The Newport Beach Film Festival is continually seeking ways to create innovative programming. The Newport Beach TV Festival, which presented its second annual festival last June, is one prime example of expanding into another visual medium.
Now, in association with PBS SoCal, the Newport Beach Film Festival has launched “The Process Unlocked,” a new television conversation series hosted by three-time Emmy winner Jenelle Riley.
The inaugural event took place on September 19 at the new Witte Hall in Newport Beach. The first guest of “The Process Unlocked” was four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe.
According to information from the Newport Beach Film Festival, “The Process Unlocked” offers something increasingly rare: an opportunity to slow down and take an in-depth look at the artistic process. While the series provides an engaging overview of an artist’s career, each conversation goes deeper, examining the specific moments, choices, and creative instincts behind the work. An actor may reveal how they prepared for a particular scene, a director may discuss how they envisioned an ideal shot, or a writer may break down the creative thinking that goes into crafting a story.
“I often hear about how people miss the days of long-form, in-depth conversations with artists that focus on the craft. I’m thrilled to be bringing that back to television screens and cannot imagine better partners than the Newport Beach Film Festival and PBS SoCal — two institutions that have been responsible for some of my greatest career highlights,” says Jenelle Riley, who has moderated more than 200 career conversations with Oscar winners, Broadway stars, and best-selling authors.
Having made more than 150 films in his legendary career, Willem Dafoe is internationally respected for bringing versatility and boldness to some of the most iconic films of our time. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with many of the most influential directors in modern cinema. He has received four Academy Award nominations—for “Platoon,” “Shadow of the Vampire,” “The Florida Project,” and “At Eternity’s Gate”—along with numerous other major critical and international honors.
Newport Beach Film Festival President and CEO Gregg Schwenk welcomed the sold-out audience to Witte Hall, noting that this is one of the first major events for Witte Hall.
Please tell your friends about tonight. Please tell your friends about the Newport Beach Film Festival. It is put on by the community for the community,” Schwenk told the audience. “Over 27 years of running the festival, so many people think it must be only for the industry. We get a lot of industry. But in everything we do, we try to make everyone feel like a VIP and a celebrity. So if you like tonight, if you like the idea of listening to people behind the scenes, probably about 90 to 95 percent of our films, shorts and features in the Newport Beach Film Festival running October 15 through 22 have someone either in front of or behind the camera to share their insights with you after the screening. We take the passive experience of going to the movies and make it active at the Newport Beach Film Festival.”
Schwenk thanked the evening’s underwriter, Big Newport Studios, and after a short film highlighting the Newport Beach Film Festival, host Jenelle Riley was introduced.
“This show is designed to offer a deep dive into the craft of artists, and when it comes to acting, there is literally no one more prolific, daring, and watchable than Willem Dafoe,” said Riley. “He’s the true definition of an actor’s actor. He’s been delivering fantastic performances on stage and screen. He cannot be pinned down by any medium or genre. If you want to talk about rage, this is someone who has played everything from the original Vampire to Jesus Christ. He can literally play anything. I am so honored, humbled, and honestly, a little intimidated, to welcome Willem Dafoe.”
During their conversation, Dafoe talked about growing up and discovering acting, his film roles, directors he has worked with during his career and what he learned from them, and his process in approaching each role.
Dafoe proved to be charming, earnest, animated, and captivating as he addressed the audience and explored the many facets of being an actor. The Film Festival could not have chosen a more perfect guest for the inaugural “The Process Unlocked,” as Dafoe did indeed unlock his process.
“PBS SoCal is deeply committed to showcasing stories that provide more context to our viewers and depth of understanding. “The Process Unlocked” will offer audiences a chance to take part in in-depth conversations with some of the greatest performers of our time. We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the Newport Beach Film Festival and with Jenelle Riley,” said Tamara Gould, Chief Content Officer of PBS SoCal, in a statement.
For more information on the Newport Beach Film Festival, which starts October 15, visit www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.
