Hollywood Lovefest launches season of giving

"Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan experienced his first Hollywood Film Festival award ceremony Monday night and came away with two prizes for audience favorite film and Hollywood producer of the year (with Chuck Roven and Emma Thomas). But before the ceremony, he stood in the foyer of the Beverly Hilton's International ballroom perplexed at how we could even be discussing the best movies of the year when it's still October.

"I find the most surreal thing is that people seem to be talking about a lot of movies they couldn't have possibly seen yet," he said referring to the fact that most of the films considered by pundits to be the major contenders don't open until late November or December. Nolan himself is particularly looking forward to catching "Milk" based on what he considers an excellent trailer. He also wants to see "The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button," a movie he had read an early draft of some time back.

"I once went to the Golden Globes because we were nominated for screenplay ("Memento"), but everyone was out in the lobby talking and no one seemed to care about our category," he recalled about the last time he was in this room for an award show.

At any rate, he wasn't alone in his curiosity about how so many new, largely unseen films could already be getting awards.

Robert Pattinson, star of "Twilight," which is set to be released on Nov. 21, was just as clueless in his acceptance speech for the new Hollywood award.

"I'm shocked and astonished that I've been given an award before my film's come out. It's all hype," he candidly admitted before thanking festival founder Carlos de Abreu.

Patrick Shanley, 58, who won an Oscar 21 years ago for writing "Moonstruck," still managed to be honored as breakthrough director of the year as well as screenwriter of the year for the December release "Doubt," starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, who presented him his statue.

"It's gratifying and stupefying to receive an award for a movie no one has seen yet," he said while adding he did show the film to good response to about 30 nuns last week.

Then in picking up his comedy of the year award for "Tropic Thunder," Ben Stiller wondered why he was actually there.

"I don't know what it is. What IS this award? Can anyone tell me?" he asked the crowd. "I guess this award is dedicated to the actor who through their work has indicated a willingness to show up and accept this. I want to thank the committee ... or is it 'the guy' ... who named my film a best of the year even though it's only October."

That "guy" is feisty De Abreu who founded the festival 12 years ago and keeps it going as the kickoff to the Hollywood award season at the Beverly Hilton, the hotel that hosts more of these ceremonies than any other.

De Abreu and his co-founder and wife Janice Pennington have heard all the complaints about honoring films that have yet to see the light of a theater projector. They vehemently deny that these films haven't been seen or at least "vetted" since they both spend much of their year trekking to screening rooms and studio lots to view early rough cuts of potential award contenders. They also say they consult with all the guilds in honoring many below-the-line talents such as cinematographers, editors and costume designers, categories other early awards ceremonies ignore.

Recently, Overture Films decided to move its planned 2009 release, "Last Chance Harvey" starring Dustin Hoffman ,into awards season contention by changing the release date to Dec. 26. One of the first to see it after that decision was made was De Abreu -- who loved it. Next thing you know, Hoffman is this year's career achievement award winner. It works for Overture, it works for Hoffman in getting exposure for his new movie and it works for the Hollywood Film Festival.  De Abreu and Pennington say no one who is undeserving  gets an award, but they do expect the recipients to show up in return.

When they hear people, particularly honorees questioning the integrity of their awards, they get all fired up, rightfully thinking that it might hurt the credibility of their show -- a show Hollywood seems to increasingly embrace as witnessed by this year's impressive star turnout, which included Clint Eastwood (director of the year), Hoffman and presenters such as Angelina Jolie, Diane Lane, Natalie Portman, Ron Howard, Ryan Gosling and many others. Last year, Brad Pitt was in attendance. Serving as co-chair this year is "Crash" director Paul Haggis. The Oscar-winning writer/director lends industry credibility but told us he has little to do with the selections, which are carefully and meticulously parceled out.

Once a studio or publicist agrees to accept an award it can get territorial.

When one Disney executive, who was in attendance because "Wall-E" was getting the animation of the year award for director Andrew Stanton, spotted DreamWorks animation rival Jeffrey Katzenberg in the lobby, the exec panicked wondering why HE was there. Turns out Katzenberg was there to present to Ben Stiller, not to steal Disney's thunder by getting DreamWorks an animation award too.

The fact remains that there were many Academy Award voting members sitting in the audience and being seen getting or even presenting at this event, which is a good dry run and an early step toward getting a foothold in the race. Also some of the clips being shown such as "Doubt," "Frost/Nixon," "Australia" and Eastwood's "Gran Torino"  have never been seen before, and judging by audience response, we'll be hearing a lot more about these films as the season rolls on. It's a good showcase to hit some voters and try out the goods.

Certainly if De Abreu had not invented the festival, Hollywood probably would have had to do so on its own as award season seems to be stretched earlier each year primarily because of financial considerations. The festival is an industry in itself. The trade paper Variety, for instance, not only tied in with the festival to present it's Ten Actors to Watch, it sold 15 pages of pricey ads for Monday's issue while De Abreu's award show got 11 pages of edit. The Los Angeles Times and "Entertainment Tonight" are among those also listed as sponsors along with key presenting sponsor Starz, which also hosts the Star(s) challenged after-party by the hotel pool. (No one we talked to seemed to recognize anyone there, but there were plenty of open bars to keep people happy).

But unlike years past, the stars and presenters DID seem to stay to the end of the two and a half-hour show with few tables emptying like they often do at such events. Perhaps that has more to do with the fact that this show is early in the season and everyone still thinks they have a shot at the really big prize in February.

There must be some cache to snatching one of these trophies as stars bend their schedules to get here. Kristin Scott Thomas, who is winning praise for the just released "I've Loved You So Long," flew in from New York where she's performing in "The Sea Gull." Thomas picked up her award early in the ceremony, said a few words about having an incredible time in America right now and then headed right out to catch the red-eye back to Broadway in time for the next show.

Other winners with Oscar hopes included: Josh Brolin, actor of the year ("W"); Marisa Tomei,   supporting actress of the year ("The Wrestler"); James Franco ("Milk") and Sally Hawkins ("Happy Go Lucky"), breakthrough stars; and Dustin Lance Black, breakthrough screenwriter ("Milk") . No supporting actor was chosen (presumably because the one the festival wanted wasn't available), and a planned ensemble award for "The Secret Life of Bees" just never came together.

Next stop: The rival AFI Fest -- which has never appreciated the Hollywood Fest stealing its hometown award season mojo -- kicks off Thursday with "Doubt" replacing "The Soloist" as the opening night film. On Monday, publicists for the Fest sent a press release touting all the "awards contending" films and galas it will be hosting, although oddly listing a slew of films with little or no chance of Oscar recognition, including the Joaquin Phoenix-Gwyneth Paltrow project "Two Lovers," which isn't eligible as it won't open until Valentine's Day.

-- Pete Hammond

(Photo Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale; Robert Pattinson and Camilla Belle courtesy WireImage)

Comments

[Sharon Allicotti]

You're wrong about "Two Lovers," Pete. Magnolia Pictures is planning to release an awards consideration run for that film in December.