Film festival announces its award winners

Though Newport Beach Film Festival founder and executive director Gregg Schwenk thinks each of the 409 films in this year’s festival are winners, about 30 films were selected by jurors, audience members and staff to be honored with awards Friday.

The audience award for best feature went to “The Waitress” — a film about a poor, Southern woman (Keri Russell) struggling with a dysfunctional marriage — and audiences voted “Alice Neel,” a documentary about the American portrait painter, best documentary.

Boasting numerous sell-outs and an attendance of more than 40,000 guests, 2007 marked the biggest year yet for the festival, now in its eighth year. Celebrity sightings were also on the rise, with red carpet visits from Chad Lowe, Ellen Burstyn and Thora Birch, as well as surprise appearances from Adam Sandler and Golden Globe-winner America Ferrera from TV’s “Ugly Betty.”

“This has been a record-breaking year for the Newport Beach Film Festival,” Schwenk said. “We are especially pleased with the attendance of audience members, filmmakers and celebrities.”

With more than 35 countries represented in the festival, the Korean film “Tazza” proved extremely popular, leaving with the jury awards for best feature, best director, best actor and best actress.

“I think it was well-acted and well-directed, and that combination proved very powerful, not only to the audience, but to members of our staff and jury,” Schwenk said.

Several local films were honored for outstanding achievement in filmmaking, including “Chasing the Dream,” “Chasing the Lotus” and “Shanghai Kiss.”

Following tomorrow’s final John Wayne Centennial screenings, Schwenk plans to “ride into the sunset,” hoping for a bout of rest before he and other organizers begin to plan next year’s event.