top stories : : : :

It's that time of year when Sonoma starts to feel a bit like Hollywood North as the line of darkly tinted luxury vehicles rolls up Broadway carrying the nearly 200 filmmakers and actors in attendance during the 11th annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival.

"I think it's all very exciting," said Marsha Mitchell, 43, of Santa Rosa who attends the festival every year. "You can just bump into a movie star." Not all residents greet the festival with such enthusiasm.

"I shoulda' planned to be out of town this weekend," said a Valley resident this reporter overheard grousing about the festival, who refused to give his name. "It just messes up traffic and makes the Plaza impossible to get around. No one in town even goes to the festival - it's all tourists." Love it or hate it, its here and in full swing, running everyday though Sunday, April 13. The year's festival has a lineup of 75 independent films, some of which were submitted, others were selected from various film festivals' lineups by Marc and Brenda Lhormer, the Sonoma Valley Film Festival's directors.

The movies/panels

No matter what taste, the film festival will have something to please every palate. The "House of Docs" at the Sonoma Valley Women's Club will be screening a full lineup of documentary films. The "Vine Theater" in the Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Building will feature several days of short programs. "Ravenswood Lounge" at the Sonoma Community Center is known for the edgier, avant-garde films.

"Love and Other Disasters" is one of the festival's most anticipated films. This romantic comedy follows Emily (Brittany Murphy) as she plays matchmaker with her friends set against the frenetic backdrop of London's fashion scene. The film boasts a-list cameos from Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom and plays tonight at 9:30 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Sebastiani Theatre.

"Elvis and Anabelle" is the darkly comedic story of young love in bizarre circumstances. Anabelle (Blake Lively) has grown up a true Texas beauty queen with a not-so-gentle push from her overbearing mother, played by Mary Steenburgen. When a tragic accident on stage kills Anabelle, she winds up on the mortuary table of Elvis (Max Minghella).

When she is miraculously resurrected, the pair fall in love and learn the true meaning of freedom. The film plays Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in the Hollywood Theater.

"Then She Found Me" brings together screen legends Bette Midler and Helen Hunt. Hunt plays April, a woman whose life is falling apart after her husband leaves her and her adoptive mother dies. To top it off, a loud-mouthed talk show host (Midler) announces she is April's birth mother, and that April is the product of a one-night-stand she had with Steve McQueen.

The film looks at finding laughter in difficult times and co-stars Matthew Broderick and Colin Firth. It plays tonight at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Sebastiani Theatre.

In addition to the films, festival-goers can also hear what it's really like to make movies during the expert panels.

Screenwriter Susan Boyer will share tips on how a story goes from a screenplay to a film during the Screenwriter's Panel on Saturday at noon in the Vine Theater.

Actors from the various films of the festival will come together on Saturday at 3 p.m. for the Actors Panel in the Vine Theater. Cristina Khuly, writer/director of "Shootdown" will moderate a conversation with Michael Keaton, Matthew Modine, John Ratzenberger and others about the daily life of an actor.

Michael Jones, managing editor of film festivals for Variety, will moderate the Critics Panel on Sunday at noon in the Vine Theater, where various critics will discuss their approach to film critiques.

The Pitch Panel allows aspiring movie-makers to make their best film pitch to Marc Halperin, a longtime industry executive. The panel is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Vine Theater.

The Filmmakers

Filmmakers of all calibers come out for the Sonoma Valley Film Festival, from Academy Award-winners to first timers.

Writing/directing team Susan Boyer and husband Wayne Boyer, of Windsor, are eagerly anticipating the debut of their first feature film, "Not Fade Away." Two-time Academy Award nominee Shirley Knight plays Diane, a women slipping into the unforgiving grip of Alzheimer's.

Her daughter, Angie (Liz Jahren) struggles to cope with her mother's deteriorating health.

Susan Boyer said the film idea came to her when her grandmother was diagnosed with the disease. "As my mother had already passed, her care fell largely to my sister and I," she said.

When dealing with her grandmother's illness, Susan Boyer said she found that movies about Alzheimer's always portray the patient's children as calm, collected rocks of the family. "That wasn't my experience at all," she said, describing the frustration and pain she felt. "You think, 'If only they would come back to reality, then everything would be better,' but they're not coming back. I wanted to portray how it really is."

Susan and Wayne Boyer launched their career in marketing but in recent years began making short films. They decided to tackle their first feature film, which the pair wrote together.

"A lot of it just spills out on the page, but (Wayne) really pushes me," Susan Boyer said. "Our motto is: We're better together."

The film was shot in 15 very long days last summer in a barn in Geyserville on the property of the film's executive director. Working with an extremely tight budget and a hectic shooting schedule, "we had to be really, really smart with our choices," she said.

Susan Boyer said the pair invited a couple of film distributors to see the film at the festival and are hoping it will get picked up for a wider release. "We hope people love our baby," she said.

The film screens today at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. in the Ravenswood Lounge.

The parties

Even before the film festival was known for the films it was known for the parties. As always, the festival promises a glittering array of star-studded parties, none quite as glamorous as Thursday's Opening Night Gala at Jacuzzi Winery.

But for those who missed it, there's still time to get in on the action.

Screenwriter Carl Kurlander (St. Elmo's Fire) left Hollywood to move his wife and daughter out of the chaos of Tinseltown. Returning to his native Pittsburgh, Kurlander finds his home city has fallen in disrepair. His documentary "My Tale of Two Cities" follows Kurlander as he speaks with some of the city's most famous residents about what can be done to revive the once thriving city.

The film screens today and Saturday at the House of Docs, but the real party will get under way tonight at 5 p.m. at Steiners Tavern, 465 First St. W.

There, Kurlander will be hosting a "Pittsburgh Style" party complete with the food, drinks and music native to the city. Dozens of Pittsburgh natives from around the Bay Area are planning on attending, and the public is welcome.

Many of the screenings kick off with a cocktail party, where festival sommelier Chris Sawyer expertly pairs wines to the film. Guests can also taste appetizers created by some of the Valley's best chefs during these "pre-screening parties."

The festival will wrap up on Sunday night with the Award Ceremony and Wrap Party. Jurors will give their verdict on which films deserve the title of best narrative film, documentary, live action short and animated short. Audiences can also vote for the "Audience Favorite" award. The party takes place at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday in the Hollywood Theater.

Tickets to the Sonoma Valley Film Festival range in price. A complete listing of festival films and events, as well as ticket options can be found at www.sonomafilmfest.org. The festival also has a welcoming center in the Sonoma Valley Veteran's Memorial Building at 126 First St. W.

Please log in to comment:

*Member ID:
*Password:
	Forgot Your Password?

Not registered yet? Sign up here! (registration is free)

Note: All fields are required

Personal Information

First Name:

Last Name:

Address:

City:

State:

ZIP code:

Phone:

Email: (this will serve as your username)

Desired password:

Re-type password: