2nd Annual Bel Air Film Festival Announces Line-up and Honorees
Posted by editor@vimooz.com on October 29, 2009 under Bel Air Film Festival | 
Chasing The Lotus
The second annual Bel Air Film Festival, presented by Gem Shopping Network, has announced it’s official selection of films to be screened in Bel Air and throughout greater Los Angeles from November 13th-17th. The festival will hold 35 films screenings and 4 red carpet events bringing together the community of Bel Air and entertainment industry. The festival showcases some of the most creative films and filming talent of today bringing industry tastemakers, green-lighters, and film fans all together for this unique festival experience.
“A large portion of the entertainment industry resides in Bel Air and we are proud to support filmmaking and bring the community together,” said Bel Air Film FestivalTM President Melody Storm.
A Film Fashion themed red carpet gala will kick off the festival on Friday, November 13th with a special musical performance by “Film Fashion Visionary,” honoree Taryn Manning. The multi-talented Manning will be performing music from her band Boomkat’s latest album A Million Trillion Stars. Known for her acting skills in 8 Mile, Hustle & Flow and more recently her guest appearances on TV series Melrose Place and Sons of Anarchy,
Manning is a true triple threat mixing her love for fashion and music with her clothing line, Born Uniqorn. The line expresses her true fashion style and has been widely recognized in the fashion industry by the media and fellow fashionistas. The festival will recognize Vivica A. Fox from Kill Bill, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dancing with the Stars, and one of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People for her work and dedication in film with their “Best Actress,” award. The Los Angeles Premiere of, Moustachette, a short film about the tale of love, art, and what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger featuring Fall Out Boy’s Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz along with Yellowcard’s Ryan Key will also be screened. This will be followed by the feature film screening of Coco Chanel starring Shirley MacLaine. Coco Chanel is the rags-to-riches tale charting the rise of one of the most influential fashion icons of the 20th century. From her humble childhood in a French orphanage, through her early days as a young dressmaker’s assistant, to her passionate and tragic love with a dashing Englishman, and ultimately to her success as a pioneering icon, “Coco Chanel” is the story of a glamorous woman who was hard to love and harder to ignore.
On Saturday, November 14th, short film screenings include Melissa Rauch (Cath and Kim) in Condom Killer, Adam Carolla in Head, Heart, and Balls, Jill Michele Melean and Larry Hankin in Outlaw Emmet Demus & The Porno Queen, I’m Not Matt Damon, Steak and Milk directed by Michael Maxxis, Majestic and the Masked Man, and Moustachette. World Premiere short films include The Family, Road To Hollywood, Dim Light, Compact Only, Napoleon, and The Seventh Floor.
The world premiere of The Diet Life a feature film exposing the life of a former supermodel turned overweight woman who is forced to resurrect her dying career, she falls in love with her trainer, and plunges him headlong into the hollow world of sex, drugs, and being beautiful.
Malibu Magazine and Danny Lee host Chasing The Lotus, a documentary embarking a cinematic journey inspired by lost footage of the underground filmmakers Greg Weaver and Spyder Wills who documented surf discovery as it migrated around the globe, a fusion of super 8mm film, photo stills and contemporary interviews. The film includes footage and interviews with over 35 top surfers including Gerry Lopez, Stacy Peralta, Bob Hurley, Donavon Frankenreiter, Rob Machado, Sunny Garcia, Corky Carroll, Herbie Fletcher. The screening will be followed by a Q & A by the Director Gregory Schell.
Screenings on Sunday November 15 include a Los Angeles Premiere red carpet event documentary for Mind of a Demon: The Larry Linkogle Story. It is an analytical look into the psyche of Larry Linkogle, a world-record holding dirt bike legend and a man battling his inner demons as he struggles to maintain structure, sobriety and self-control. The film includes archival footage of Larry’s embarking journey in the motocross world, and interviews with the industry’s top names describing the birth of freestyle motocross.
A red carpet British Film evening, hosted by the, “Brits In LA,” will include a screening of international short Inviolate Rose, and award winning, international feature film Nobody The Great.
World premiere documentaries include Science Plus Dharma Equals Social Responsibility, produced by Carlo Burton. The film captures Nobel Prize Winner Richard Ernst who brought the advent of MRI’s through his pure research. The filming takes place in Ernst’s hometown of Switzerland, and portrays the Buddhist beliefs. I Remember Better When I Paint is a World Premier Documentary featuring Rita Hayworth’s daughter, Yasmin Aga Khan, president of Alzheimer Disease International. The film reviews the latest technology in treating Alzheimer’s disease and focuses on the positive results received from patients that paint.
The international documentary Garbage Dreams widely promoted by Al Gore and the official selection at nine other film festivals, will screen late Sunday afternoon. It follows three teenage boys born into the trash trade, growing up in the world’s largest garbage village on the outskirts of Cairo.
Los Angeles feature film premiere The Yankles is about Charlie Jones, a professional baseball player who was released from the Los Angeles Spirits because of a drinking problem. Upon being paroled from prison after serving time for his third drunk driving conviction, Charlie endeavors to serve 192 hours mandatory community service by coaching baseball. Charlie soon discovers that the only people willing to give him a second chance are a group of Jewish, orthodox, yeshiva students who formed an upstart baseball team called The Yankles. Fortunately for Charlie, The Yankles are as desperate for a coach as he is for community service.
Entertainment attorney, Mitra Ahouraian will moderate a Film and Finance Panel taking place at UCLA geared towards independent filmmakers. Panelists include Valerie McCaffrey (Casting Director & Producer), Hal Sandoff (Entertainment Finance Consultant & Head of Foreign Sales at ICM Agency), Craig Sheftell (Managing Director of Credit Finance), Wayne Repich (Private Equity Investor), Roman Kopovitch (Sales Agent at Bleiberg Entertainment), and Bianca Bezdek-Goodloe, managing partner of bi-coastal entertainment law practice Bezdek Law, specializing in independent film finance and intellectual proptery.
Monday, November 16, The Sigi Ziering Institute will be hosting a United States premiere screening of the The Phoenixes, a film about the Holocaust at the American Jewish University. Phoenixes tells the profound and moving stories of seven Shoah survivors who have played a significant role in the development of Israeli society. The optimism in the stories of the survivors is palpable, and it provides fresh insight into the capabilities of human strength and determination.
The festival’s black tie gala closing ceremony takes place Tuesday, November 17th. With a night of laughter and awards at the world famous Improv on Melrose, hosted by MAD TV, Showtime, and RENO 911’s Jill-Michele Melean. Neal Brennon of the Dave Chappelle Show will be honored with the festival’s “Best Comedy” award. Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, the creators of Comedy Central’s hit show RENO 911 will be recognized for their work and devotion in film with the festival’s “Outstanding Achievement in Comedy for Film and Television” award.
source: Bel Air Film Festival
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