The 15th annual Newport Beach Film Festival will dedicate an evening to celebrating British cinema, automobiles, and fashion as part of its upcoming UK Spotlight. The event will feature the West Coast Premieres of three new UK films, Belle, God Help the Girl and Jadoo and a gala reception hosted by BritWeek – OC and Ted Baker London at Jaguar/Land Rover Newport Beach.
Belle, directed by Amma Asante, is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), the illegitimate mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode). Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson) and his wife (Emily Watson), Belle’s lineage affords her certain privileges, yet her status prevents her from the traditions of noble social standing.
In God Help the Girl, writer/director Stuart Murdoch (Belle and Sebastian) creates a coming-of-age story that doubles as an indie-pop musical. Set in Glasgow, Scotland, the film follows Eve (Emily Browning) who is in the hospital dealing with emotional problems. She starts writing songs as a way to heal. Songwriting becomes her passion, leading her to the city where she meets James (Olly Alexander) and Cassie (Hannah Murray), two musicians each at crossroads of their own. What follows is a story of a personal renaissance over the course of a long, dream-like summer.
Jadoo, written and directed by filmmaker Amit Gupta, tells the story of two brothers, Raja (Harish Patel) and Jagi (Kulvinder Ghir) both wonderful chefs, who fall out catastrophically. At the climax of their dispute they rip the family recipe book in half – one brother gets the starters and the other gets the main courses. They set up rival restaurants, on opposite sides of the same road, and spend the next twenty years trying to outdo each other. Neither brother will admit it but they both know they are not entirely successful in the ‘other half’ of the menu. It takes a daughter – a successful London lawyer, Shalini (Amara Karan), marrying a man from a different ethnic background – to reunite them.
The UK Spotlight films will screen on Friday April 25th, 2014 at the Starlight Triangle Theaters
1870 Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa. Belle screens at 7.30pm, God Help the Girl at 8.15pm and Jadoo at 8pm.
A gala after party will follow immediately after the movies at Jaguar/Land Rover Newport Beach, 1540 Jamboree Road in Newport Beach. The evening will include a hosted bar courtesy of Tito’s Vodka and Stella Artois Beer, several top Orange County restaurants serving signature tastings, multiple DJs and a fashion presentation by Ted Baker London. Admission to the film and gala is $45.
For tickets, information and updates visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com
