Newport International Film Festival 2008

One thing everyone is agreeing on are the great movies this year. I haven't seen even one that's left me feeling merely ho-hum. Oh no! They've all been special -- just like children. "Aw...." Ergo -- Eric and Andrea have done an outstanding job. Crackerjack, in fact. Which brings me to my next point: The people behind the scenes at NIFF -- who work really hard ALL week (some all year) and don't get to see many if any movies or partake of many of the perks because they're working so darn hard -- need to get recognized now y'all! From the Joe Ruggeri, the Director of Operations (we all agree there would be no fest without Joe), Managing Director, Terry Connors, to Eva and Vinnie and everyone in the box office, to Linda Caldwell and Bryan Belmore, to volunteers like Dennis and Helen and Ken and Tia. Of course I'm barely scratching the surface here because the Festival happens because of many invaluable contributions from many wonderful people. OK -- sorry for getting gushy but Miss NIFFty gets a little "pleased" and "punchy" on the last day of the fest.

This morning the winners were announced aboard The Majestic. It was a nice setting for brunch and cool breezes and prizes on a crazy hot day. Please see the NIFF homepage for the full list of our lovely and deserving award-winners. Congratulations to all of our winners.

Next  it was back into the cool theater for a documentary from the kid's program, Doubletime,  directed by Stefanie Johnes, about jump roping and Double Dutch teams going to compete for the first time at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. It was a perfect film for a hot summer's day. Some of the kids featured from the Bouncing Bulldogs team were in the audience and treated everyone to a jump roping demonstration in the park after the screening. It was terrific to meet the kids and their Coach. Miss N. is not very coordinated and has no jump roping future... but these kids are amazing.

Lastly, I had the pleasure of seeing the Kids Fourteen Plus Shorts program, featuring the poetic Yesterday Today Was Tomorrow, directed by Valentine Sheldon and Lauren Greenfield's excellent and eye-opening doc, Kids + Money, which won the Best Short Film Award in it's category this morning.

Then is was time to meander home as the storm clouds rolled in and cooled the air. Thanks for a great week everyone and sleep well!

OX,
Miss N.

Today the sun was back out with a vengeance -- but it didn't dissuade people from from hitting the theaters. Island Arts' Teen film program, Shoot, premiered its short films at the Jane Pickens in the morning with a nice celebration to follow at the Colony House. The kids -- most are Rogers High Students -- worked really hard this year and it was exciting to see their efforts realized on the big screen.

People went to see Speed and Angels, Wade The Water, and The Toe Tactic in the afternoon. But Saturday is always the closing night of the film festival and this year the main event was The Wackness -- an edgy  "period" piece set in the early '90s. Beforehand, however, outgoing Executive Director Louisa Percudani presented those who had been with the festival for TEN (count 'em!), ten years: Joe Ruggeri, Linda Caldwell, Ken Scigulinsky, Bart Dunbar, Rachel Balaban, Stuart Lazar, Ester Bernstein... Miss N hopes she's not leaving anyone out of the decade long line-up.

Then Board Chair extraordinaire Brendan P. Kelley, who is stepping down after NIFF Numero 11, was presented by incoming Chair Alan Weiss, with an award that has been created in his honor (Mr. Kelley cracked that he was going to sing "My Way" when he accepted it the "Kelly"). Mr. Weiss announced that the award will be presented to an outstanding filmmaker each year in the years to come. Looking forward to NIFF's future!

The Closing Night party was held at The Newport Shipyard. People were having a blast, especially as James Montgomery and his band brought some down home "Delta Rising" (a sold out screening!) to town.

Miss NIFFty must begin by saying that the Children's Programming Director, Andrea van Beuren, has really outdone herself this year. She's assembled an excellent and varied kids' program with literally something for everyone of every age (from docs for teens like Girls Rock and Double Time to French children's classics, White Mane and The Red Balloon, to a charming Pixar Presentation -- who doesn't love Pixar?) And Miss N. knows a certain eight year old girl who's been raving about the Short Films For All Ages -- Kevin Watkins' ingenious Hose being a particular favorite of hers. Said eight year-old has also been parroting director Sue Perrotto's Miss Pretty Hair Doll, a mock commercial, with hysterical delight all week. Andrea is also the new Director of Documentary Programming for NIFF and, in short, the documentaries she's selected have been outstanding.

For instance... today I saw The Big Question, a moving film about the critical power of forgiveness featuring world spiritual leaders like Bishop Desmond Tutu, Deepak Chopra, and Thich Nhat Hanh, to name a few. Following that was La Carona, a lively documentary from Columbia about a beauty pageant in an overcrowded women's prison in Bogota. What a slice of life it was! Beautiful young criminals, (one had been a paid assassin) looking to win "La Corona" (the crown) and make their cell block proud.

Feeling in a narrative mood, it was onto In Search of a Midnight Kiss, written and directed by Alex Holdridge. Please see this black and white L.A.-set romance when it comes to theaters later this summer. It was funny and warm and romantic and smart and full of raunchy sex talk that was as real as it was hilarious.

Next it was, Life. Support. Music., a saturated and potent documentary about accomplished and beloved New York guitarist, Jason Crigler, who suffered a brain hemorrhage on stage at the age of thirty-four in 2004. This is an AMAZING true story about the power of love, family, and yes, music that is often sad, but ultimately uplifting and so inspiring it makes you think that anything is possible. We were treated to a Q & A afterward with several key players in the film, including director and producer Eric Daniel Metzgar -- who's made a beautiful movie -- and Jason Crigler himself was there, who is a walking, talking, music-making medical miracle. I doubt anyone left the theater unmoved.

Then it was time to party. Miss N. & Co. all flowed over to H2O (sorry -- sometimes my inner punster rears it's ugly head) for the fun party of the evening. There were many Pravda cosmos to be had in colorful glasses that reflected everyone's mood. Nifty, huh? (punster strikes again!)