Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left, and Zooey Deshanel in “(500) Days of Summer,” the closing film of the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival.

OK gang, some final thoughts on the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival.

It was a whirlwind (and sometimes challenging) experience, with more than 400 films in eight days, scores of filmmakers and special guests, and receptions and parties every night. I’m still kind of recovering.

I’ve chronicled this film festival since its very beginning in 2000. Thus, this 10th annual cinematic gathering has also been my tenth time reporting on the festival. I’ve seen it grow from humble beginnings to one of the biggest film fests on the West Coast.

I’d have to say, this past film festival ranks up there as one of the best. Despite a gloomy economic climate, the organizers, staff and volunteers did an excellent job and attracted record numbers.

There were more than a dozen sellouts, and I have to admit, I was a tad frustrated when it looked like press and other passholders would not be allowed into certain screenings. But that’s just the way it goes when you have limited space and give priority to ticket buyers, which makes sense when you’re trying to run a business.

To see a list of the festival award winners, click here.

The closing night was enjoyable, with a quality romantic comedy, “(500) Days of Summer,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. Both actors offered charming, memorable performances. The film was followed by a cool, crowded outdoor party at the Via Lido Courtyard. For a story and pictures on this event, click here.

Anyway, it’s already May 4, time to look ahead toward other events, festivals and fun things. Indeed, I believe there’s an Asian Pacific Film Festival happening in Los Angeles right now.

To all the organizers, staff and volunteers of the Newport festival: It was great to work with you and in many cases, to see you again. Thank you! I hope to see you around, and hopefully, in less than a year’s time!

In fact, the Newport Beach Film Festival does offer year-round programming. If you would like to keep posted on their events, check out their Web site here.

And if you’d like to continue reading my drivel and keep up-to-date on arts & entertainment in Southern California, visit me and our other arts writers on the Arts Blog. You’ll be glad you did. I think.

Anyway, thanks for reading and see you here next year!

Adios!

Richard

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Review by Matthew Ralston

After 13 years in the making, “The Glacier Project” finally hit the big screen Thursday night with a world premiere at the Lido Theater. Created and directed by Ryan Casey (the son of IMAX filmmaker Sean Casey), the film follows two big wave surfers Garrett McNamara and Kealii Mamala in their quest to ride waves created by Alaska’s Child’s glacier “calving” into the Copper River.
It’s an incredibly dangerous feat, illustrated by a moment where a usually fearless McNamara breaks down in tears during a call to his family. But considering the freezing water, 12 knot currents, high winds, rocks and icebergs, and the shrapnel-like effect that occurs when a piece of the glacier falls, you can’t blame him.

Just in from Hawaii, McNamara was asked if he’d ever go back. He replied, “No. I will not go back. Much too dangerous.”
The movie provides a thorough background in their attempt to surf such a unique wave. Through interviews and computer graphics, the viewer gets a good understanding in how the wave is created, the timing and positioning necessary to catch a ride and the equipment: custom Sea-Doos, custom surfboards and thick-as-can-be wetsuits.
The filming is fantastic at capturing the raw size and power of the glacier and the huge pieces of ice that fall.

The film builds suspense through failed attempts and bouts of frustration between the surfers. In the final day, Kaialle catches a long ride. Although the wave isn’t as good as the barrels shown early in the film (and half the time you can’t see him),  it’s still amazing to see someone ride a wave, in a river, that was created by a humongous piece of fallen glacier.

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Adrien Brody, left, and Mark Ruffalo in “The Brothers Bloom.”

By Cameron Bird

“The Brothers Bloom” shows both the sunny and shadowy sides of swindling. And, as a lot of capers start, someone wants out of the game, but can’t find anyone else to hang around. In this case, the final con job leads the anti-hero toward the romance he’s been lacking, as the film successfully upends convention with whimsy.

The elder Bloom, Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), has a knack for planting smiles on his victims by showing them a good time, something that’s always rubbed his kid brother (Adrien Brody) the wrong way. When the siblings drive away from the scene of a mansion they’ve set ablaze, the younger Bloom, who goes only by his surname, retreats to the backroom of a bar. He brushes aside the advances of a sphinx-like femme fatale, wondering if she’s fawning over him or over his latest role.

“I want an unwritten life,” he tells Stephen, who’s been handwriting their schemes on flow charts since mischievous youth.

Though burnt out, the younger Bloom agrees to scam one last mark: lonely heiress Penelope (Rachel Weisz), who spends her days making pinhole cameras out of watermelons and accidentally crashing her yellow Lamborghini into solid surfaces. She’s keen on Bloom, and he on her, though the lie he’s weaving stifles his affections.

Thanks in large part to Weisz’s cute-smart turn, the film feels at times very Wes Andersonian, very “Tenenbaum”-esque. Thanks in small part to the brothers’ mime sidekick, Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi from “Babel”), it feels somewhat like Technicolor Marx Brothers. But director-writer Rian Johnson drifts into darker territory at the end, as one sibling is thrown into a violent maze by the sudden disappearance of the other.

Johnson’s previous and first feature film, “Brick,” explored the high school drug trade in the tune of a creepy, talky noir. With a plot that thickens into a cautionary tale about the hard-to-escape cycle of con-artistry, “The Brothers Bloom” isn’t all that different, really. The main difference, here, is that the restless get to break free of the script and the audience gets to grin, finally, at requited love.

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The Newport Beach Film Festival concluded Thursday night with the West Coast premiere of “(500) Days of Summer,” an outdoor gala at Via Lido Plaza, and a bittersweet sigh of relief among staffers, volunteers and this arts & entertainment writer in particular!

Winners were announced today. The French drama “Seraphine” picked up the bounty of awards, including jury prizes for best film, actor, actress, director and screenplay.

CLICK HERE to read about the other award winners and closing night.

This is not the end of the unofficial Newport Beach Film Festival Blog! I will have more notes on closing day and night, plus a couple of guest reviews coming. So stay tuned!

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Sara Chevere and Karen Edwards at Muldoon’s Pub Wednesday night. Photo by Richard Chang/The Register.

OK, gang, thanks for coming back to this here Newport Beach Film Festival blog!

I’m going to give you a round-up of what I’ve been up to for the past day or so.

On Wednesday evening, I headed down to the Lido Theater, where an evening of Disney rarities was being presented by Disney producer Don Hahn and creative director David Bossert.

The two fellas screened some funny and rarely seen animated gems. The  shorts included “Hell’s Bells” from 1929, “Flowers and Trees” from 1932, “Food Will Win the War” from 1942, “Fun with Mr. Future” from 1982, and a black and white Tim Burton film, “Vincent” from 1982. (It was his first project for Disney.) They also screened a 2008 short, “Glago’s Guest,” directed by Chris Williams, and a trailer for an upcoming Disney/Pixar project.

It was an entertaining evening, and Hahn and Bossert provided insightful, humorous commentary. They seem to have good chemistry. Click on the thumbnails below to see pictures from the event.

Photos by Richard Chang/The Register.

Afterward, I jaunted over to Muldoon’s Pub, where folks were gathering after the Irish Spotlight, “A Film With Me In It.” Muldoon’s served some pretty good hors d’oeuvres, including sliders with onion rings and whiskey-grilled chicken drumsticks. Yum.

Irish band The Mighty Regis performed, and they were good and loud.

I chatted with Steve and Lynn Schultz, whom I met earlier during the festival. I also got interviewed by German Angel, a TV host for www.worldvideo.tv.

Other folks I ran into: Marcel Doumerc, manager at Muldoon’s; Allen Freeman; Sara Chevere; and Karen Edwards, who might help me with re-financing my condo. Possibly. The younger NBFF staffers were there, and they were cool as always.

I swung over to Canaletto Ristorante, which was hosting the after-party for the Italian Spotlight, “Il Divo.” It looked like that party was wrapping up. In fact, they stopped serving drinks at 10 p.m.

I spotted some (older than college-age) staffers of the festival at Canaletto, but they pretty much ignored me, except for Saba Shirazi and Todd Quartararo. I guess they’re sick of me by now. I’m just the lowly press, remember.

OK, tonight is “(500) Days of Summer,” the closing film of the festival at 7 p.m. at the Lido! But don’t bother going if you don’t have a ticket. It’s sold out.

Click the thumbnails below for pictures of the band The Mighty Regis at Muldoon’s Pub Wednesday night. Photos by Richard Chang/The Register.

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Joey Buran, left, signs copies of his DVD for folks waiting outside the Lido Theater Wednesday. Photo by Matthew Ralston, for The Register.

NBFF: Lights out for Action Sports

By Matthew Ralston

Although the DVD has been in surf shops since October, I was stoked to see Quiksilver’s “Clay Marzo: Just Add Water” on the Lido Theater’s big screen. The bioflick follows the talented young surfer around the world to Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii, France, Spain and Australia, while also tackling his challenges with Asperger syndrome.

But as I was waiting in line, I heard a buzz about a power outage. The Action Sports showcase, also featuring “Beyond the Dream: The Joey Buran Story,” was soon canceled.

Before I got bummed out, there was a hustle around a few tables set up just outside the theater. A short, blond-haired guy stood up and thanked all of us for coming out. Joey Buran was stoked to have his own film in the festival, regardless of the outage.

He mentioned a similar situation where no one showed up for a screening in L.A. “You can go any where but up from here,” he remembered thinking at the time.

“I can’t control this,” he said, pointing to the dark theater. “But I can take care of this,” he said as he signed free copies of his movie. His film captures his own rise as a professional surfer, winning the Pipeline Master’s Championships, to his bouts with depression and a suicide attempt.

He’s made a comeback and is now keeping high spirits no matter the situation. “Everyone has a story,” he told someone waiting for a signed DVD. “Every life has value.”

Now I’m stoked to watch his film, which also features Tom Curren, Kelly Slater and Rob Machado, even if it’s not on the big screen. He’s certainly one surfer that’s passing on the stoke.

More on the Newport Beach Film Festival — www.newportbeachfilmfest.com

Joey Buran outside the Lido Theater on Wednesday. Photo by Matthew Ralston. Click to enlarge.

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Max Naylor, Samantha Renzi and Amanda Salazar having fun at French 75 Tuesday night. Photo by Richard Chang/The Register.

All right, folks, thanks for coming back and reading this Newport Beach Film Festival blog!

On Tuesday, I called my friend and festival co-founder Todd Quartararo and asked him, “Should I go see “Arn,” the Swedish Spotlight?

He said, “No, I would recommend ‘Seraphine.’ I’ve heard it’s excellent filmmaking — one of the best films of the entire festival.”

Hmm, those were some good words of advice. However, a lot of other filmgoers heard that tip too. “Seraphine” was packed. Oversold, in fact, like a lot of other films during this festival.

I got in the theater and sat next to Jo King, who’s on the NBFF advisory board, Gregg Schwenk’s mother and her friend, a nice gentleman whose name I didn’t catch.

As people filled the seats, associate director of programming Amanda Salazar asked anyone who had an empty seat next to them to raise their hands. Hands went up, and those seats were filled.

But there were still ticket holders waiting to see the movie. So what to do? Well, Amanda — who is a very nice person and a great Trader Joe’s employee, I might add — made a startling announcement. She asked all members of the press to stand up, relinquish their seats and proceed to the very back of the theater, where they could stand. Or leave, if they wished to.

Talk about humiliation! Well, I pondered what to do. The nice gentleman to my left said, “Don’t worry, you’re our guest.” It quickly dawned on me who the bottom of the pecking order is at this gathering. The last man on the proverbial totem pole. It’s the lowly press! So what if you’re a premier sponsor? That doesn’t matter. And what if you’ve been covering the NBFF for 10 years straight, since its very beginning? Who cares. To the back, you ink-stained wretch!

Anyway, I’m not here to kill the messenger. Amanda got her marching orders, I understand. But why do they keep overselling these screenings?

Back to the movie. “Seraphine” was a long, dark French film, about an older woman housekeeper who talks to the trees and makes paintings in her spare time, the wee hours of the night and early morning. She finds a patron, an art critic and collector, but slowly goes insane. It wasn’t exactly a feel-good Hollywood-type movie, but it was the kind of flick you only get to see at an eclectic film festival such as Newport.

After the film, festival-goers proceeded to Design Within Reach and French 75 at Fashion Island. The restaurant was packed, and those mini-hamburger sliders disappeared pretty quickly. So did the red wine. Folks were stuck with Absolut Mango and Karl Strauss again. Confound it, man!

Anyway, it was a lively scene. Roly Quiambao, aka DJ OC After Dark, spun the tunes, and festival goers danced to weird mixes of Journey and Michael Jackson. I saw the old festival crew — Karen and Greg Adams, Geoff Patino, Miriam Saadati, Meghan McGarvey, Craig Lindberg, Emily Kim, Janet Lee, Jay Winterstein, Phillip Woo, etc. etc.

Also there — Joe and Tracy McGarvey, co-worker Kari Hall and Allen Freeman, publicist extraordinaire.

The gathering at Design Within Reach wasn’t quite as happening. I believe that’s because the alcohol ran out at 11 p.m.

Tonight, the best bets are “Gigantic” at 8 p.m. at Edwards Island 7 and the Walt Disney Studio Spotlight at 7:30 p.m. at the Lido Theater.

Get there early, and remember, purchased tickets take priority over passes. Even if you are a V.I.P.

Click on the thumbnails below to view images from Tuesday night at the film festival.

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Phillip Woo, a festival programmer, is in the center. His mom is on the left end in white. The other ladies are his mom’s church friends. Isn’t that sweet? Photo by Richard Chang/The Register.

OK folks, I feel like I’ve been neglecting you by not posting exciting “seen-and-heard” notes about the Newport Beach Film Festival.

The truth is, I’ve been doing a lot of crazy technical work, getting NBFF stories and photos up on the Web and such.  Oh, and I got diverted with a story about the Getty laying off 97 employees and eliminating 205 positions. See, I write about the arts and area museums as well.

In any case, you came here ’cause you want to know about the festival, the films and those nifty parties. So here goes!

On Monday, I went to see “Modern Boy,” a Korean film about a young, somewhat dandyish man who falls in love with a singer named Laura. The movie stars Hye-su Kim and Hae-il Park and was written and directed by Ji-woo Jung.

Dr. Francis Lee, CEO and president of the Orange County Korean Cultural Center provided some opening remarks.

After the festival sponsors got their moment in the spotlight (or onscreen), there were some technical difficulties with the start of the film. The music came on, but there was no image, etc. The house lights went on, the problem was fixed, and the movie played normally.

“Modern Boy” was set in the 1920s. It had a few very elaborate Roaring ’20s dance numbers, with lights, costumes, songs and music that seemed borrowed from American or European shores. How realistic was that? I thought Korea was the hermit kingdom, a very poor, isolated country in the 1920s under Japanese occupation. At least, that’s what the books and my own father say.

The movie revolved around a somewhat believable love story, and ended with a bang. I thought it was OK.

After the Asian (and Australian) spotlight movies, folks gathered for after-parties at Code and Kimera Restaurant and Lounge. I chatted with Meeyoung Chai of Irvine and Yeon Chung of Santa Ana. They’re both nurses.

Chai liked the movie. “I liked the older costumes, music and dancing,” she said. “But it was too modern. I thought the man was better than the actress. She was better in other movies.”

Chung said at first, she thought the movie was too long. “But by the end, I enjoyed it. If I were (the woman), I couldn’t do that.” What she meant was, she couldn’t do what actress Hae-il Park does at the end of the movie. What does she do? I’ll leave it to your imagination.

At Kimera, I chatted with Jay Winterstein, a programmer, and his adorable wife Kerri. Jay said the festival has been “amazing” so far, and attendance has been significantly larger.

“This year, there’s a lot more support from the filmmakers, he said. “The turnout is way better than last year.”

Festival CEO and executive director Gregg Schwenk has told me the same thing at various points during the festival. I’ve witnessed the crowds too.

Who else was at Kimera? Miriam Saadati. Anh Nguyen, Janet Lee, Meghan McGarvey and Craig Lindberg. And? Amanda Salazar, Samantha Renzi, Dave Nguyen and Phillip Woo. And some cool taiko drummers.

This blog is getting long. I’m going to end here with some pictures, then post another blog entry on Tuesday’s excitement.

Photos by Richard Chang/The Register.

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Surfer and film director Jeff Parker in a scene from “Echo Beach.”

“ Echo Beach ”
Review by Matthew Ralston

The world premiere of the surf flick “Echo Beach” was held Tuesday night at a sold out Lido Theater in Newport Beach, appropriate since the film depicts Newport ’s surf scene in the 1980’s.

The Quiksilver bus dropped off surfing legend Peter Townend and Quiksilver CEO Bob McKnight, while Volcom’s co-founder and CEO Richard Woolcott, Newport Beach natives Mark McGrath (the film’s narrator) of Sugar Ray and Alex Knost, long boarder and Japanese Motors front man, also passed through.

The film captures the radical crew of surfers at Echo Beach , the 100-yard strand off 56th St. The crew consisted of Danny Kwock, Jeff Parker, Preston Murray, John Gothard and Mark “Smerk” Mangan, among others.

They donned checkered shorts, neon wetsuits, polka dotted surfboards and rockabilly haircuts. They partied, chased girls and even break danced, ultimately giving the California surf scene a jolt in the 1980s.

While their surfing wasn’t winning over many contest judges, they marked the beginning of Orange County ’s place in the surf industry. Backed by magazines and brands such as Quiksilver, Stüssy, Rip Curl, McCoy and Wave Tools, they marked an explosion in the action sports industry and the marketing of youth culture.

At times the film seemed like an advertorial for Quiksilver, but still provided an interesting history in how the largest surf brand came to be – such as a surfer eating a doilee to get the rights to Quiksilver in America . Moreover, the archival footage from the ‘70s and ‘80s give a good feel for Newport’s surfing history, even going back to when you had to have a permit to surf.

The film doesn’t pack the punch as other surf documentaries like “Dogtown and Z Boys” or “Bustin’ Down the Door,” but if you’re in the industry and enjoy some local history, it’s worth a viewing.

The film has multiple future showings, some with a stand up comedian, a raffle and live music, at the Elks Lodge on May 1 and 2.

Details can be found at their site, www.echobeachfilm.com.

Details can also be found on orangecounty.com’s Zvents: http://events.orangecounty.com/newport-beach-ca/events/show/86968474-echo-beach

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A scene from “Echo Beach,” playing at 7:30 tonight at the Lido Theater.

Hey folks, heading down the Newport Beach Film Festival today?

Today’s lineup includes “Shi Qi,” a Chinese movie starring Joan Chen, playing at 3:15 p.m. at Edwards Island 4. The documentary “Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman” plays at 4 p.m. at the Lido Theater. Shulman is a famous photographer who has captured great architecture throughout the country, particularly the “cool” styles of the 1950s and ’60s.

The festival’s Action Sports Series continues, with the world premieres of “Out of the Pond” at 6:15 p.m. and “Echo Beach” at 7:30 p.m. at the Lido Theater. Guests will include pro wakeboarders Brian Grubb and Kevin Henshaw, director Chris Heffner, director Jeff Parker, Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath (who narrates “Echo Beach”) and others. A surfing art show and reception will follow at 9 p.m. at Sideways Wine and Sake, 501 31st St., Unit B, Newport Beach.

Tonight’s Swedish Spotlight is “Arn — The Knight Templar,” a historic action epic. It plays at 7 p.m. at Edwards Island 6. There’s a party afterward at Design Within Reach, 401 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. Tickets are $30 for the screening and party, $15 for the screening only and $20 for the party only.

The French Spotlight will be “Seraphine,” a French and Belgian production about a housekeeper who communicates with nature and paints in her evening alone time. The movie plays at 7:30 p.m. at Edwards Island 5. The after-party will be at French 75, 327 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. Again, tickets are $30 for the screening and party, $15 for the screening only and $20 for the party only.

“The Brothers Bloom,” starring Adrien Brody, Mark Ruffalo, Rachel Weisz, Rinko Kikuchi (”Babel”) and Robbie Coltrane (of the “Harry Potter” series) will play at 8 p.m. at Edwards Island 7. That film is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who grew up in San Clemente.

There’s a basic guide. For more, go to the Register’s NBFF home page, or the film festival Web site, www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.

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