A CINEMATIC CELEBRATION
THE NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL MARKS ITS 25TH EDITION WITH A SHOW-STOPPING LINEUP OF SCREENINGS , PARTIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS .
BY SHARON STELLO | PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
In honor of its milestone year , the 25th annual Newport Beach Film Festival is pulling out all the stops with a film and fashion showcase featuring a prominent costume designer , a new automotive short film competition , a Cinematographer ’ s Day and more from Oct . 17-24 .
While this year will be a big celebration , festival co-founders Gregg Schwenk and Todd Quartararo are also taking a moment to reflect on the event ’ s beginnings and what it has become . From approximately 300 screenings of independent and major motion pictures — often premiering films that go on to win big awards — to star-studded red carpet events , panel discussions and parties spread over a week , it ’ s a movie lover ’ s paradise .
“ We are both immensely proud of what has been built and what we ’ ve been able to provide and give back to the community for over a quarter of a century ,” says Schwenk , the festival ’ s CEO .
“ It ’ s hard to imagine , when we started this , that this festival would grow to become a major player in the national landscape for film entertainment ,” adds Quartararo , the festival ’ s marketing director . “ … We ’ re very proud of what we ’ ve become and to be one of the largest film festivals in Southern California , … it ’ s very inspiring .”
FOR THE LOVE OF FILM The festival grew from their appreciation for good movies , first and foremost . “ I grew up watching films with my parents and my brother and , really , film was the medium of our generation ,” says Schwenk , who went on to study the economic benefits of regional film production while at UC Berkeley . “ I really fell in love with the business side of show business .”
Quartararo recalls films like “ Star Wars ,” “ E . T .” and “ Poltergeist ” that had an impact on him as a child . He loves the storytelling side of films —“ really their ability to transport you and capture your imagination ,” he says .
With Schwenk ’ s background in business and Quartararo ’ s marketing and events promotion experience , they decided to partner up , bringing together both of their strengths to build the festival . When the pair were first deciding where to hold the event , Newport seemed an obvious choice . Both are from the area — Schwenk grew up in Newport and Quartararo is from Irvine — and they agreed this was the right location , replete with movie theaters , hotels for out-of-town participants and grand venues for parties and other events .
“ We both … realized that this was the perfect setting for a global film festival ,” Schwenk says . “… Both of us attended , independently , other film festivals around the United States and we realized that Newport Beach offers some really unique and special opportunities both for the filmmakers and for the audience . With our proximity to Hollywood and the incredible backdrop that is Newport Beach , we really couldn ’ t think of anywhere else that would be a better setting for a global film event .”
Originally held in the spring , the festival shifted to the fall during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 , running as a virtual event with a drive-in movie component that year . That move to the fall has come with some unexpected benefits , so organizers have continued with the autumn timeframe .
“ We actually have one of the largest groupings of Guild and Academy voters here in Orange County outside of Los Angeles and New York ,” Quartararo says . “ So , now that we ’ re in the fall space , we ’ ve
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