Newport Beach Film Festival...After-party a blow out! Hip OC rocks...

Festival Buzz on 1:03 AM (Short Film)

Go-Go Girls in chic cocktail dresses did a tasteful bump-and-grind on top of decorator tables (after all, this was OC), the beat of the infectious music prompted party-goers to erupt into impromptu dances about the showroom of the Land Rover auto dealership, and long queues for the scrumptious Hor d'ouevres seemed to snake endlessly amidst film buffs who chatted each other up to a fever pitch.

Yes, after a dazzling array of screenings @ the Newport Beach Film Festival last night, the locals were ready to party-hearty and wile away the twilight hours with gay abandon.

Was this the new power elite?

The packed house was populated with hip, well-heeled, stylish young adults ranging in ages from 25-40.

And, the good-looking crowd was effervescent and spilling over with excitement.

"That's what I like about the Newport Fest. People who attend come to have fun, " one volunteer piped up cheerfully.

"They show up in plain old jeans or maybe dress up for the occasion. But, there is no attitude here."

No one needed to be a shrinking violet, that's for sure.

Guests were outgoing and approachable - so much so - I made many new acquaintances.

And - unlike a couple of festivals I have attended in the past - the filmmakers & the audiences mixed-and-mingled, engaged in meaningful dialogues about film and the craft behind the art, you name it.

The Festival is going full steam in its tenth year and there is no looking back.

This morning I took in "An Electic Box of Shorts" which I'll be reporting on later in the week.

Film-goers have recommended a handful of films slated to hit the Silver Screen this coming week such as - "Lightbulb" starring Jeremy Renner, "Suspect X" starring Masaharu Fukuyama, "Bicycle Dreams" (documentary), "A film with me in it" starring Dylan Moran and Mark Doherty, "Seraphine" starring Yolande Moreau, and - in a Short Film program on April 26th - an original offering titled "1:03 A.M." produced by Raymond & Joseph Cinemato @ Jar Productions.

And, of course, there will be a round of dazzling parties to crash throughout the week.

So, if the posts get a little ragged by Thursday (closing night), it will be a sign that I truly burned the candle at both ends at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Oh well, you're only young once.

Besides, life is not meant to be a dress rehearsal, right?

http://www.julianayrs.com

AFI Dallas...Adrien Brody, Lou Gossett Jr., Janine Turner, Jeremy Renner lit up red carpet! Glittering Fest a smash hit...

Some say film festivals are all about the movies.

True, they are.

However, were it not for high-profile stars trotting down the red carpet, there wouldn't be much glitz or glamor.

Moreover, festival organizers would have to rely on promos focused on a particular demographic to get filmgoers in the door.

AFI Dallas was not wanting for celebs to tease the audiences!

Here is a sampling of a few of the charismatic show biz personalities who lit up the red carpet and sparked a meaningful dialogue about film and the state of the art today in Dallas this week.

Joaquim De Almeida - a co-star of Che (often seen portraying nasty pieces of work like Drug Lords from South America) is one of my favorite character actors who stars in the soon-to-be-released drama "A Burning Plain".

At the screening, gossip mongers were tattling that De Almeida and co-star Kim Bassinger, would be steaming up the silver screen with a smattering of sexy love scenes.

"Yes. We have some intimate moments together," the handsome thespian chuckled.

"In fact, the day before the shoot started, we talked extensively on the telephone about what our approach would be."

In the final analysis, both agreed they were professionals, and that they would just "do it".

"We started with a simple scene which consisted of just a kiss. Then, over the next week, Kim and I built up to the intense moments."

Lou Gossett Jr. appeared on the red carpet to tout his new project premiering at the AFI Dallas, wearing a T-Shirt emblazoned with the word "eracism" on the front in keeping with the plot line of the film.

When I asked him why he chose "The Least Among You", he noted the reason was twofold.

"First, because of my faith. Second, because of the subject matter."

The low-budget short was about the 1st African American to attend a Religious College.

Although Mr. Gossett's acting was excellent as usual, I found the project to be amateurish and poorly-written.

Before he moved on to another reporter, he quipped:

"Our children are our future, not oil."

Cheryl Ladd's daughter - a pretty petite young lady with a glow about her - noted that she talked with the director Paul Solet on the telephone for about four hours before jumping on board.

"Grace was described as a kind-of "Rosemary's Baby," she beamed.

Unfortunately, the talented young actress could not save the project which - by most accounts - bombed miserably at the AFI Dallas Fest.

Patton Oswalt - the perennial funny man - was a little more reserved when he chatted up the media to promote his film, "The Big Fan".

"It's similar to great films of the 70's like Marvin Gardens and Electra Glide in Blue," he noted to a crush of press types jockeying for pictures.

Janine Turner (Friday Nights) appeared on the red carpet on a couple of occasions during the AFI Fest; once, at a screening of Monroe's "Gentlemen Prefer Blonds"; then, later at the end of the week at Texas Film Day when Governor Perry also put in a much-ballyhooed appearance to boast about the State's contribution to the film industry.

Turner was gracious, elegantly dressed, and accessible to fans.

The pretty lady gave me a calling card with a striking photo etched on the front.

Sorry, dudes, I'm not sharing!

The producer - and most of the cast of "Pearl" - sauntered into the press room the night of the premiere for their biography on a Chickasaw Aviator inspired by known-flyer Wiley Post.

The director informed that the production was financed by the Chickasaw nation.

The head of the tribe was a bit taken aback by the high price tag, but paid up, nonetheless.

"The Chief thought it was important to produce this project to put the focus on the Chickasaw people."

I pointed out that in Miss Navajo (a film I took in last year at the Los Angeles Film Festival which featured a Q & A with the director) Native American Indians expressed their concerns that if a language and culture were not kept up in the modern day they would disappear in the next twenty years.

He agreed.

Jeremy Renner - a screen heart-throb to reckon with - was a tad serious when he ran the gauntlet to discuss "Hurt Locker".

"It was a challenging role," he confessed. "Film buffs will have to take in a screening to figure it out."
And, who could forget the big splash that Adrien Brody made on opening night when he strode down the carpet for the premiere of Brothers Bloom?

Judging by the frenzied attention he nabbed that night, Brody is no doubt a Hollywood megastar to contend with, in every sense of the word!

Jordan Ladd

http://www.thetattler.biz

AFI Dallas...Jeremy Renner appears for screening of "Hurt Locker"; Director Kathryn Bigelow honored with Texas Star Award; Tattler stand on Iraq!

The "Hurt Locker" is a drama about an elite bomb squad playing a game of life and death in Iraq - which was set as a centerpiece film amid a dizzying array of offerings at AFI Dallas 2009.

According to AFI, a centerpiece film is one that "inspires conversation, sparks imagination, and encourages contemplation."

For some, the Mark Boals material may fit that bill.

In a nutshell, the war flick takes an intense peak into the dangerous world of elite soldiers who disarm bombs in the heat of combat.

Jeremy Renner, one of the stars of the "Hurt", noted for the record that the material is highly complex.

"The lean, good-looking actor subsequently added:

"You have to see it for yourself to figure what it is about."

Curiously, when I asked Renner about the meaning of "Hurt Locker", he was inclined to hand me off to the creative team down the red carpet heading our way.

But, he hazarded a guess, nonetheless.

"I thought it might be a body box or a latrine."

When the question was raised down the line, I was bounced back to Renner.

"That's a question for Jeremy."

When I relayed his initial response, it was suggested that perhaps he meant it in the sports vernacular.

No straightforward answer was forthcoming.

"It's obviously a bad thing."

Was the answer too explosive?

Perhaps, there wasn't one.

A title of a film is usually chosen to reflect or shed light on the heartbeat or underlying theme of a project.

It may even be a catch phrase.

The dilemma struck me as one that an art connoisseur might encounter when viewing an abstract painting.

By not providing a title, or explanation, the artist opens the door for the "observer" to "read into it."

Hence, a more profound meaning may end up being credited than originally intended.

The vague responses were terribly revealing so I moved on to a new line of questioning.

When I asked Renner his marital status, he noted that he had a girlfriend.

"Any plans to marry?"

"That's pushing it," a gruff handler without any manners (not an AFI employee) barked out.

Since fan appeal may rest in "availability", my question was not out-of-place or irrelevant or un-called-for under the circumstances.

A query about his wardrobe made the rough-around-the-edges rep bristle, too.

since I put together a best-dressed list each year, the info I was seeking was within my realm.

Fashion questions were off-putting to Kathryn Bigelow.

Bigelow, the director of Point Break, K-19, and Near Dark, hesitated before divulging the name of her designer.

Was the chic dark suit something she threw together herself, I probed further?

After almost biting her tongue, she quietly responded.

"Dolce Gabbana."

Not too shoddy, Kathryn!

As she strode off and I started to jot down the name on my pad, she half-turned and - ever-the-director - informed me that I did not have to write that info down.

"Yes, I do." I answered politely.

This triggered a reaction from her male escort.

"Do you really write for the Tattler?"

I smiled slightly.

"I am the Tattler."

At this juncture, he strode back towards me and asked if I was with the Tattler published in England.

"There is a Tattler in England and one based in America."

Asking me if I "really wrote for the Tattler" was such a silly question to ask!

Did he honestly think that AFI would allow an individual pass themselves off as someone they weren't on the red carpet?

The truth of the matter is that AFI makes every good-faith effort to court legitimate members of the press to ensure there is a ample, widespread professional coverage for the filmmakers and their projects, and events at the Festival.

Likewise, AFI ensure those appearing on the carpet are key-players, and professionals worthy of press coverage based on set industry standards.

For the former reason, I am giving "Hurt Locker" publicity for their project and their actors and reporting on the Texas Star Award bestowed upon Kathryn Bigelow for her contribution to film.

Personally, I don't intend to take in the film.

Since I am a peacemaker, opposed to War and Imperalist occupations of Foreign Nations, films such as "Hurt Locker" only fuel the fire and exalt the horrors of battle and conflict, in my estimation.

In the final analysis, my readers have to decide for themselves if "Hurt" is a film they'll spring a few bucks (and a couple of leisure hours) on.

To each his own.

Jeremy Renner

www..julianayrs.com