McGrath
Reaching out to one of the O.C.'s core demographics, the Newport Beach Film Festival's collegiate and action sports showcases explore some of what the area is known for: Not only do such youth-skewing sportswear brands as Hurley, Billabong and Volcom have bases in the area, but it's also a center for film and TV instruction.
UC Irvine, Orange Coast College and Chapman U. each present a lineup of student works, from sci-fi (Andy Garza's "Vega") to socially conscious docs (Myles O'Grady's "Shelter Me").
As fest exec director Gregg Schwenk explains, Newport Beach is committed to fostering local filmmakers -- reduced ticket prices are available for students -- and to building community: The festival's website allows users to share impressions on Facebook.
This year's action sports film series consists of 20 movies including the Newport Beach-made "Echo Beach," a doc on the origins of modern surf culture, spawned on the beaches of upper west Newport.
"We hope the film will fire up today's surfers with the spirit of the '80s and inspire the younger generation to take a more individual approach to surfing," says the film's producer, Stefan Jeremias.
Helmer Jeff Parker grew up close to the Regency Lido Theater, where the film premieres; Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath, a local son, is the film's narrator.
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