Newport Beach Film Festival 2009

Nick Compton, a Palm Springs real estate developer, cheats on his attorney wife, Victoria, with her law partner, Samantha. In fact, Nick and Samantha share more than their bodies. They have skimmed the investors in a Cathedral City casino project of millions of dollars. Double-crosses begin when a crooked congressman gives them only a pittance of what they expected. A mysterious stranger, Jonas, arrives in town and burrows himself into the lives of the Comptons, particularly, into the intimate life of Victoria. Treachery explodes as Samantha is murdered, and Nick is arrested for the crime. In an exciting tale of infidelity, deceit, greed, and murder, the truth may not always be what it seems.

Taken from an excerpt of Plato’s Republic, this subtle yet intriguing film utilizes masterful claymation to capture the intensity of the choice between accepting what reality is provided or going beyond oneself to understand the greater picture of the world. It’s a classic story that delves into and comments on the human condition.

The film focuses on local volunteers whose dedication enriches lives of disenfranchised youth in one of the worst areas of Santa Ana, Ca. Founder John Raya, Director Mary Lara, and Coach Hector Lopez, enlist help from local parents, offering young men and women the chance to learn the sport of boxing, acquire discipline and develop lasting friendships in a challenging, safe environment. Insulated from gang warfare, parents take back their neighborhood as the Club, produces over ten national champions, two Pre-Olympic champions, and continues to encourage those who often have no other place to turn. Young lives are changed by involvement with the Club; we film stories of success and sometimes defeat that have been permanently etched into their futures.

When Matt's morning coffee turns into a chance encounter and mid-day romp with the sultry and seductive Selena, he begins to think that he's met the girl of his dreams and his luck may be on the upswing. But when Selena reveals that she is actually a messenger of death, sent to take him to the other side, Matt finds that love at first sight has become fatal attraction. Matt isn't the only one bitten by Cupid's arrow - Selena has an agenda of her own.

A bullied boy stumbles upon a mysterious box of artist's chalk. He soon comes to realize the dangerous power he welds over his tormenters and the peril he unknowingly brings upon himself.

Scott Valentine was never the athletic type. But after the passing of his father, a champion fighter, Scott resolves to live up to his family name. With the help of his dad's former trainer, Gus, Scott strives to become...The Champ.

Short films screening in this program include: Bean, Beholden, The Last Page, Suppressant

Short films screening in this program include: The Passenger (El Pasajero), Turnipseed, Warrior Queen

Charlie Thistle is a frustrated and cynical government bureaucrat. One day he decides to approve one of the many memos crossing his desk. Little does he know, this simple approval will alter his rigid world forever. Told with simplicity and care, this film tells the story of one man’s struggle to create change and forge a brighter future for himself and others. It’s a tale about the needs and rewards of hope, in spite of some loss.

Have you ever loved something so much that life is unbearable without it? Clay Marzo does. His passion for surfing is so pure it defies description. In the ocean Clay is super-human. He easily destroys the waves of Tahiti, Fiji, Hawaii, France, Spain and Australia with his wildly creative surfing. Legendary surfers from around the world attest to his talent. Clay achieves all of this as he comes to understand the gifts and challenges of living with Asberger’s Syndrome.

A young man is caught in the middle of a dispute between two of his psychological personas; the strict, law-abiding Super Ego, and the overly emotional and suicidal Id.

Short films screening in this program include: The Cookie Thief, Cowboy: A Love Story, Kate Wakes, Rope, The Tab, Worst Date Ever

After losing an important homicide case, detective Ray Lorenz is having a bad day. To make matters worse, he comes home to find his wife in bed with her violin instructor, Phillip. Ray impulsively kidnaps Phillip; surprisingly, the two men sharing Ray’s wife end up sharing an unforgettable journey of revelations and ultimately redemption.

Set in 1970's Ireland, Johnny Smith, a seemingly innocent local boy, goes to church to confess his sins to the all powerful town priest. With his friend standing by he nervously enters the confession box and begins a strange conversation with the priest, who seems more interested in gossiping about the nocturnal habits of the local women than granting him absolution from his sins. But not everything is as it seems.

Lynn Margolis heads to the airport intending to avoid her problems. As she moves through the airport all her conflicts surface, forcing her to confront her thoughts and emotions. A flight delay, a bag of cookies, and a man sitting next to her turn what was going to be an escape into a grueling struggle.

Kansas 1962. America's heartland. Rich, a small town teen, finds himself in a nightmare of his own creation when Bill, his older brother, picks him up on the way home from school one afternoon. What would appear to be an innocent joyride turns sinister when Mark, Bill's best friend, reveals Ira, a black teen new to the area, gagged and bound in the bed of the truck. Trapped in the situation with Jessica, his brother's girlfriend, it becomes clear that the humiliation and cruelty are but a prelude to the true purpose of the drive: a lynching. Called to repeat a rumor he told Mark, Rich is faced with a choice between family and the life of an innocent teen.

Flipper was one of the most beloved television characters of all time. Ironically, the fascination with dolphins that he caused created a tragic epidemic that has threatened their existence and become a multibillion dollar industry. The largest supplier of dolphins in the world is located in the town of Taijii, Japan. But the town has a dark, horrifying secret that it doesn't want the rest of the world to know. The only way to stop the evil acts that are happening in this town is to expose them and that's exactly what the brave group of activists intend to do.

An unconventional young ranch hand travels to the city on foot to win back his one true love. Her family disapproves of him and even she seems unresponsive, but he refuses to give up hope. It’s a charming tale with unique twists about the boundaries of love.