FilmL.A.’s efforts to keep film production in the region took staff to Orange County in April for the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF). FilmL.A. — dba Film SoCal — recently signed Newport Beach as a client. This year marks our second year as a co-sponsor of NBFF. Our staff were on hand for various screenings, the Festival’s opening and closing night events, and the Filmmakers Expo held on Saturday, April 23 at Newport Beach City Hall.
“Through Film SoCal, FilmL.A. is proud to co-sponsor the Newport Beach Film Festival,” said Art Yoon, Executive Vice President of FilmL.A. “The Newport Beach Film Festival has been an important voice advocating for California’s revised Film & Television Tax Credit Program, which is helping bring productions back to CA.”
The Newport Beach Film Festival focuses on showcasing diverse collection studio and independent films, supporting the creation and advancement of innovative and artistic cinematic works from emerging and seasoned filmmakers. Founded in 1999, the Festival attracts over 55,000 attendees, and now screens over 350 films in 8 days. Since its inception, the Festival has presented notable films like Crash, (500) Days of Summer and The Cove.
Perhaps the most notable screening for the 2016 Festival was the premiere of the highly anticipated film, Dirty Old Wedge. The screening of Dirty Old Wedge was monumental in that the film sold out of all three scheduled screenings before the festival opened, making it the best-attended film in the festival’s 17 year history. To accommodate demand, the Festival added two subsequent showings, both of which sold out in record time.
Dirty Old Wedge, directed by environmental consultant Tim Burnham, tells the story of a ‘The Wedge’ — a piece of shoreline along the Balboa Peninsula.
The ‘Wedge’ was accidentally created in the 1930s during construction of the Newport Harbor entrance. This accident has become widely known by surfers and body boarders world-wide.
Famous for its waves, ‘The Wedge’ became the cause of controversy in the 80s and 90s when a new group of enthusiasts came to claim the area as their own. Violence ensued but was not enough to dissuade the throngs of people from flocking to the Balboa Peninsula to witness history.
The Dirty Wedge will go on to screen during the San Diego Film Festival and will be available on DVD at the end of the summer.
To learn more about he NBFF visit http://www.newportbeachfilmfest.com/