The 20th annual Newport Beach Film Festival, which runs April 25 – May 2, has announced its 2019 Art, Architecture + Design (AA+D) Film Series, an international showcase of films celebrating art, architecture, design, modernism, photography, sculpture, painting, typography, advertising, publishing, urban planning, public and immersive art.
The series highlights emerging and prominent artists, visionaries and icons of the creative world whose achievements have influenced, intrigued, and inspired a multitude of designers, curators, historians and independent filmmakers.
The AA+D Film Series explores both historical and contemporary subjects, projects and concepts that have defined visual cultures, both past and present. The Art, Architecture + Design Film Series will spotlight nine independent feature-length and seven short documentary films from around the world.
Interactive Q&A’s with filmmakers and documentary subjects will follow select screenings.
The program features films about architects, artists, designers and projects that sparked movements and defined styles of the 20th century, including modernism, Bauhaus, American Craftsman and humanistic designs created in harmony with nature.
Filmed in Vienna, Berlin, Locarno, Palm Springs and Orange County, PJ Letofsky’s documentary “Neutra- Survival Through Design” provides a comprehensive, all-encompassing look into the life, work and times of iconic modern architect Richard Neutra.
The film features Orange County buildings designed by Neutra, including the Huntington Beach Central Library and the Garden Grove Community Church.
“Bauhaus Spirit” celebrates the 100th anniversary of Walter Gropius’ Bauhaus and explores the history and future of the influential utopian design and architecture school.
“The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Environment, and Idealism” tells the story behind The Sea Ranch, a place where environment informs geometry and buildings embody ideals.
“I am Known as an Artist, Wharton Esherick” recounts the life of a seemingly obscure artist who nevertheless influenced an entire art movement.
Two films in the AA+D series examine the art, culture and politics of the Chicano Art Movement.
“Carlos Almaraz: Playing with Fire” tells the story of artist Carlos Almaraz. After migrating from Mexico to America as a child, Almaraz became a distinguished leader of the Chicano Art Movement who created larger-than-life paintings filled with passion and commitment to East LA’s emerging civil rights movements.
“Dancing with the Sun: The Artwork of Manuel Hernandez-Trujillo” tells the story of Manuel Hernandez-Trujillo’s art, how he helped restore a stolen culture during the Chicano Art Movement, and the resonating legacy he leaves behind as an artist, activist, and educator.
“Art Paul of Playboy: The Man Behind the Bunny” explores the legacy of Art Paul, the founding art director of Playboy magazine who paved the way for graphic design as well as the magazine’s cultural force throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
In “Jay Myself,” photographer Stephen Wilkes creates an intimate portrait of his mentor, Jay Maisel, as he leaves the 30,000 square foot building in the Bowery that he’s inhabited and filled with his eccentric collection of beautiful random objects for the last 40 years – known as ‘The Bank.’
The AA+D Film Series highlights women artists working in various mediums.
From the cafés of Paris to the mountaintops of Samiland, “Gloria’s Call” chronicles how a scholar’s life is forever changed through her friendships with the women artists of Surrealism.
After the success of artist Reine Paradis’ breakout photo series “Jungle,” the film “Queen of Paradis” follows Paradis on a surreal journey across the United States as she works to complete her highly anticipated second series.
“Visions Not Previously Seen: Barbara Stauffacher Solomon” is a portrait of Barbara Stauffacher Solomon, the groundbreaking designer who fused Swiss modernism with an iconic and bold California pop aesthetic.
For information on these and other films in the AA+D series, visit NewportBeachFilmFest.com.
