Film festival director faces creditors

Noaki Schwartz

SANTA ANA -- The Newport International Film Festival is officially

dead. There will not be a “revenge of” or a sequel -- at least not from

Jeffrey S. Conner, the elusive director of the former event who

resurfaced Tuesday morning to face his creditors at federal bankruptcy

court.

It was his first public appearance since it was learned that he filed

for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy Sept. 1. The news of the festival’s

demise and Conner’s bankruptcy shocked residents and volunteers alike,

who thought the festival was establishing itself as a premier event in

Newport Beach.

Dressed in a dark suit and maroon tie, Conner appeared visibly shaken,

pale and thin as he answered questions before the court.

He declined to comment.

Due to additional debts that were added on to the existing ones,

Conner now owes more than $200,000. The outstanding payments are a

combination of lawyers’ fees, personal loans, credit card debts and

unpaid judgments from previous lawsuits.

By announcing bankruptcy, however, any pending lawsuits will be put on

hold, said attorney Jonathan Michaels, who has represented Conner in

previous suits.

One of them is a claim against Conner and the film festival filed in

August by the Alexis Golf Corp. The Nevada-based golf company was to be

the sponsor of a canceled celebrity golf tournament at this year’s

festival. The company claimed to have paid Conner $30,000 that it never

got back.

Conner’s assets were listed as a inoperable 1984 Porsche Carrera worth

$10,000, $500 worth of household items and $200 in books and antiques.

Two creditors who were present at the hearing complained that since

the demise of the festival in April, Conner has gone into hiding and has

not returned their calls.

“He is arrogant and his intent is not honorable,” said Attila

Szenczi-Molnar, an incensed former festival volunteer who demanded that

Conner repay him thousands of dollars.

It was not just money that people want back from Conner. Filmmaker

Rick Gough asked Conner to return his film that was shown in the

festival. It is his best copy, he said, and worth $1,200. Conner promised

to look for it but seemed doubtful as to whether he would find the reel.

At the bankruptcy hearing, Conner said that he had no income and has

not had one during the four years that he directed the festival. Although

he is an accredited lawyer, Conner has not practiced in 10 years, he

said. “I didn’t get paid a salary,” Conner said. “All the money went

into the film festival.”

Conner said he used a checking account, which was opened under the

name of the festival, and “borrowed money for expenses.” The account was

closed in April, a week after this year’s festival ended, he said.

His parents and friends are paying for his living expenses and some of

his debts, Conner said. He even had to be driven to Santa Ana by a friend

to make the hearing because his Porsche is “approaching salvage,” Conner

said.

News of the festival’s troubles first came to light early last month.

While some thought that the event’s demise was a result of little

financial support from the city, others attributed it to general

mismanagement.

The festival had a number of problems, including celebrities who

agreed to appear at screenings and then canceled at the last minute.

There were also a number of technical problems during the festival’s

first years.

Most local film lovers, however, were disappointed to learn that the

annual event had folded. This year’s film entries swelled to more than

100 out of 550 films from 30 different countries.

The hearing will be continued at 1 p.m. Nov. 16.