Film festival sets the scene

Newport Beach may not boast a movie theater with handprints immortalized in cement out front (yet), but the city is fast becoming a mecca for first-rate film premieres and red-carpet celebrity sightings.

With an expected attendance of more than 40,000, the ninth annual Newport Beach Film Festival, opening tonight at the Edwards Big Newport theater, has been a launching pad for feature films that debuted here.

The 2006 Academy Award-winning movie “Crash” made its U.S. premiere at the festival that year, and popular films including “Waitress,” “The Illusionist” and “Son of Rambow” made their West Coast premieres in Newport Beach.

With the price of gas skyrocketing daily, people don’t have to venture far over the next eight days to see a multitude of feature films, shorts and documentaries representing more than 37 countries. There’s a Family Film Series, an Action Sports Film Series, a Friday Showcase, a Saturday Centerpiece and free seminars to attend.

The independent comedy, “Sherman’s Way,” starring James LeGros, Michael Shulman, Lacey Chabert, Brooke Nevin and Enrico Colantoni will screen on opening night.

Festival co-founder and chief executive Gregg Schwenk described the film as a “great, light indie comedy,” a commodity he said is often hard to find. He said choosing this film to open the festival sets the tone for a celebration right from the beginning.

“We are proud to kick off the 2008 festival with a refreshing indie comedy that truly captures the independent spirit of filmmaking.”

Craig Saavedra directed the film and co-produced it with Shulman. Saavedra said when he received the call from his business partner in New York informing him the film had been selected to open the Newport Beach Film Festival, he thought it was a prank.

“We were incredibly thrilled, and recognized it as a big honor. Everyone knows about the Newport Beach Film Festival and ‘Crash’ so I’ve already cleared a space off on my mantel.

“The trend is you open at Newport Beach, you win an Oscar,” Saavedra joked.

The film has been a hit with audiences so far, a trend Saavedra hopes will continue.

“People are looking for a little lighter fare during tough times. It’s fun to have something to divert your attention from reality,” he said.

In the film, Sherman [Shulman] is a Yale law student stranded in California’s wine country after his girlfriend [Chabert] dumps him. He arranges to hitch a ride back to Southern California with Palmer [LeGros] a “washed-up, unapologetically eccentric Olympic athlete.”

Saavedra, along with cast members Shulman, LeGros and Nevin will be on hand for the opening night festivities. Festival promoters are also expecting red-carpet appearances by former “Cheers” star John Ratzenberger, appearing in “The Village Barbershop,” “Shallow Hal” actress Brooke Burns, starring in “The Art of Travel,” and “Superman Returns” actor Brandon Routh, appearing in “Lie To Me.”

Hand-in-hand with movie premieres go the proverbial Hollywood soirees, and Newport knows how to party.

Following the screening, guests can make their way over to the Fashion Island Courtyard next to Bloomingdale’s, where more than a dozen award-winning local restaurants will feature their signature dishes for sampling. The bar will be hosted by Level vodka and Karl Strauss beer.

The rest of the week’s lineup includes films submitted by OCC students, studio and independent filmmakers, and a few well-known Hollywood personalities. Those films will be screened at either Edwards Island 7 in Fashion Island or the Lido Theatre in Newport.

Actor Josh Brolin, star of the 2007 Academy-award winning film, “No Country for Old Men,” wrote and directed the 15-minute short film, “X,” which also stars his daughter.

Actress Mary Stuart Masterson produced and directed “The Cake Eaters,” and there will be a special presentation of rarely seen Disney animated shorts and experimental films by Oscar nominees Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn.

After last year’s John Wayne retrospective featuring some of his most famous movies the festival will again pay tribute to the Duke by screening a 60th anniversary, 35 mm screening of the classic 1948 film “Red River” at the Lido Theatre. The retrospective was done in conjunction with Wayne’s 100th birthday and this year’s John Wayne Tribute Series will be the first of what organizers say will be an annual screening of one of the Duke’s movies at the festival.

Closing out the festival May 1 will be the West Coast premiere of the first independent film to come out of Jordan in the last 50 years.

“I can see this film as a contender for the Best Foreign Film Oscar next year,” Schwenk said.

Winner of the World Cinema Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, “Captain Abu Raed” is the story of a widowed janitor at Amman’s International Airport who finds an airline captain’s hat in the trash.

Taking it with him to the poor neighborhood he calls home, he is followed by a young boy and his friends. Believing Abu Raed to be an airline pilot, they show up on his doorstep begging to hear stories about his world travels. As Abu Raed captivates the children with his fictional tales, their relationship deepens and all their lives take on new meaning.

Following the screening of the film at the Lido Theatre, the festival will host a closing night celebration in Lido Plaza.

For a full schedule of movies, go to www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.

WHAT: Opening Night Screening and Gala for the Newport Beach Film Festival

WHEN: 8 p.m.

WHERE: Edwards Big Newport, 300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. The Gala will take place in the Fashion Island Courtyard next to Bloomingdale’s

COST: $125

INFO: Call (949) 640-4600 or go to www.newportbeachfilmfest.com

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