Best films honored

Elia Powers

After reviewing more than 350 entries, the Newport Beach Film

Festival’s selection committee announced the 2005 award winners in

more than 20 categories on Friday.

“This was a good year for us, both in quantity and quality of

films,” said Gregg Schwenk, the festival’s executive director. “We

were pleased with the reaction we heard from audiences.”

According to Schwenk, an estimated 31,000 filmgoers attended this

year’s event, exceeding last year’s mark by 5,500 people.

The audience had its chance to weigh in with favorite picks. For

best feature film, they chose “Ladies in Lavender,” a drama about a

pair of jealous sisters who adopt a young man after he washes ashore.

“Emmanuel’s Gift,” a story of a disabled orphan from Ghana who

overcomes his physical setbacks by riding a bicycle more than 600

kilometers, won the audience award for best documentary.

Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, the subject of the film, traveled to

Newport Beach for the film’s premiere last week and for the awards

ceremony on Friday.

“It’s an amazing film,” Schwenk said. “What an inspiring story; it

will go on to do wonderful in theaters.”

The festival’s selection committee named “The Definition of

Insanity” the best feature film. The documentary-drama chronicles the

life of an actor who is past his prime, and willing to sacrifice

sanity and damage personal relationships to get one last role.

Joseph Taylor won for best actor in the romantic comedy “The

Breakup Artist,” and Sylvia Chang took best actress accolades for her

role in “Rice Rhapsody.”

Schwenk said he was glad to see an accolade given to “Sonny Boy,”

a feature film about a father’s final journey with his daughter. The

movie won the outstanding achievement in filmmaking, humanitarian

vision category, along with “Emmanuel’s Gift.”

“There’s not a family out there who hasn’t, in some way, been

affected by Alzheimer’s,” Schwenk said. “It’s a powerful and moving

film that’s important for audiences to see.”

The films “Still Life” and “Mad Hot Ballroom” won for outstanding

achievement in filmmaking.

Festival co-founder and director of marketing Todd Quartararo said

he was proud to have “Mad Hot Ballroom” as the festival’s closing

film.

“We ended on a very high note,” Quartararo said.

6th Annual Newport Beach Film Festival Award Winners:

* Best feature: “The Definition of Insanity”

* Best actor: Joseph Taylor, “The Breakup Artist”

* Best actress: Sylvia Chang, “Rice Rhapsody”

* Best director: Ra’up McGee, “Autumn (Automne)”

* Best cinematography: Erin Harvey, “Autumn (Automne)”

* Best screenplay: Vincent Rubino and Pamela Thur, “The Breakup

Artist”

* Best documentary: “Everything Blue”

* Special jury award, documentary: “After Innocence”

* Best short: “Lift”

* Best director, short: Gary McKendry, “Everything In This Country

Must”

* Best cinematography, short: Jeff Garton, “Lift”

* Special jury award, short: “Olive”

* Best animated short: “9”

* Best short documentary: “Xiara’s Song”

* Outstanding achievement in filmmaking, documentary: “Ringers:

Lord of the Fans,” “The Hobart Shakespeareans,” “Searching for Angela

Shelton”

* Outstanding achievement in filmmaking, acting: David Krumholtz,

“Max & Grace”

* Outstanding achievement in filmmaking, directing: Matthew

Vaughn, “Layer Cake”

* Outstanding achievement in filmmaking, humanitarian vision:

“Sonny Boy,” “Emmanuel’s Gift”

* Outstanding achievement in filmmaking: “Mad Hot Ballroom,”

“Still Life”

* Audience Awards:

Best feature: “Ladies in Lavender”

Best documentary: “Emmanuel’s Gift”