Community Corner
Opening Night A Sellout Crowd At Napa Valley Film Fest
"August: Osage County" a star-packed spectacle of dark emotions, outstanding acting.
PHOTOS BY AL FRANCIS
Film fans packed every seat of the Napa Valley Opera House Wednesday for the opening night of the Napa Valley Film Festival.
"On behalf of the city of Napa, I welcome you," Napa Mayor Jill Techel told the crowd prior to the first of two screenings of the opening night film, "August: Osage County."
Techel shared the stage with festival organizers Marc and Brenda Lhormer. Marc Lhormer noted that this year's third annual event features 125 films spread through all four Napa Valley towns: Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga.
For a schedule of screenings, see: http://www.2013.napavalleyfilmfest.org/
Film-goers at Wednesday's opening night had strong reactions to "August: Osage County," a blockbuster of family dysfunction and dark secrets delivered with acting that can only be described as spectacular.
"It was an incredible ensemble of actors," said Barry Tyerman of Malibu. "It was like an all-star team." He said he would not be surprised if Meryl Streep, who played the pill-popping matriarch of the sad Midwest family, was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.
"I thought the film was incredibly well-made," said Barry Tyerman's wife Gail. "The acting was tremendous."
Besides Streep, other cast members were Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham.
One of the actors, Abigail Breslin, was in town for the screening and spoke to the audience in a Q & A session and before the show.
Breslin plays the 14-year-old daughter of Julia Roberts' character -- a teen caught in the middle between two estranged parents and an extended family that offers no soft landing place.
"As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to do it," Breslin said.
Breslin is also starring in several other film projects and has also written a screenplay about four young girlfriends in New York who get entangled in conflict via Twitter and Facebook.
The Tyermans, who have relatives in St. Helena, said they have been coming to the Napa Valley festival every year since it started three years ago.
"The scope of what the festival is doing is so much bigger this year," Gail Tyerman said. "It's impressive what they've done -- an incredible accomplishment."
John Dandova of San Francisco, a friend of the Tyermans, said he enjoyed the film but it was "pretty intense," he said.
"Every story that they told, you thought it couldn't get worse, but it did," he said.
Tracy Tighe of Napa thought the film had "stellar performances but it was pretty dark," she said.
For more information on the festival, see http://napavalleyfilmfest.org/
Film fans packed every seat of the Napa Valley Opera House Wednesday for the opening night of the Napa Valley Film Festival.
"On behalf of the city of Napa, I welcome you," Napa Mayor Jill Techel told the crowd prior to the first of two screenings of the opening night film, "August: Osage County."
Techel shared the stage with festival organizers Marc and Brenda Lhormer. Marc Lhormer noted that this year's third annual event features 125 films spread through all four Napa Valley towns: Napa, Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga.
For a schedule of screenings, see: http://www.2013.napavalleyfilmfest.org/
Film-goers at Wednesday's opening night had strong reactions to "August: Osage County," a blockbuster of family dysfunction and dark secrets delivered with acting that can only be described as spectacular.
"It was an incredible ensemble of actors," said Barry Tyerman of Malibu. "It was like an all-star team." He said he would not be surprised if Meryl Streep, who played the pill-popping matriarch of the sad Midwest family, was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.
"I thought the film was incredibly well-made," said Barry Tyerman's wife Gail. "The acting was tremendous."
Besides Streep, other cast members were Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Juliette Lewis, Margo Martindale, Dermot Mulroney, Sam Shepard and Misty Upham.
One of the actors, Abigail Breslin, was in town for the screening and spoke to the audience in a Q & A session and before the show.
Breslin plays the 14-year-old daughter of Julia Roberts' character -- a teen caught in the middle between two estranged parents and an extended family that offers no soft landing place.
"As soon as I read the script, I knew I wanted to do it," Breslin said.
Breslin is also starring in several other film projects and has also written a screenplay about four young girlfriends in New York who get entangled in conflict via Twitter and Facebook.
The Tyermans, who have relatives in St. Helena, said they have been coming to the Napa Valley festival every year since it started three years ago.
"The scope of what the festival is doing is so much bigger this year," Gail Tyerman said. "It's impressive what they've done -- an incredible accomplishment."
John Dandova of San Francisco, a friend of the Tyermans, said he enjoyed the film but it was "pretty intense," he said.
"Every story that they told, you thought it couldn't get worse, but it did," he said.
Tracy Tighe of Napa thought the film had "stellar performances but it was pretty dark," she said.
For more information on the festival, see http://napavalleyfilmfest.org/
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