Newport Beach Country Club Magazine Winter 2020 | Page 38

From left: actor Pierce Brosnan, The Side Deal band members and actor Will Ferrell at past iterations of the film festival Audience members are asked to take in each production and then give feedback to the filmmakers. big screen,” Schwenk explains. “Twenty years ago, no one was talking about the internet as a forum where we could be playing short films on a regu- lar basis. Netflix, Amazon, those things were very much in their infancy, and we were one of the few outlets for short films. We are very proud of that fact.” While short films are still a big part of the fes- tival, the event has developed into a well-known cinematic celebration over the years, often host- ing premieres and drawing big-name actors, directors and other industry insiders to the screenings, parties and award ceremonies. The festival is perhaps best known for pre- senting the North American premiere of “Crash,” which went on to win an Academy Award for Best Picture in 2005. The festival also presented the U.S. premieres of “The Cove,” which later won an Oscar for Best Documentary, and “Waitress,” which was nominated for several awards and also snagged some honors. Building on the festival’s two-decade momentum, this year is shaping up to be one for the books. CARVING A NICHE While features may get the most attention, the festival’s special programs are not to be over- looked. And, for some of these niche categories, inspiration comes from the festival’s surround- ings. Newport Beach is beautiful, but it’s also a city that prides itself on sports, luxury develop- ment and aquatic activities. Given what Schwenk calls “the natural strengths of Newport Beach,” certain segments of the festival have evolved into marquee pro- grams over the years. For example, the festival now boasts the top Action Sports program in the United States (based on the number of films screened), which makes sense considering the proliferation of local surfers, skaters, mountain bikers and stand-up paddleboarders that grace our share of the coastline. A couple other programs that are exceptionally well-curated is the festival’s Art, Architecture & Design Film Series as well as the Culinary Film Series, the latter of which showcases movies about food and different kitchen-related experi- ences and professionals. 38 NEWPORT BEACH COUNTRY CLUB MAGAZINE NE W PO R TB E AC H C C .C O M BO Film festival co-founders Greg Schwenk (left) and Todd Quartararo (right) with actor Simon Pegg