A COMMUNITY ICON Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary THE NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL IS THE LEADING LUXURY LIFESTYLE FILM FESTIVAL IN THE NATION Article Donna Bunce | Photography courtesy of Newport Beach Film Festival 32 <strong>KUDOS</strong> Newport Beach | <strong>April</strong> <strong>2019</strong>
“HAVING GROWN UP HERE, BOTH TODD AND I FELT THAT THERE WAS NO BETTER BACKDROP FOR AN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL THAN NEWPORT BEACH - RIGHT UP THERE WITH CANNES AND ITS WATERFRONT SETTING,” SAYS GREGG SCHWENK, CO-FOUNDER WITH TODD QUARTARARO OF THE NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL, WHICH CELEBRATES 20 YEARS THIS APRIL. As Schwenk remembers, “I was serving on the economic development committee for the City of Newport Beach, and we sat down in early 1999 with who we felt were the community stakeholders in forming a film festival - the mayor, conference and visitors bureau, local collegiate film schools, the Orange County film commissioner - and formed a board and began planning our first festival. By <strong>April</strong>, we launched.” Continuing, Schwenk says, “We wanted the film festival to be in <strong>April</strong> to capitalize on the Oscars. Plus, it was the off-season in Newport Beach for hotels and visitors and the festival could give the community a nice stream of revenue.” Now, 20 years later, the eight-day Newport Beach Film Festival is a major film festival and showcases more than 300 films from 50 countries, attracts more than 55,000 attendees and is the leading luxury lifestyle film festivals in the nation. It presents an international slate of studio and independent films from emerging and seasoned filmmakers, featuring World, North American, U.S. and West Coast premieres, as well as an International Spotlight Series celebrating foreign language films. Through tributes, special screenings and seminars, the festival has honored film industry notables, including Aaron Sorkin, Robert Wise, Elmer Bernstein, Alan Arkin, Kate Beckinsale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Orange County’s own McG, and many more. The festival has also made a name for its parties. “We produce eight parties, one every night,” Quartararo says. “The opening night party, the largest, attracts an average of 3,000 people, and we showcase live bands, 30 area restaurants’ offerings and special performances from Las Vegas and Broadway. We call it Orange County’s biggest party.” <strong>2019</strong> UK Honours in London, which recognized Downton Abbey creator, writer and executive producer Julian Fellowes, center, with an Icon Award. Joining him are NBFF Co-Founder/CEO Gregg Schwenk, left, and VIsit Newport Beach President/CEO Gary Sherwin Newport Beach Film Festval Co-Founders Gregg Schwenk and Todd Quartararo FILM FESTIVAL CATEGORIES The Newport Beach Film Festival prides itself on its diversity of programming. Along with feature-length narrative films and documentaries, programs have been introduced that set the festival apart, along with the tried and true, such as the Action Sports Film Series. Leslie Feibleman, director of Special Programs and Community Cinema, has been on board the festival team since the third year. “Leslie has been an incredible part of the growth and evolution of the film festival,” Schwenk says. “My children have grown up with the festival,” Feibleman admits. Under her watch, an Environmental Film Series has been introduced with a curated program of documentary films designed to raise awareness of important issues affecting the planet. Feibleman has overseen the Art, Architecture + Design Film Series, NBFF's Director of Special Programs + Community Cinema Leslie Feibleman, right, at the film festival in 2011 with actor Robert Patrick (”X-Files”, “Terminator 2”, “Judgement Day”), who starred in the festival's film, “Good Day For It” - Photo: Lou Delgado <strong>KUDOS</strong> Newport Beach | <strong>April</strong> <strong>2019</strong> 33
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