More troubles unfold for Conner

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- A Nevada-based golf company is accusing Newport

Beach International Film Festival co-founder Jeffrey S. Conner of taking

$34,000 of its money to cover costs of a celebrity golf tournament that

never took place, according to a lawsuit filed last month.

The lawsuit, as well as a series of bad debts revealed in Conner’s

Sept. 1 bankruptcy papers, sheds more light on the festival’s unexpected

collapse this week.

Conner and his attorney on the case could not be reached for comment

Friday.

The lawsuit, filed by the Alexis Corp. on Aug. 17 in Santa Ana

Superior Court, claims Conner breached a contract with the company, which

agreed to pay $50,000 in exchange for advertising and marketing

promotions at the festival. The money also was to go toward sponsorship

of a celebrity golf tournament at Pelican Hill Golf Club, the lawsuit

stated.

The tournament was part of Conner’s effort to expand this spring’s

festival, which was in its fourth year.

According to court documents, the two parties had an oral agreement

that $25,000 would be paid in advance to the golf club in connection with

tournament costs. However, Alexis alleges that after it paid Conner and

the film festival $34,000, Conner never paid the golf club and the

tournament was canceled.

Also named in the suit are Limelight Marketing Group, its president

Michael Hayes and Todd Quartararo, a volunteer with the festival.

Alexis’ attorney, Ivan Cohen, declined to comment on the matter

Friday.

Two weeks after the lawsuit was filed, Conner filed Chapter 7

bankruptcy in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Ana. Because of this, the

case has been automatically suspended, attorneys said.

While the bulk of Conner’s assets were listed as a non-operable 1984

Porsche Carrera worth $10,000, his debts hovered near $200,000, according

to court documents. The outstanding payments are a combination of lawyers

fees, personal loans, credit card debts and unpaid judgments from

previous lawsuits.

The two lawsuits, filed by Costa Mesa-based Neighborhood Acceptance

Corp. and Irvine-based Mybar Printing, came back in July with rulings

against Conner. He was ordered to repay a $9,872 loan to Neighborhood

Acceptance and pay $18,467 to Mybar, which sought money for services

rendered for the film festival, according to court documents.

Conner’s legal troubles have arisen just as the film festival seemed

to be establishing itself as a premier event in the community. This

year’s film entries grew to more than 100 out of 550 films from 30

different countries.

But the festival had a number of problems. Celebrities who agreed to

appear at screenings often canceled at the last minute and there were

technical problems in the first few years.

“Jeff Conner is really a great individual,” said lawyer Jonathan

Michaels. “He tried as hard as he possibly could to keep [the festival]

going.”

Conner’s creditors will meet in bankruptcy court in Santa Ana on Oct.

5.

PUT IN BOX

* DEBTS

Lawyer’s fees -- $17,800

Diners Club -- $10,000

Personal Loan -- $8,000

IRS -- $9,500

Hamilton and Samuels -- $7,900

J & M Press -- $13,900

Musil, Perkowitz and Ruth -- $42,000

Mybar Printing -- $24,000

Neighborhood Acceptance -- $14,000

Liabilities -- $191,900

Total Assets -- $10,960

1984 Porsche Carrera (non-operable) worth $10,000