Not quite as big as the Toronto International Film Festival, or as commercial as Cannes, or as fiercely independent as Sundance, Newport includes elements of each by bridging commercial, independent and international works, Quartararo said.
Newport also has a track record of hit movies on its resume, foremost among them, “Crash,” which won the Oscar for best picture in 2005 after premiering at the festival.
That’s just one example of the success from film festival exposure, in what essentially is the farmer’s market of the movie industry.
In Newport Beach’s case, it’s managed to earn a top-25 ranking by Daily Variety, which tracks and rates all film festivals across the world. Starting Thursday, hundreds of movies will be aired inside a 10-mile area at an average of $12 a pop — whether it’s edgy, packed with action sports, family oriented or a documentary.
The festival gives viewers eight days and seven nights to rub shoulders with the real crew — the writers, producers and actors who submit to post-screening interviews.
“The Newport Beach Film Festival’s not on the world stage or even the national stage, but it’s good for down there,” said Stuart Levine, assistant managing editor for Daily Variety. “It drums up a lot of local interest, but unfortunately many of the films won’t get picked up or distributed nationally. The odds are stacked against the filmmaker.”
That said, Levine added, the festival “gives the filmmakers a chance to show their movies in front of a paying audience. It’s a win-win situation.”
If it’s any consolation, only a handful of movies are picked up, even at the major film festivals.
