The stars came out for the 25th annual Newport Beach Film Festival that took place October 17 through 24.
This year’s Fillm Festival showcased more than 300 films from around the world. During its eight days of programming, the Festival held red carpet premieres, special events, live discussions, and conversations with filmmakers, actors, and other cinematic and entertainment notables.
Among the many highlights: The Honors Program held at the Balboa Bay Resort, which included Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch along with a handful of actors and other industry standouts who received recognition for their achievements; an interview podcast with actor Ewan McGregor held at Pelican Hill Resort; a weekend of interviews with actors and fashion designers held at Fashion Island; the closing night film held at the newly reopened Lido theater.
A standing-room-only crowd enjoyed a discussion with noted costume designer fashion and costumier Bob Mackie, best known for his dressing of entertainment icons such as Cher, Lucille Ball, Carol Channing, Ann-Margret, Bette Midler, Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Eden, Judy Garland, and many others. He talked with icon Carol Burnette about his career, and what it was like to be the costume designer for all the performers on The Carol Burnett Show during its entire eleven-year run.
The Newport Beach Film Festival celebrated outstanding achievements in film with its slate of 2024 honorees, which included Nicolas Cage (Icon Award), Bobby Cannavale (Artist of Distinction Award), Joan Chen (Career Achievement Award), Colman Domingo (Maverick Award) Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Artist of Distinction Awards), George MacKay (Spotlight Award), Margaret Qualley (Spotlight Award), June Squibb (Lifetime Achievement Award), Diane Warren (Lifetime Achievement in Music Award), and Colleen Atwood (Career Achievement in Costume Design).
Additional honorees: David Alan Grier and Wendi McLendon-Covey (Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Award), Laurent Bouzereau (Artist of Distinction for Outstanding Achievement in Documentary Filmmaking), Terry Crews (Arts Champion Award), Dave Holstein and Meg LeFauve (Artist of Distinction Award – Screenwriting), Jane Lynch (Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Award), Frank Marshall (Arts Champion Award), Ewan McGregor (TV Performance of the Year Award), Finneas O’Connell (Outstanding Achievement in Music Award), Arianne Phillips (Creative Visionary Award), Amy Poehler (Variety’s Legend & Groundbreaker Award), Peter Sarsgaard (Film Performance of the Year Award), Kiernan Shipka (Artist of Distinction Award) and Christoph Waltz (Icon Award), who starred in the Festival’s opening night premiere of “Old Guy.”
The Festival also hosted Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch and 10 Cinematographers to Watch throughout the Festival.
The 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival additional highlights included the Opening Night film “Old Guy” and the Closing Night film “A Real Pain.”
Live conversations at the Festival Main Stage at Fashion Island in partnership with StyleWeekOC included Colleen Atwood, Stassi Schroeder, and costume designer Arianne Phillips, who was presented with the Creative Visionary Award by actress Aubrey Plaza.
Films at the Festival competed for Audience, Jury, and Festival awards.
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Best U.S. Narrative: “The Piano Lesson” (Director Malcolm Washington)
Best International Narrative: “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Director Mohammad Rasoulof)
Best International Documentary: “The Last Journey” (Directors Filip Hammar & Frederick Wikingsson)
Best U.S. Documentary: “Music by John Williams” (Director Laurent Bouzereauat)
Best Animation: “Memoir of a Snail” (Director Adam Elliot)
Best Comedy: “A Real Pain” (Director Jesse Eisenberg)
Best Action Sports: “Shaping the Future” (Directors Robert Helphand & Tony Gentile)
Best Art, Architecture + Design: “Sono Lino” (Director Jacob Patrick)
Best Music: “I Need You: 53 Years of the Band America” (Directors Dustin Elm & David Breschel)
Best Irish Feature: “Fidil Ghorm / The Blue Fiddle” (Director Anne McCabe)
Best Short Narrative: “Scarlet” & “Hearts of Stone” (Tied)
Best Short Documentary: “SoCal Snowy Owl”
Best Short Animation: “Back to Normal”
Best Art, Architecture, + Design Short: “Weree”
Best Action Sport Short: “Motorcycle Mary”
JURY AWARDS
Best Feature Narrative: “Mistura” (Director Ricardo de Montreuil)
Best Feature Narrative Screenplay: “Mistura” (Director Ricardo de Montreuil)
Best Feature Narrative Director: Matthew Rankin (“Universal Language”)
Best Feature Narrative Cinematography: Frank van den Eeden (“Small Things Like These”)
Best Feature Narrative Actor: John Leguizamo (“Bob Trevino Likes It”)
Best Feature Narrative Actress: Barbara Mori (“Mistura”)
Special Award- Best Feature Narrative Ensemble Cast: “Jazzy” (Director Morrisa Maltz)
Best Documentary: “Housewife of the Year” (Director Ciaran Cassidy)
Special Award- Exceptional Merit Documentary: “Porcelain War” (Directors Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev)
Documentary Short: “A Swim Lesson”
Narrative Short: “Calf”
Animated Short: “Bottle George”
FESTIVAL HONORS
Outstanding Performance Female: Danielle Deadwyler (“The Piano Lesson”)
Outstanding Performance Male: Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”)
Outstanding Feature Narrative: “The Last Showgirl” (Director Gia Coppola)
Outstanding Documentary: “The Donn of Tiki” (Directors Alex Lamb & Max Well)
Outstanding International Feature Narrative: “Waves” (Director Jiří Mádl)
Outstanding Musical Score: Hans Zimmer (“Blitz”)
Outstanding Animated Short: “One Happy Customer”
Outstanding Action Sports Short: “Chasing Six Days | The Ride of a Lifetime”
Outstanding Short Doc: “We Can Get There From Here”
Outstanding Short Narrative: “Neither Donkey Nor Horse”
ABOUT THE NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Newport Beach Film Festival is one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States. The event brings an internationally curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the beautiful Southern California coast.
Committed to championing the work of original storytellers from around the globe, the Festival celebrates contemporary screen culture and cinematic excellence, engaging the community in compelling conversations with filmmakers and artists.
The Newport Beach Film Festival is sponsored in part by UCI Health, KIA, Los Angeles Times, GAMFF, Fashion Island, and Visit Newport Beach.
For more information, visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
