Two Lifetimes of Acting Achievement Honored
As Dee, Harris Sparkle in a Beautiful Film
See Achievement Night Photo Gallery | See 2006 Sony Photo Galleries
Ruby Dee, left, and Julie Harris display Method Fest Lifetime Achievement Awards presented Sunday at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre.
Third Overflow Crowd Finds "The Way Back Home";
See Event Schedule and Film Schedule for Tickets
| Michael King hugs Julie Harris before giving a heartfelt tribute to Harris and co-The Way Back Home star Ruby Dee, bottom photo. |
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Calabasas, Calif., April 2, 2006 - After joining a select list of acting legends honored with Method Fest Lifetime Achievement Awards earlier in the evening, Ruby Dee and Julie Harris breathed timeless tenderness into Michael Houston King's The Way Back Home on April 2.
"For me, this film was a miracle " said Harris after the well-received screening played to a third consecutive night of overflow crowds at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre, "Everyone was so wonderful. It was a miracle."
Harris, winner of an unequaled five Tony Awards, 11 Emmy Award nominations, an Emmy, an Academy Award nomination, and a seven-year stint as Lilimae Clements on television's Knots Landing, made the film after suffering a stroke that has affected her ability to speak.
"That (Harris' decision to do the film) took a tremendous amount of courage," said King, who starred in the film as Harris' grandson.
The pairing of Harris and Dee as elderly ladies in the South who ignored all barriers to become lifetime best friends, was a match that inspired director Reza Badiyi.
The Method Fest
Lifetime Achievement Award
Julie Harris (2006)
Ruby Dee (2006)
Martin Landau (2005)
Dennis Hopper (2004)
Peter Falk (2003)
Rod Steiger (2002)
James Earl Jones (2001)
Maximillian Schell (1999) |
"I would get up in the morning and my wife would say she knew it would be good day for me when I sang in the shower," said Badiyi. "Everyday, I was singing in the shower. I knew it would be a good day."
The feeling clearly showed on the screen. Also screening on a busy Method Fest day was Centerpiece Film December Ends by director/writer Lee Toland Krieger. The day was capped by Indie Music Night at the Sagebrush Cantina.
The Festival continues today with International Fiilmmakers Night, highlighted by a 7:15 screening of Niagara Motel at the MPTF. Please note that The Actress and The Cabin Movie have switched venues from the original film schedule. The Actress will be screened at the Carlson Family Theatre and The Cabin Movie at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre.
Tickets for the Festival, which runs through April 7, are available online at brownpapertickets.com, or at the door of the Louis B. Mayer Theatre and the Carlson Family Theatre at Viewpoint School. Please see the Event Schedule and Film Schedule pages for more details. Some 23 feature films and 40 shorts from around the world are featured in this year's Festival.
Filmmaker Reception at Leonis Adobe Is a Hit
The 8th annual The Method Fest film festival got off to an early start on March 30 when the historic Leonis Adobe hosted the Filmmaker Reception. With beautiful lighting highlighting a great venue, the cast of Nightmare (left) stops for a photo. The party was hosted for the second year in a row by Leonis Adobe.
For more photos of the Reception, please see the Gallery. Additional photos are on the Events Page.
David Carradine Receives Maverick Award |
David Carradine addresses the audience (center) after being presented the 2006 Maverick Award by The Method Fest on March 2nd for his outstanding contribution to cinema and his versatility as an actor, producer, director, writer, editor and composer. With Carradine in left photo is presenter
and fellow Kill Bill star Michael Madsen. In right photo, Carradine and Masden pose with Carol Washburn, president, Calabasas Chamber of Commerce.
» See full Carradine/Maverick Award story. | See Photo Gallery
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All-Time Record 742 Films Sumitted for Festival
Michael Cavalieri of the short "Livewire." |
An all time record of 742 films from American and international filmmakers have been submitted for the 8th annual The Method Fest independent festival. “Film submissions have increased spectacularly every year of the festival,” said Don Franken, The Method Fest executive director. “We reached a significant milestone when we topped 500 entries for the first time in 2004. Last year we had 571 films, and this year we added 150 more. The new record of submissions shows our festival is growing every year and independent filmmakers look for The Method Fest as a premier festival to showcase their new work.”
» See full Film Submissions story.
Schedule of Events Announced
The events of The 2006 Method Fest began in January and are moving toward a culmination with the wildly popular Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 7. In between are a mix of receptions, parties, music nights, galas, and, of course, screenings of some of the finest Independent films hitting the market. See the Calendar Page for all the details and check back for updates.
Feature Films Added
Two Canadian films have been added to the 2006 Method Fest lineup. Severed, directed by Carl Bessai, will be screened on Sunday, April 2, 9:45 pm at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre. In Severed, a multi-national forestry company engages in genetic experimentation to increase logging yield in a remote section of forest. But the experimentation goes disastrously wrong ... see the synopsis/buy tickets. Also added is Love Is Work, a feature that tells the truth about love. It will screen on April 6, 9:15 pm at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre. See synopsis.
Landau Latest in Impressive List of Award Winners
Veteran
actor Martin Landau, honored at the 2005 Method Fest Awards Ceremony in Calabasas, joins a noted list of distinguished honorees on the festival's awards lists. In fact, taking a scroll through the lists reveals how the Method Fest has contributed to the careers of emerging and established stars, producers and others in the industry. See the Archives Page for a look at the all-time list of Method Fest award winners.
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Read about Push director Dave Rodriguez on April 2 Home Page.
NEW! Access Daily
Fest Home Pages
Our Home Page changes daily during the Festival, but you can access events for any day of the week by visiting the daily Home Pages via the links below:
» April 2
» April 1
» March 31
Special Events
Get the details on Indie Music Night, the Youth Workshops & Screenings, and the Actor-Director Conference on the Events Page. Just scroll through the table to the event in which you're interested, and click "access detailed description" for all the facts. » Events Page
Star Power
This year's Festival loaded with movie talent. » Details
Niagara Motel
The Method Fest has added the well-received feature film Niagara Motel to the 2006 Festival lineup. » Synopsis
Hudson Honored
Ernie Hudson, honored with the “Indie Supporter Award” on Feb. 16 for his contribution to independent film, poses with Elaine Wood, The Method Fest managing director, and Don Franken, executive director.
» See details
She's hot: Cameron Richardson, shown in the 2005 TMF screening of "The Good Humor Man" with Nathan Stevens, is among festival alums getting noticed.
TMF Launches
Career Breakouts
The Method Fest independent film festival, the only film festival in the United States that focuses on acting, is becoming more and more the place where talented new actors show their craft in memorable roles that help launch their careers. Read about the career-changing breaks for "discoveries" from 2005 Method Fest, as well as success for past alums. » See Story .
Youth Program
Information Posted
Get details about entering The Method Fest's annual Youth Program short film, screenplay, and actor competition. » See Youth Program.
Break Into
Hollywood Now
"How To Get Arrested"® is a book about breaking into Hollywood and the business of acting. Loaded with inside hints and motivational tips that take "the tangles and terror out of the system," the book is the creation of Michael J. Wallach, a longtime Festival supporter. Click for details.
Fun photos, times: The cast of East of Sunset celebrates, appropriately, with Corona beers, after being presented the Corona Maverick Award for Quality in a Low Budget film. It's one of the many fun photos in our 2005 Galleries.
Relive 2005 Fest
Via Photo Galleries
Relive the fun and excitement of the 2005 Method Fest via an extensive collection of SONY Image Galleries.
» See Galleries. |
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