IMAGINE NEWS

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL LURES FEW ENTICING THE MOST COURAGOUS WHILE NEWPORT FILM FESTIVAL SIZZLES IN THE RAIN

Published in August, 2003 http://www.imaginenews.com/Archive/2003/AUG_2003/01_FEATURES/13_NEWPORT_FF.html

By Vinca Liane Jarrett

May 14 to June 15, Cannes, France – London – Newport, Rhode Island – To really be in the Film Industry, at least the part of it that concentrates on independent feature films, one has to dilligently plan a strategy of worldwide festival attendance. Every May a good portion of the international cinema community spends the largest chunk of its dedicated travel expenses on flying inconveniently on at least two segments to Cannes, France, booking overpriced apartments or hotels, eating in "just ok" french cafes and pizzarias in between meetings and movies (did I mention $20 for french fries and $15 for a soda water and orange juice?), and staying up impossible hours that age even the most hearty, healthy entertainment veteran. The question is always is it worth it? This year, the threat and actualilty of George Bush's personal war with Iraq, the dismal economy and devalued U.S. dollar, and the fear of SARS decreased the numbers at Cannes by at least 40%. It was like a ghost town in comparrison with past years. To add insult to injury, the New York Times reported that this year's Cannes had the worst films on record, which was likely true considering the hottest ticket at the famed foreign language festival that has in the past prided itself on elevating intellect and snobbery of foreign language film, was the simultaneously worldwide opening night of THE MATRIX RELOADED, certainly a forgetable redundancy from the original. So, was Cannes worth the money, the exhaustion, the irritation of the French continually ripping off anyone they could, the nasty apartment that cost nearly $10,000 for just 5 people with only one toilet? The answer is a resounding yes. Here's why. Boston University graduate class of '03 Rebecca Leitman (yes, she blew off her graduation ceremony to go to Cannes and who wouldn't?) made her way to the festival this year as the assistant of the author of this article's company FilmPro Finance, a company that introduces A-list producers to sources of finance for slates of both independent and studio pictures. What she hoped to gain was a potential job in Hollywood this coming fall. While running around manically picking up tickets for her boss and her boss' clients, Michel Shane, Executive Producer of Steven Speilberg's Catch Me If You Can (Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks) and superstar animation team and live action producers Jeff Gomez and Mark Pensavale of Starlight Runner in New York, Rebecca discovered something about herself, which B.U. had not taught her: She has the presence and perserverance of a starlet, just waiting to be discovered. And discovered she was, as she determined half way through Cannes to become an actress, rather than a photo journalist as she had once thought the height of her ambitions. As she strut up the Red Carpet to THE MATRIX RELOADED (Keanu Reeves) with more established actress Susan Johnston who appeared in six feature films in the past year including I Am Sam (Sean Penn) and Break A Leg (Eric Roberts) and English turned Hollywood producer June Dowad (FOR THE LOVE OF MAY with Patricia Neal), the cameras flashed as if a new star had been born. If not a star yet, upon her return to Boston, Rebecca headed right to the office of Kevin Fennessey Casting and started trekking to film auditions. With plans to move to L.A. in September, all the contacts Rebecca made on yachts, at chateaus and while checking and sending e-mail on the computer at the Variety tent, Ms. Leitman stands a better chance than most of making it, and demonstrates the power of the biggest festivals for the bold, beautiful and industry newbies. Meanwhile Susan Johnston, a Cannes Virgin herself, after attending Toronto several years in a row as practice for the big event, learned quickly how to play with the big boys, getting cast in two feature films to be shot in Bollywood next year. Not a stranger to the art of schmooze, actress Johnston tauted several projects as a rep which enabled her to have her way paid by several producers who didn't seem to know what they were missing. Boston's own Ara Katz, a Cannes veteran now with four under her belt, having started as an intern at the American Pavillion and graduating to the level of having a feature film, Dependencia Sexuale, represented in the market place, also moved around Cannes like a professional, taking meetings with every major production facility, and hunting for the holy grail: finance, while sipping drinks at the Martinez. Ara's three new projects including writer/director Esther Bell's (EXIST, GODASS) upcoming feature, FLAMING HETEROSEXUAL, were her main objective in packaging for production in 2004, and the decreased crowds made it easier to manage the workload of meetings and parties every night. After 12 days of Cannes, it was onto London, Paris or Milan to do follow up meetings for some of the better festival planners. The Brits this year ruled the day with new finance packages ripe for funding films outside of the co-pro Canadian deals so popular in the past several years, but losing steam, and British producers, such as Maxine Flitman (THE LEGACY) who brought New England's own Jim Jermanok (PASSIONADA) onto her project, looked to team up with Americans in making films saleable in all markets, U.S. and worldwide, in order to maximize the potential for profits. Back in New England, Newport was already gearing up, a mere two weeks after the end of Cannes, and with the numbers in Cannes so desperately down, it was hard to believe that in forty degree weather that included perpetual rain, that so many significant players and film enthusiasts would turn out. Owing largely to the drive and inspiration of founder Nancy Donahoe and the extreme excellence of new programmer Beth Janson, Newport demonstrates that you don't need to file for bankruptcy or travel across the globe to make contacts or see good films. Moreover, Newport has the edge on lavish after- parties. While they may proliferate at Cannes (who can go or choose from 15 parties a night?), only Newport can have an opening party such as the one at the Astor Mansion overlooking the water with caviar appetizers, champagne (the French think they actually have the edge on this, but they're wrong) and Godiva chocolate, which was a major sponsor this year, along with Delta Airlines. Laurie Kirby, a Rhode Island attorney who specializes in events such as the PGA tour, partied with the best of them, and the rumour mill now has it that she has replaced Greg DiStefano as the new Executive Director, planning two upcoming fall fundraisers, one in New York and one in Newport. Bumping into industry veterans such as IFC's Kelly DeVine, English composer living-in-Boston, Alise Ashby and best selling author Jon Land (BLOOD DIAMONDS, A WALK IN THE DARKNESS) who has recently formed a new production company to shoot his original screenplay DIRTY DEEDS, demonstrates that Newport is not just a local festival, but brings in industry professionals as well, and sets the tone for other New England festivals to follow, including Provincetown, Nantucket and Woods Hole later in the summer. Films included the outstanding soon-to-be-released-by-Miramax THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, about the inhuman living conditions and outright torture Catholic girls were subjected to by Nuns in Ireland up until the 1990s, as well as the humourous musical BOLLYWOOD/HOLLYWOOD by veteran filmmaker Deepa Mehta and the more low key, but amusing chic flic ANYTHING BUT LOVE (Andrew McCarthy). Harvard's Bob Moss made it down as well by popular demand with his SAME RIVER TWICE, which premiered earlier this year at Sundance and was showcased at Berlinale in February. What's fab about going from the biggest festival in the world to one of the nicer ones, is very simple: You can breath and remember what you might have forgotten at Cannes – how to enjoy movies. Vinca Liane Jarrett is the managing attorney of the Law Offices of Vinca Jarrett & Associates, a full service law firm with foremost experience in the field of entertainment, including film, television, music and media. She is also the owner and principal of SKRIPTEASE Script Consulting, specializing in drafting, editing and consulting on feature and television projects both on spec and in production. She is currently a Board of Advisor to the Golden Trailer Awards. You can contact Vinca at [email protected] and check out her web site at http://www.vincajarrett.com.