8th Annual The Method Fest Film Festival news

Rising Stars and Black Cinema Legends
Shine Bright at Method Fest

Award Winners Lou Gossett Jr. and Ruby Dee
Among Legends Screening New Work At the 8th Annual
The Method Fest in Calabasas March 31-April 7

Calabasas, Calif., March 15, 2006- Academy Award winning actor Louis Gossett Jr., along with actors Ruby Dee, Ernie Hudson and Bill Cobbs and the next generation of African-American talent have films being showcased in the 8th Annual The Method Fest Film Festival, a festival of discovery celebrating breakout acting performances in independent film.  The festival is scheduled to take place March 31-April 7 in Calabasas with screenings taking place at Viewpoint Carlson Family Theatre, 23620 Mulholland Hwy. and the MPTF Louis B. Mayer Theatre, 23388 Mulholland Drive.  Ticket information can be found at www.methodfest.com.

Actress Ruby Dee stars in the feature The Way Back Home about a successful NY businessman who returns to a small southern town to care for his ailing grandmother after she suffers a stroke. Prior to the screening Ms. Dee will receive the festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award in a special presentation. Sunday, April 2, 7:00 p.m., Louis B. Mayer Theatre.

Actor Louis Gossett Jr. stars in the short film Window a film about two ailing veterans sharing a hospital room.  The Brooklyn born Gossett, who makes his first appearance in The Method Fest won an a Best Supporting Oscar in 1982 for his performance as a hard as nails drill sergeant in “An Officer and A Gentleman”, an won an Emmy in 1977 for his supporting role in the  historical saga “Roots”. Saturday, April 1, 10:00 p.m., Louis B. Mayer Theatre.

Actor Ernie Hudson, winner of this year Method Fest ‘Indie Hero Award’ stars in the feature Halfway Decent, a slice of life drama about a guy trying desperately to find his way out of a bad situation.  Prior to the screening the short, Shank 101, a UCLA student film about a troubled African-American teen will be shown. Sunday, April 1, 4:30 p.m., Louis B. Mayer Theatre

Popular character actor Bill Cobbs stars in the feature film Special Ed about a single-minded doctor’s search for a cure and his run ins with the one man he can’t save, and the one man he won’t save.  Mr. Cobbs also stars in the short, “Return to Sender” a funny ghost story about a corpse with a final message before he departs for the other side. Saturday, April 1, 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Louis B. Mayer Theatre.

Actor Eugene Byrd best known for his supporting role in 8 Mile stars in Confess the story of disillusioned ex-hacker Terell Lessor who employs strategically placed spy-cams to capture compromising footage of those who slighted him in the past, broadcasting edits via the internet.
Saturday, April 1, 7 p.m., Carlson Family Theatre

Rounding out the feature selections is Turntable written and directed by African-American filmmaker Robert Patton-Spruill.  The tale of DJ Spyder, a lonely, moody DJ, hiding from the world and his family’s checkered past behind the pulsating rhythms of the music.  The film stars Russell G. Jones, Tony Todd, Will Lyman, Heather D. Lee and Lonnie Foster. Tuesday, April 4, 9:30 p.m., Louis B. Mayer Theatre

Named after a famous school of acting, The Method Fest is the only major film festival in the U.S. focusing on acting, celebrating breakout acting performances in story driven independent films. The Method Fest takes great pride in being a discovery festival, looking to help launch the works of young fresh filmmakers and to discover breakthrough performances by young, bold new actors. The festival has also taken great delight in sharing career-defining performances of established performers and in showcasing a few chosen well-known directors to screen at the festival.

The Method Fest is presented by the City of Calabasas and presenting media partners, Charter Communications and the L.A. Daily News. Lead sponsors include New Millennium Homes, MSN Spaces, Standard Pacific Homes, Corona, and Adelphia (Golden Reel Sponsors), Bob Smith BMW, a Silver Reel Sponsor. LA Auto Gallery Ferrari/Maserati, a Spinning Reel sponsor.
Bronze Reel Sponsors include D2Homes, SAG Indie, JetBlue, the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley, Sony, Reels on Wheels, Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Modern VideoFilm, Prudential California Realty, and FilmFinders. ValleyCrest Companies, Viewpoint School's Carlson Family Theatre, and the Motion Picture and Television Fund's Louis B. Mayer Theatre are official venues.

Festival Supporters include Enterprise Rent-A-Car, indieprinting.com, Ice Age, Money Mailer, King's Fish House, Native Café, Sagebrush Cantina, Leonis Adobe, Mi Piace, and Foxen Winery.