‘Knowing’ when to know

In the hard knocks, competitive world of Hollywood filmmaking, sometimes a serendipitous encounter between a writer/director and an up-and-coming actress is all a project needs to get off the ground.

That’s pretty much what happened to local film star Britt Delano, 23, a graduate of Sage Hill School.

Delano, who has had small roles in three feature films, has the lead role in “Knowing,” a short film premiering at the ninth annual Newport Beach Film Festival opening next week.

Her part in the 13-minute drama, part of the Festival’s “Trouble with Relationships” short series, was inspired by an impromptu meeting with writer/director Dan Dworkin almost two years ago.

The story centers around the character of Amanda, a young woman in her early 20s engaged to a man she’s only known a few months.

Convinced by an older woman she works with that she really knows nothing about the man she’s committed herself to, Amanda agrees to test her fiance’s fidelity by tempting him with another woman. Delano said the plot takes all kinds of twists and turns from that point on.

“This character is very complex. She’s an insecure girl, a lot younger emotionally than her age, but she knows what she wants.

“You have to have a little of yourself in almost any character that you play, and when I was in high school, I was insecure, and this role brought out some of those old memories,” Delano said.

The idea for the character in the film was just that — an idea — until Dworkin met Delano through a mutual friend.

“I had some ideas in the back of my mind, but I hadn’t written anything yet, and then I met Britt and it all came back,” Dworkin said.

As a writer and producer who’s done most of his work in the psychological thriller realm, including cop dramas and the television show “Criminal Minds,” Dworkin said the concept for this film came from firsthand knowledge of how people often went into marriage for the wrong reasons.

“I saw people jumping into things and always thought that would be a great jumping off point for a character,” Dworkin said.

A character he described as “slightly out of step,” and one that Colleen Bailey, Delano’s former theater teacher at Sage Hill, said Delano was well prepared to portray.

“Britt wasn’t afraid to take risks. She followed her own path, didn’t care about what other people thought, and will bring complexity to any of the roles she undertakes,” Bailey said.

In other projects he’s worked on, Dworkin said he’s gotten more creative with the titles, but this film’s title “is as simple as it gets,” and could apply to both the character and the audience.

In the film, Dworkin said people tend to be surprised because they don’t see what’s coming.

Bailey described Delano’s acting prowess in much the same way.

“Don’t be surprised that Britt will constantly surprise. Her sense of mystery is what makes for a really interesting actor.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Knowing,” part of the “Trouble with Relationship” shorts series at the Newport Beach Film Festival

WHEN: 5:15 p.m. April 29

WHERE: Edwards Islands 2, 999 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach

COST: $11

INFO: For information, film schedules and ticket prices, call (949) 253-2880 or go to www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.

SUE THOENSEN may be reached at (714) 966-4627 or at sue.thoensen@latimes.com.