAN GIRL screens at 7:30 and 7:45 PM today, Monday, April 26 in the Edwards Island theaters 1 & 5.

 

Click here to purchase tickets for shorts showcase:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256843

 

 

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Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:00:00 -0700 UPDATE! Burzynski - 2nd Screening Added http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/update-burzynski-2nd-screening-added http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/update-burzynski-2nd-screening-added
Due to high demand for the documentary filmm Burzynski, we've added a second screening at 8:30 PM, Sunday, April 25 in South Coat Village Theater.
Burzynski
Ph.D biochemist, Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, won one of the largest legal battles against the Food & Drug Administration in U.S. history. Dr. Burzynski and his patients endured a treacherous 14-year journey in order to obtain FDA-approved clinical trials for a new cancer-fighting drug. His groundbreaking medical and legal battles have brought revolutionary cancer treatment to the public. Upon completion, his treatment will be available the world over - sending a shock wave through the cancer industry.

For more #nbff festival updates, celeb spottings, esclusive photos from the parties, filmmaker interviews and more... visit us on our Facebook Fan Page and/or Twitter

- Kelly Strodl @kellyl4nia

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Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:43:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Tim VandeSteeg http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/17356399 http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/17356399

By Kelly Strodl

Myrun
Today I talked with Tim VandeSteeg, director of MY RUN, a film that follows the epic foot journey of one man over more than 2,000 miles of the US to bring awareness to the plight of single parents. After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families. He ran in spite of freezing rain and unbearable heat, in spite of chest pains and bone fractures that wracked his 57-year-old body. He just kept running - each day, every day - strengthening an unbreakable bond between father and son--- not stopping until he broke the finish line tape in Atlanta. Narrated by Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton. Special Guests include Terry Hitchcock and the Filmmakers.

Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I heard about the NBFF awhile back, it has great rep as being a “true filmmakers festival”.  We are excited and honored to have our West Coast Premiere of MY RUN this SUNDAY, April 25th at 6PM, at the South Coast Village (at 1561 W Sunflower Ave, Santa Ana, CA). There will be a second screening on Monday April, 26 at (12:45pm) at Edwards Island 6.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: MY RUN is the story of Terry Hitchcock, who after tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.

Terry is a real-life Forrest Gump, someone who had all the cards stacked against him and still managed to come out with a winning hand. What makes Terry’s story special is that after raising his kids, he took it upon himself to make life better for other single parents and their kids. At the age of 57, with a bum heart and knee and ankle problems, he decided to run from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Atlanta in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to and provide a voice for single parent families. Despite the cold and heat, the rain and wind, Terry ran and touched the lives of thousands with his courage and his message along the way.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: As an independent filmmaker, I understand that challenges and obstacles go along with filmmaking. You never know what’s exactly going to happen. The key is how you handle these ups and downs along the way.   I live by my motto: Be Powerful, Be Unstoppable.

I approach filmmaking and my life with what I call the “Rocky Balboa Attitude.” As long as you keep fighting and you don’t quit, you NEVER fail. It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, smacked around, beat up, as long as you don’t stay down you always have a chance, an opportunity to succeed.

Filmmaking is like a marathon and the story behind My Run is no exception.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: Of course filmmaking is hard, especially being an indie filmmaker. Being an indie filmmaker your day is filled with the constant process of pushing, pulling and pitching your film… and then repeat. It’s constant struggle, but there’s something inside of you that will not let you quit ala, PASSION.  To be successful in independent filmmaking you must be persistent, persistent and persistent! 

And once the film is complete and you receive that positive response from the audience, it’s an absolutely wonderful (and nerve-racking) feeling. One of the moments that stick out for me is our screening of “MY RUN” in Sedona Film Festival and Marathon, during the Q&A a man stood up and said “I’m a marathoner and I came here to be inspired to run, but instead was inspired to love my wife more”… wow, what a powerful thing to say. That’s why I make films.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

When I’m not making a smash indie film, I’m marketing and building the awareness of that soon to be smash indie film. Making the film is only half the battle, the other half is the marketing and distribution…

MY RUN has its West Coast Premiere at 6PM on Sunday, April 25th at the South Coast Village (at 1561 W Sunflower Ave, Santa Ana, CA).

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256876

There will be a second screening on Monday April, 26 at (12:45pm) at Edwards Island 6.

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256877

JOIN FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/myrunmovie - see what the fans are saying!

FOLLOW TWITTER: www.twitter.com/myrunmovie

BROWSE WEBSITE: www.myrunmovie.com

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Sat, 24 Apr 2010 17:25:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Chris Landon http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-chris-landon http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-chris-landon By Kelly Strodl

 

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Today I sat with Chris Landon, director of BURNING PALMS, which sold out at last night’s screening and has been slotted again to show at 5:45 PM tonight. I know not much time, but if you get down here you could just catch this smash hit starring Adrianna Baraza, Dylan McDermott, Jamie Chung, Lake Bell, Nick Stahl, Paz Vega, Robert Hoffman, Rosamund Pike, Shannen Doherty, and Zoe Saldana. This subversive comedy takes a stab at satirizing the well-known stereotypes of varying Los Angeles neighborhoods. The stories of five interlocking characters who must deal with their own varied, darkly funny fates, are followed in this entertaining film boasting an ensemble cast large enough to leave Hollywood reporters joking about being out of breath at the end of the litany of names. In this daring romp no taboo is left unexplored.

Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I’ve heard of the festival just from word of mouth, general mentions. I had a short film that cruised the film festival circuit. But this year we were invited to screen BURNING PALMS by the festival. I’ve spent a lot of time though checking out the website.

And the whole thing is really laid back. Which I like. Other festivals seem to have a “douche” factor that is very absent. Here, people come out to generally support movies and that’s great.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: It’s a dark comedy where five stories are all inter-connected. It’s a meditation on loneliness and the really dark places that can take you to… Not for the faint of heart – it’s some really bizarre, outlandish stuff.

I wrote the screenplay six years ago, It’s been gestating for some time. It’s a risky work so getting it financed was risky too. But once it got financed it was a quick pre-production – six weeks. Then a year of post, which is longer than usual, but that’s because we had an animated section of the film.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: Went to film school at LMU. Then, I actually had an internship at Disney, working for a number of producers. They were cool, and made me an unofficial reader, reading scripts all day. Most were not very good and I got to thinking that I could do better. So I started writing my own scripts. And that was the impetus for getting started with the whole thing.

It was such a hobby – I really didn’t think anyone would take it seriously. That feeling never goes away. I know I’m a professional, and the validation is not getting paid. It’s being given the opportunity to make a living creatively. It is a gift. 

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: Zero complaints in actors performances. They were a dream - beyond talented. They brought so much more to their characters and that was the thrill for me. 

We even had some non-professional actors and they were awesome. One of the actresses who played a doctor in a mental hospital – it was written for a doctor that was an Indian woman, but we couldn’t find anyone in casting that really did it for me. Well, one of our investors just happened to be Indian, she just was it. So I turned to her one day in the middle of casting and said, “Can you do it?” She, kind of shocked, said, “I’m not an actor.”

“I don’t care.”

And she was perfect. She was the character. Every screening, when she comes on the people just start laughing hysterically, every time.

It’s those challenges that really push you and make you better as a filmmaker.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: I’m a film geek through and through. I see everything. If I hear a movie’s really bad I actually run to see it. You can learn a lot from a bad movie. You're not going to learn every thing you need from just seeing good films. You learn from others mistakes, too. It’s those times when I stop viewing a movie with that analytical eye that I know a movie’s really amazing. Those are the great ones. 

BURNING PALMS screens at 5:45 PM today, Saturday, April 24 in the Edwards Island 4.

Click here to purchase tickets for shorts showcase:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=263284

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Sat, 24 Apr 2010 14:11:56 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Gayla Kraetsch Hartsough http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-gayla-kraetsch-hart http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-gayla-kraetsch-hart

By Kelly Strodl

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We talked to Gayla Kraetsch Hartsough, Writer/Producer of the short film SLAP, which will be screening in the EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED shorts showcase tonight.

Somewhere in an American car garage, two regular guys take a break to discuss world events – and smack each other across the face as it quickly becomes apparent that they will never see eye to eye. A shocking and simultaneously hilarious romp through small talk that quickly turns ugly, SLAP will shock you into laughter, again and again.


Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?
I met Ginny Laird, Senior Film Programmer for Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), when our short film SLAP premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival last June. She had seen SLAP, liked it, and suggested that we submit it to NBFF. I liked her enthusiasm and love of edgy, quirky, indie films. We were ecstatic when we learned that NBFF accepted SLAP. It screens Saturday, April 24, at 4:45 pm in the perfect program title – 'Expect the Unexpected' – at Edwards Islands 2.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.
SLAP came together very quickly. I’m a screenwriter who became a producer to make my scripts a reality. I had made an earlier film with Grant Barbeito and he had found a great garage to do a shoot in. He mentioned it would be funny to watch two men slapping. I then listened to the Presidential campaigns and the angry rhetoric around political issues, which formed the basis of SLAP. Our country has become so polarized about issues with a lack of tolerance or appreciation for differing viewpoints. From this kernel of an idea sprang SLAP. We were fortunate to have Calle Borresen, a top cinematographer of Norway, shoot SLAP on the Red Camera and capture the actors’ reactions and gritty setting.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.
I’ve written several award-winning, feature screenplays and knew so many talented screenwriters but discovered that few films actually get made. So, in 2008, I decided to make a short film, A PIG’S EAR, which went to about 15 film festivals. I was enjoyed meeting the other filmmakers and hearing the audiences’ reactions and feedback. I finished my 2nd short, SLAP, in June 2009, and it has now been to about 15 film festivals. Tribeca is including SLAP in its AMERICAN: NOW AND HERE traveling museum, which will tour 18 U.S. cities over an 18-month period. Finally, I’m about to release my 3rd short, HELOISE, and am pitching three of my feature scripts.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)
As the title implies, SLAP has a bit of slapping in it – 147 slaps to be exact. SLAP stars Clancy Brown and Mel Rodriguez – both superb actors and behemoth men. My major concern was that no one was hurt. Throughout the day’s shoot, Clancy and Mel were artful in projecting their slaps without making contact. In the final take, however, Clancy actually slapped Mel! Mel’s eyes rolled, similar to Tweety Bird in a Looney Tune cartoon. It was all in good humor and no one was hurt. If you watch SLAP, I’d like to know if you can tell which SLAP was real. Christo Brock did a steller editing job so you’ll find it quite challenging to sort out the real from pretend slaps.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?
By day, I’m an entrepreneur, president of KH Consulting Group, a management consulting firm that has served 200 clients in 25 states and in 6 foreign countries. I know… management consulting is a major departure from what most filmmakers do. I also have a hubby and a son and travel whenever I can get the chance. 

SLAP screens as part of the EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED shorts showcase @ 4:45 PM today, Saturday, April 24 in the Edwards Island 2. 

Click here to purchase tickets for shorts showcase:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256812

Watch the trailers for SLAP here:

http://www.slapthemovie.com/

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Sat, 24 Apr 2010 11:28:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Brooks Branch http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-brook-branch http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with-brook-branch By Kelly Strodl

Multiple-sarcasms

Today I talked with Brooks Branch, director of MULTIPLE SARCASMS, a film about a successful architect who decides to become a playwright – to cope with his mid-life crisis, and finds he does some of his best writing on the john. Gabriel is a man who on the surface has it all-successful professional life, a beautiful wife, and a devoted young daughter. But slowly it dawns on him that he is not really happy. So, he decides that he wants to write a play about the sorry state of his life. He quits his job and starts writing. However, the struggle of composing the play becomes a catalyst in his life, pushing away those close to him and testing his resolve to complete the work that will ultimately change his life forever.

The film screens tonight as one of our Spotlights. 

Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: From our PR Gang (MPRM) -- they spoke highly of festival and so we're excited.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: It's a drama which the tone was inspired by quirky late 70's relationship dramas like An Unmarried Woman, Starting Over and other Hal Ashby and Woody Allen type films. This era of film had characters that seemed very real and relatable, but at the same time were in films that were at times imperfect and funny. In Multiple Sarcasms, the lead character, Gabriel (played by Timothy Hutton) is a man who's path to happiness is not cut and dry. Unlike other films, he does not have a cancer to point at for his unhappiness and so (like those of us in real life) has to work hard to figure out what the problem is in an otherwise seemingly happy life.    From the talented crew right through the amazing actors -- everyone was on the same page to try to bring the down-to-earth elements of this story to life.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: I grew up a painter in the incongruous locale of Salt Lake City. Then became a graphic designer and ultimately Creative Director and went into publishing -- then I shifted into entertainment and ran a creative division of Paramount Pictures -- only to then leave and have my own branding company where I have strategically helped heads of most all the studios (as well as other highly visible companies) to produce, launch and leverage their brands and other projects.  While I have written many books, and other projects, Multiple Sarcasms is the first feature film that I have directed. Aside from my professional background, I have been seeing films since I was a little kid and so I'm a true lover of film -- which is my main credential in terms of making a film.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: I was lucky to work with amazing actors who shared a vision that I helped to set with the script.  Once they bought into that, then the rest was just a healthy collaboration. Casting is a long process and boring real life issues enter into it like finances and schedules, but at the core of the process is a chemical chain reaction that you have to both start, and know how to control. Set backs are part of that process and to be expected. And triumphs come in many shapes and require risk, so don't be afraid to try new things or to let the actors. Each actor has a unique set of gifts and also some insecurities... so try to figure out their specific language and then speak it as best you can.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: Experience life enough to try and create more and more.
Oh, and watch other people's smash films.

MULTIPLE SARCASMS screens at 6 PM on Saturday, April 24 at the Edwards Island Theater 5.

Buy ticket here:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256900

Watch the trailer for WE WERE FEARED here:

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1099933/IMG_0777.JPG http://posterous.com/users/36PsItgOJPm9 Kelly Strodl @kelly4nia Kelly Strodl
Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:57:48 -0700 UPDATE! The Four-Faced Liar - 2nd Screening Added http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/update-the-four-faced-liar-2nd-screening-adde http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/update-the-four-faced-liar-2nd-screening-adde
Due to high demand for THE FOUR-FACED LIAR - The first screening has already sold out! - we've added a second screening at 3 PM, Monday, April 26 in Edwards Island Theater 5.

Fourfacedliar

When Molly and Greg, an adorable couple, become intrigued by Trip and Bridget, their loveably raunchy best friends, Molly finds herself falling for Bridget. As her attraction toward Bridget becomes more intense, she's faced with a life-altering question. Which is most important: passion or consistency?

For more #nbff festival updates, celeb spottings, esclusive photos from the parties, filmmaker interviews and more... visit us on our Facebook Fan Page and/or Twitter

- Kelly Strodl @kellyl4nia

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1099933/IMG_0777.JPG http://posterous.com/users/36PsItgOJPm9 Kelly Strodl @kelly4nia Kelly Strodl
Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:50:38 -0700 UPDATE! Burning Palms - 2nd Screening Added http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/update-burning-palms-2nd-screening-added http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/update-burning-palms-2nd-screening-added Hey Newport Beach Film Festers! 

Due to high demand for BURNING PALMS - The first screening has already sold out! - we've added a second screening at 5:45 pm, Saturday, April 24 in Edwards Island Theater 4. (This screening will replace the Saturday showing of SOLOMON KANE which was canceled due to the volcanic activity in Iceland last week.)

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Starring Adrianna Baraza, Dylan McDermott, Jamie Chung, Lake Bell, Nick Stahl, Paz Vega, Robert Hoffman, Rosamund Pike, Shannen Doherty, and Zoe Saldana -  this subversive comedy takes a stab at satirizing the well-known stereotypes of varying Los Angeles neighborhoods. The stories of five interlocking characters who must their own varied, darkly funny fates, are followed in this entertaining film boasting an ensemble cast large enough to leave Hollywood reporters joking about being out of breath at the end of the litany of names. In this daring romp no taboo is left unexplored.

For more #nbff festival updates, celeb spottings, esclusive photos from the parties, filmmaker interviews and more... visit us on our Facebook Fan Page and/or Twitter

- Kelly Strodl @kellyl4nia

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Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:21:00 -0700 Newport Beach Film Festival - now a featured spot on Gowalla http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/newport-beach-film-festival-now-a-featured-sp http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/newport-beach-film-festival-now-a-featured-sp

Gowalla_nbff_page

So it's official! We have a featured custom Newport Beach Film Festival Gowalla icon. If you don't already use geo-location apps or know what one is - It's a mobile application where your phone locates you on the globe using GPS and posts it to the gowalla site, and/or your Twitter and/or Facebook. It connects with friends and people who may be at... the same location looking to meet up! 

 

For this year's festival we'll be using to notify people of sold out events, celeb sightings, movies with ticks still available, the hottest parties, best food, etc. Thanks Gowalla team and Jonathan, you guys are awesome.

 

Most importantly TONIGHT, when you arrive at the Opening Night tonight make sure to CHECK IN on the mobile App, that way we can create a hot spot and get some buzz going on this thing! 


Check Out our page on Gowalla HERE!

Have an iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or Palm smartphone?
Click here to download the app free to your phone.
 
Hope to see you there. 
Kelly Strodl - @kelly4nia

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Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:06:00 -0700 NBFF Filmmaker's Five with Matthew Leutwyler http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with http://newportbeachfilmfest.posterous.com/nbff-filmmakers-five-with By Kelly Strodl

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This afternoon we talked with Matthew Leutwyler, director of THE RIVER WHY, the story of 20-year old Gus Oryiston. A Mozart of fly fishing, Gus leaves his big city home in rebellion from his family to live the simple secluded life on the banks of a river. Instead of the bliss Gus hoped for, his isolation drives him to a journey of self-discovery. Along this journey Gus comes in contact with a number of eccentric people who help him through his passage into adulthood. He finds friendship and love where he never expected it, and lives by the following observation: "The surface of the earth is 30% land and 70% water. A newborn baby is composed of 70% water and 30% everything else. I guess this means that life and water are inseparable."

Q: How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I actually had a film there years ago. My first feature, Road Kill. I live in Los Angeles now so am familiar with the fest anyway. 

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: Upon high school graduation, I left on a trek to Australia and took along with me a soft cover copy of THE RIVER WHY. It was my constant companion on an adventure that included working on a dairy farm and fishing the various rivers and streams of Victoria's high country. I must have read the book four or five times over the course of my journey, identifying closely with Gus's departure from his home in pursuit of happiness in the wilderness. The book remained a favorite of mine over the years since I returned, so naturally when the opportunity came to direct the film version it was a dream come true.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: I studied film at The San Francisco Art Institue and then moved to L.A. to get into the business. A few years later I met Miranda Bailey (director of the doc Greenlit, also playing at the fest) and we formed our production company Ambush Entertainment. . Since then, Ambush has produced 2005's award-winning critically acclaimed drama The Squid and the Whale; the sexually charged comedy The Oh In Ohio starring Parker Posey, Paul Rudd, and Danny DeVito; the sci-fi horror Unearthed; and the comedy Lower Learning with Eva Longoria Parker, Jason Biggs, and Rob Corddry. Recent films include: Against the Current, with Joseph Fiennes, Mary Tyler Moore and Justin Kirk which Premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was picked up by IFC Films; the Matthew Broderick and Sanaa Lathan drama Wonderful World, distributed by Magnolia Pictures; and Every Day, written and directed by Richard Levine (Nip/Tuck) and starring Helen Hunt, Liev Schreiber, and Carla Gugino which will make its World Premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. The company’s latest film, the action comedy Super starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, and Kevin Bacon just wrapped production and is expected to be completed in late Spring 2010.

My latest directing was the ensemble drama Answers To Nothing, starring Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell, Julie Benz, and Barbara Hershey which recently completed principal photography.

I've also been doing some short form work with spots for Chevrolet and most recently a Coke Zero commercial that was a cross promotion with the film Avatar.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: Working with William Hurt was an obvious thrill. He really challenges you to be your best. But working with Zach Gilford and Amber Heard was the most fun. I have a real fondness for both actors. Zach and I worked again recently on Answers To Nothing. They were game for anything and totally prepared. They also fit into the loose vibe but quick pace that we had on set. Zach especially had to endure a lot on THE RIVER WHY. Not only did he have to carry the entire movie, as he is in almost every scene but he had to do it while dealing with the elements. The climatic fishing sequence at the end of the film was shot over 16 hours straight - from day into night and then back into the early morning. And he had to do it while performing in 55 degree water. There was never a complaint, he really just wanted it to be authentic and it came out beautifully. 

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

A: Sleep. Its been a really busy few years for us at Ambush so right now that is all I have time for.

THE RIVER WHY screens at 6 PM on Friday, April 23 at the Edwards Island 7.

Buy tickets here for Friday:

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256931

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/1099933/IMG_0777.JPG http://posterous.com/users/36PsItgOJPm9 Kelly Strodl @kelly4nia Kelly Strodl