Last screening at 3:45pm Thurs
Starring Robert DuVall, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray
For advance tickets visit www.movietickets.com
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First performance Live from Royal Opera House
Cosi Fan Tutte
Friday September 10th 2:00PM
Sunday September 12th 11:00AM prerecorded
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Sept 9th 8:30pm
See new release Leonard Cohen on our screen before the dvd is available for sale. SONGS FROM THE ROAD, a dozen of Cohen’s most famous songs from that world tour, the best of Cohen’s performances at auditoriums, arenas, and stadiums from Tel Aviv to London
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Special screenings of
BEHIND THE HEDGEROW
a look inside the private world of aristocratic Newport
September 7th-September 16th limited showtimes
HELD OVER FOR ANOTHER WEEK UNTIL SEPTEMBER 16TH. Filmmaker David Bettencourt will be at the theater for q and a on September 8th.
Admission $10, members $6
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NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
BUDDY sells out at the Pickens.
2006 film festival had many highlights
By James J. Gillis/Daily News staff
NEWPORT - From the graceful dignity of Darryl Hunt to the eloquence of Brian Dennehy and the Southern charm of Diane Ladd, the ninth Newport International Film Festival provided five days of great screenings and events.
And organizers weren't about to let a little rain - OK, a lot of rain - get in the way. "At this point, I don't think the weather is much of a factor," executive director Laurie B. Kirby said. "It's hard to measure the impact in terms of weather. Will people go in to watch movies or will they stay home because of the rain? I don't think it has that much of an effect."
The festival showed about 100 films from Tuesday to Sunday. Sold-out screenings included the closing-night film "Champions," the documentary "Buddy" and the multi-media show "Under the Covers" featuring rock photographer Henry Diltz.
Kirby had yet to go over the numbers Sunday morning but believed the week had been a success. The opening-night film, "Quinceanera," proved to be a hit with the audience and with jurors, as was "The Trials of Darryl Hunt," the story of a man wrongly imprisoned for 19 years, which won both jury and audience awards.
Hunt appeared at two screenings and emerged as something of a celebrity, drawing attention at a Newport Gulls game.
The festival honored veteran actors Dennehy and Ladd with the Claiborne Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement. Those on hand got to see Dennehy swapping jokes with old friend Joe Pantoliano ("Sopranos") and Ladd talking about her own career as well as the need for tax breaks for American filmmakers.
Actress Joanna Going, who introduced Ladd, talked with friends from her Newport childhood. Actor Kevin Corrigan ("Champions") traded lines from "GoodFellas," in which he played Ray Liotta's handicapped brother, with partygoers at Belcourt Castle.
In some cases, post-screening conversations turned into Town Hall discussions, such as after "Crossing Arizona," and spilled out onto the sidewalk.
"I think we've been able to provide a great festival for filmmakers and the audience," Kirby said. "It's intimate and directors get to interact with audience members. People work this festival into their schedules."
Not that everything worked perfectly. Rain dampened parts of the Opera House and the Jane Pickens Theater. The box office turned away potential patrons for "Buddy" because it sold out the tiniest venue, the Newport Art Museum after earlier packing the Jane Pickens. A second Pickens screening would have worked better.
As the festival approaches its 10th anniversary, Kirby said a roster of volunteers, staff and alumni is developing. Filmmakers from previous years are returning, some as jurors and some with new movies. Some former staffers are going into the movie business.
"That probably wouldn't have happened without the experience of the film festival," she said.
Kirby said the festival's children's programs - headed by Andrea van Beuren - enjoyed a strong week. Kirby said the festival is often at its best with films such as "Crossing Arizona" and "Breached," which dealt with immigration issues and sparked debate. "These are important topics that need to go beyond a sound bite on CNN," she said.
Programmer David Nugent, in his first year, said he thought the festival provided a wide slate of movies. "I like all the films, but I really look forward to seeing who wins the awards," he said. "I don't know until they announce them, and it's exciting for me."
Kirby, who lives in Newport, plans on taking some time off, but she is already thinking about future events. "I'd like to see more multi-media events like 'Under the Covers' (a film merged with an art exhibit)."
She expects the festival will continue to run about the second week of June, though it's hard to find a time to suit everyone. "I know school is winding down and there are graduations," she said. "I'm a mother and I know there are a lot of events. But it's a good time of the year at the start of the season. Let's face it, there's never going to be a time in the summer in Newport when there isn't something going on."
The festival suffered a blow less than a week before it opened with the unexpected death of Kristina L. Custer, event director, at age 34. Custer, a vibrant and much-loved figure, was remembered in public toasts and in private conversations throughout the week.
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