"Between Two Ferns" sketch with Brian Wiliiams (!) and Zach Galifianakis

NFF Comedy Roundtable w/ Ben Stiller, Sarah Silverman, Andy Stamberg, Zach G & Brian Williams

The Nantucket Film Festival celebrated it’s 15^th birthday this year.  Wow.  15.  I say wow, NOT just because I was a Co-Producer of a Festival film, but because A.  I was at Opening Night in 1996 (and have been ever since) and B.  Because it was the Best Ever!

From the Opening night film, The Extra Man, to the unbelievably fascinating docs on Bill Cunningham and Ron Galella to the Brian Williams monologue at the Screenwriter’s Tribute to Chris Matthews’ interview with Barry Levinson, it was amazing.  I am still running into like-minded Film enthusiasts on the street, exclaiming how extraordinary one film or another was this past week…Nevermind the thrill of seeing my name on the big screen in a producing credit for Mister Rogers & Me!  (When independent film makers need cash, those credits can go pretty cheap.)

My name, Elisabeth English (10th from top), on the silver screen at Mister Rogers

Chris and Ben Wagner, Creators of "Mister Rogers & Me", with Elisabeth English, "Producer"

Truthfully, I regularly think the festival is ‘the best ever’.  Losing Chase was the 1996 inaugural film and also Kevin Bacon’s directorial debut.  I was so enthused by the experience that I returned to Provisions, my sandwich shop on Straight Wharf, and re-named our BLT as “Kevin Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato” on the blackboard, provoking confusion and the occasional smile for years to come.

There have been many inspiring opening films (14, to be exact), including “The Full Monty”, “American Splendor” and “Trans-Siberian”, but it is the rest of the festival slate that delights me most.  There are always quiet gems that may never see the green light of distribution and the only opportunity to see them (for me) rests with the fest.  And so, I venture forth with the zeal of an ingénue, in an effort to take in the best the fest has to offer…

“Morning Coffee with a Writer”, film, work, film, snack, film, change of outfit, Evening Event (Party/Storytelling/Tribute), After-Party…popping my Wellness Formula vitamins and ignoring my employees’ pleas for communication day after day.

NFF "Morning Coffee with a Writer" series

Here are some of the highlights…

“Literally, you just turn on your camera and beautiful stuff gets inside  it”—Lynn True on filming Summer Pasture in remote Eastern-Tibet

‘Deep & simple is better than shallow & complex any day’—Fred Rogers (as told to Benjamin Wagner, co-creator of Mister Rogers & Me)

“We worked out the licensing last night.”—Benjamin Wagner re the process of trust and determination in making Mister Rogers & Me.

Q:  “How will the Lady Gaga generation receive the message of Mr. Rogers?”—audience member at “Morning Coffee”
A.  “Twinkies have their short-term value, but in the end everyone needs a  slice of whole wheat.”—Benjamin Wagner, Mister Rogers & Me

“I was trying to capture the beauty/horror/absurdity of family.”—Festival honoree Michael Arndt on the writing of Little Miss Sunshine

“Families are inherently funny in that you have a group of people with nothing in common except the fact they are related.”– Michael Arndt on the writing of Little Miss Sunshine

“I wanted to start a riot of happiness.”– Michael Arndt on the ending of Little Miss Sunshine

Barry Levinson, Honoree

Must-See Films 2010:

Bill Cunningham New York—A documentary on the charming, elegant 80-year-old New York Times fashion photographer Bill Cunningham. With the singular goal of capturing the beauty that crosses his path, Cunningham has created a poignant and ongoing chronicle of the intersection of fashion and society in New York for over 50 years—in effect, a portrait of New York City itself—while living in a tiny studio apartment above Carnegie Hall and riding a bike.

Smash His Camera—A fascinating look at the surprisingly endearing Ron Galella—the original despised Paparazzo for whom Jackie Onassis obtained a restraining order.  His archives are an exhausting journey through pop culture over the last 40+ years, from Pia Zadora & John Gotti to Jacki O & Liz Taylor.

Cairo Time—A beautiful, seductive story set in exotic Cairo, starring the always-magnificent Patricia Clarkson and sexy, sexy Alexander Siddig

Winter’s Bone—A riveting tale of a 17-yr old the lawless Ozarks, caring for her little brother and sister, while trying to find her crack-dealing Father who put up their home for his bail bond and disappeared. 

The Concert & Freedom Writers—Definitely two of the most-talked about films at the fest

Mister Rogers & Me—A lovely portrait of Nantucket summer resident and pioneering children’s television host Fred Rogers.  Created by the Wagner brothers through a long, meaningful journey of their own.

Nowhere Boy—A darling film about the teenage John Lennon and the heartbreak and angst that shaped his life and music (by Sam Taylor-Wood).

The Extra Man—A story of friendship between an older New York gentleman (Kevin Kline) and a young man (Paul Dano) with a a few sexual identity issues.  Written by (and based on) the brilliant Jonathan Ames.

The Wagner Bros with NFF Founder, Jonathan Burkhart

NFF 2010 Opening Film "The Extra Man" w/ Jonathan Ames, writer

Brian Williams at NFF Late-Night Storytelling with Peter Farrelly & Anne Meara looking on

The 14th annual Nantucket Film Festival ended this past Sunday and I felt the usual ambivalence of sadness, joy and relief.  I have attended 14 of 14, and as I get older, it gets more and more challenging to see films all day, party all night and not run my business into the ground.  This year was the usual marathon:  currentVintage co-sponsored the Opening Night party at the Chanticleer following “Cold Souls” and people seemed to appreciate above-average party wine.

Late-Night Storytelling was wildly funny & bizarre as usual.  I loved Cheryl Hine’s story of hospitalization with no health insurance or pocket change on the eve of her transition to stardom via “Curb Your Enthusiasm”.  I may never get over our local GYN’s tale of a hit and run, and I delight in knowing that Ben Stiller took acid and lost his virginity on Nantucket (perhaps at the same time?).

The Tribute Event, honoring Harold Ramis, was larger than life, in that it featured the 40’ tall Ghostbusters Stay-puft marshmallow man outside the Sconset Casino.  Brian Williams was side-splittingly funny as usual, which served as our annual reminder of how his talent is wasted on the nightly news.

The Stay-Puft Man

Ben Stiller gives tribute to Harold Ramis at NFF

There’s really nothing better than being around passionate people and I think that’s why I love the NFF so much.  Each morning, I drag myself to work at the crack of dawn so I can make it to the  “Morning Coffee with a writer” panel at the Rose & Crown.  It is such an amazing opportunity to drop in on the lives of people who are living their (usually far from glamorous) dream.  There are filmmakers with hedgefund-blank-check-produced projects sitting next to some who financed their short on five credit cards and a loan from their parents.  Both solemn and irreverent things are said…Cherien Dabis told that the racism in “Amreeka” was based on her own life experiences growing up in Ohio.  John Shea, noting that only 6 out of 5400 film submissions to Sundance got distribution, suggested filmmakers be hearded into “the cove”.  Anne Meara said it was a great panel because no one brought up “vision” or “arc”.  The writers and filmmakers meet each other, stories are shared, connections are made and the audience learns as well.

For years, this vicarious dream-living appealed to me because I was less than enchanted by my own work.  Owning two casual, seasonal eateries with a zillion employees was grueling and ungratifying and I was completely fascinated by anyone in more creative pursuits, which generally included everyone at the Nantucket Film Festival.  These days, I have a fabulous new business and I’m so creative I could drop, but I still love meeting inspired and inspiring people at the NFF each year, and this weekend they were present in large numbers…

Louie, Fisher & Ric of "The Cove" and Katherine Bigelow of "The Hurt Locker" at NFF Morning Coffee panel

Any brush with Ric O’Barry, Fisher Stevens, Louis Psiphoyos, party boy Charles Hambleton and the gang from “The Cove” was memorable.  These guys are combination activists, evangelists and adrenaline junkies.  They spent years and millions to expose the ugly Japanese dolphin industry, risking life and limb.  Their mission evolved on the journey from saving ocean reefs to saving cetaceans (dolphins and whales) to a public health cry for mercury-awareness.  Ric’s passion and commitment to stop the dolphin slaughter in Taiji are palpable and contagious and will no doubt prevail with the help of the Cove team and the visceral reaction and inevitable action of every single person who sees the film.

“The Messenger” was another film that really moved me.  An army story centered around casualty-notification starring Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson in powerful performances, it was quite depressing, but a little bit hopeful. I watched it back to back with “The Cove” and could hardly get out of my seat when it was over.  The Stiller Family sat right behind me for the double feature and their enthusiasm and observations made for interesting Q&A discussions following both films.  That’s what I mean about passion—the fact that Anne Meara, Jerry Stiller, Amy and Ben were still sitting in the Sconset Casino all afternoon on day 4 of the festival, after all that had gone before, was very cool indeed.

Doug Foregger and me w/ the Marshmallow Man

http://www.indiewire.com/article/storytelling_of_all_kinds_showcased_at_nantucket_fest/

Marshmallow photos: Mai Norton