FOR A GOOD CAUSE -- Marjoe Aguiling

Young Chang

Marjoe Aguiling is one of those behind-the-scenes people who bring the

Newport Beach Film Festival to life.

For most participants in and outside of the city, the festival is an

early April event. For Aguiling, a volunteer with the group for his

second year now, it’s a yearlong project that’s a personal passion.

“I’m interested in bringing in anything that would spread cinema in

the community,” he said. “And bringing in forms that we would normally

not be able to screen.”

Aguiling’s preferences include foreign films, documentaries that don’t

get much attention from major production studios, smaller independent

features and short films.

His volunteer duties -- which of late have reached about 25 hours a

week with the festival just around the corner -- include contacting

filmmakers, keeping track of a database of films and organizing the

parties and events held every night of the seven-day festival.

“To provide the proper atmosphere for the filmmakers to rub elbows,”

Aguiling joked.

This year’s 2001 film festival will feature works from more than 18

countries, genres including comedy, drama and documentary, 60 feature

films and 160 short films.

Aguiling helps with sponsorship and public relations duties and books

flight and hotel reservations for visiting filmmakers. As a volunteer, he

also does some traveling to various film festivals as a Newport Beach

delegate, most recently to Sundance.

“We’re constantly doing what we can to improve the quality of our

films,” the 24-year-old said.

The Chapman University film major is particularly interested in French

films. He is an aspiring filmmaker and said the best part about his

volunteer work is talking with and often meeting people he admires.

Last year, he met Nacho Cerda, who made the film “Genesis.” The

experience was definitely a perk, he said.

“It’s great to attach a face with a name,” he said.

For Aguiling, the importance of films and spreading the word about

valuable works involves getting to know the makers.

“It’s being able to relate to the mind of the filmmaker, which starts

in the imagination, dies on paper and finally resurrects on the wide

screen,” he said.