CINEMA EPICUREAN FILM FESTIVAL DELIGHTS ALL TASTES
Film festivals have come a long way from being the primary method for showing independent and international films to an audience. According to Gabe Wardell, program director of the 9th Annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival (April 5-9, 2006), they remain, for the time being, the most vital place for enthusiastic audiences to gather and share their appreciation for specialty films. Festivals also remain the best way for filmmakers and audiences to interact directly.
Include a backdrop of Northern California Mountains and Sonoma Valley wine country, a world-class sommelier, over seventy-five new independent films, industry panels, tributes and live entertainment events and you have the making of an exceptional, rich cultural film festival experience. The Sonoma Valley Film Festival unfolded lavishly in its ninth year with a sophisticated undercurrent of epicurean sensations throughout the festival days and nights. Wine
pairings and delectable hors d’oeuvre before every film screening was such a wonderful way to view films with filmgoers wanting to find venues where they could afterwards discuss the screened films. With that, there were plenty of organized events and parties to allow filmmakers and the filmgoer to meet before and after film screenings.
The history of Sonoma is colorful and historically emblazoned as the site where California declared its independence from Mexico and remaining independent until it became part of the United States. They still fly their state flag alongside the red, white and blue. And while Sonoma is not a big city, it’s inhabitants are big-hearted, with over three hundred volunteers, a film society that fundraised an incredible amount of money for the festival, sponsors that provided free rides and free samples, hospitality like you wouldn’t believe and an eclectic film schedule to satisfy filmgoers from sophisticated to homegrown. As noted earlier, the wine pairings were a decidedly indulgent touch of class and world-class sommelier Christopher Sawyer maintained this position introducing particularly appropriate wines for the films shown. This is the only film festival in the world that offers this type of cultural sophistication as part of the film program.
The opening film festival reception started with an industry welcome (after the earlier in the day scheduled wine tours) and a setting-sun courtyard with enough the buzz about upcoming films, narratives, documentaries, shorts and student works. Anticipation ran high and the Thursday night program kicked off at the centrally located anchor, the historic Sebastiani Theatre (similar in size and style of the Egyptian Theatre in Park City). The Opening Night film did not disappoint with an all-star ensemble cast in a special screening feature Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dance and Charm School. Randall Miller directed numerous feature films like Houseguest and Class Act as well as television programs like Northern Exposure before Marilyn Hotchkiss (which began as a short film in 1990) that expanded into a feature fifteen years later.
One of several locally situated and distinctive venues, the Ravenswood Red Lounge revamped to debut this year as a Speak-Easy with cabaret style seating style and R-rated programming. The Opening Night headliner was a World Premiere of Zalman King’s Dance With the Devil documentary of The Toledo Show, a risqué cabaret-jazz performance that developed a cult following among the Hollywood elite out of Harvelle’s, a small club in Santa Monica. A red hot, live performance of Toledo and his lounge show immediately followed the screening replete with fishnet clad dancers in stiletto heels. His band, the Kats, full of mean riffs on the sax and driving beats on bass and drums, along the gravel-voiced Toledo masterfully presiding over a mesmerized audience.
The Juried Award for American Independent Feature went to NOVEM, a documentary-style narrative based on the idea that everyone knows someone from their high school days that died tragically – with the lingering question of “what if those lives that were cut short would’ve been the next Beatles? Clapton? Baez?” The story unfolded “an obscure footnote in music history” when seven students from a local college died tragically in a car accident just after their weeklong recording session in the seventies. The never before seen “footage” and “tape masters” were found at a garage sale by a student who took on a quest to find 
who these musicians/students/flower children were through their music. Writer and director, Brad Kimmel answered questions about tackling unique problems associated with creating the period look and sound of a 70s rock band, and the ensuing NOVEM’s music CD at the topical panel discussion Music in Films. Other panels included Starting Pitches and Evolution of Distribution designed as laid-back conversational exchanges between filmmakers, film lovers and industry professionals.
On the final festival day the Juried Award for Debut Feature went to In Memory of My Father, a character-driven narrative centered on the death of a Hollywood style movie mogul father figure. First time director Christopher Jaymes, wrote, directed and acted – the entire cast used their real first names – in the film set in a Hollywood Hills mansion that was once owned by Samuel Goldwyn. Other Juried Awards went to DeNadie, Documentary Feature; Voicemail, Narrative Short; Living Poets, Documentary Short and Audience Awards: Geller Davenport Award for Feature Film, Last Stop For Paul; and Best Documentary, Pursuit of Equality. Closing Night festivities ended with a special screening of Neverwas written by first time director Joshua Michael Stern and starring Aaron Eckhart, Sir Ian McKellen, Brittany Murphy, Nick Nolte, William Hurt, Jessica Lange, Michael Moriarty and Alan Cumming.
Marc Lhormer, President and Executive Director and Brenda Llormer, Vice President and Co-Director of The Sonoma Valley Film Society, dedicated members and festival promoters are committed to its mission of “enriching the cultural life, education, health and well-being of the citizens of the Sonoma Valley presenting events and programs that celebrate good food, fine wine, great films with year-round Film Society activities, VIP receptions, film screenings, sneak previews and other Cinema Epicuria events.” The Society also partners with local schools and community-based organizations empowering future filmmakers as seen in the body of works from Middle and High School area students. Next year may reach its zenith with the 10th Annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival celebration set for April 11-15, 2007.