CLOSING NIGHT CELEBRATIONS
After ten days, the extraordinary journey around the world through film finishes at the Faye Spanos Concert Hall at University of the Pacific for the Central Valley Premiere of the deeply-inspiring and evocatively-moving film adaptation of Karen Kingsbury’s “Like Dandelion’s Dust,” based on the best-selling novel, starring Academy Award-winning Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Kate Levering, Maxwell Perry Cotton, and Cole Hauser.
Red Carpet Welcome at 6:30PM. Director Jon Gunn, Producer Kevin Downes, Producer Bobby Downes, Producer Kerry David, Executive Producer Chris Morrow, among others are expected to be in attendance.
At 7:00PM, follow the red carpet to an memorable evening. The Closing Night Gala opens with a special presentation of souvenir images and footages from SJIFF2 and the festival Audience Awards to winning films selected by the festival patrons. The crown jewel of the evening is the Central Valley Premiere presentation of "Like Dandelion’s Dust.
Following the screening will be a extraordinary conversation with many cast and crew members of the film all on one stage.
At 9:45PM, Celebrate in style at the chic and innovative Centrale. Mingle with special guests from the film, enjoy scrumptious appetizers and delicious drinks, while dancing the night away to hot beats of DJ Nica.
SYNOPSIS
Karen Kingsbury's "Like Dandelion Dust", based on the best-selling novel, is a compelling drama that explores the different meanings of being a parent through the grittily realistic lives of the struggling, blue collar Porter's, and the privileged Campbell family. Their lives intersect, intertwine and collide, all for the love of a little boy. This film is wonderfully acted, bravely exposing the humanity in each character and reminding us that we each have the potential to be the best and worst versions of ourselves at any time.
In Competition for Best Narrative Feature Film
FESTIVAL HISTORY
"Like Dandelion Dust" held its World Premiere at the 20th Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2009, and was selected for its Best of Fest programme. The film went on to be feted with the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Sedona International Film Festival, the Grand Jury Best Feature at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Feature at Vail Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best Feature at the Sonoma International Film Festival, and the Audience Award and Grand Jury Best Feature at the Las Vegas International Film Festival.
The film comes to its first presentation to an audience in California’s 400-mile Central Valley at the Closing Night Gala of SJIFF2.
DIRECTOR'S BIOGRAPHY
Writer, Director and Editor Jon Gunn made his feature film debut in 2000 with Mercy Streets. Before being released in theaters, Mercy Streets received the Best Feature Film award at the What You See is What You Get Festival, and the Movie Guide Award for “10 Best Films of 2000”.
His next feature, My Date with Drew, had a worldwide theatrical release in the summer of 2005 and won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, NY Gen Art Film Festival, and Vail Film Festival. It also swept the 2005 Sonoma Film Festival, winning three awards, including the Jury Prize for Best Feature. My Date With Drew beat Napoleon Dynamite, Super Size Me and Garden State for Best Feature, and was listed on www.the-numbers.com as the fifth most profitable film of all times.
Gunn co-wrote Ian the Vampire and a comedy The Final Four, both currently in development at Fox Searchlight, where he has a blind script deal. He is now writing Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians for Dreamworks Animation.
In 2002, Gunn teamed up with producer Kerry David (Executive Producer, Agent Cody Banks; Producer, upcoming Don Cheadle Miles Davis project) to create Lucky Crow Films. They have produced both film and television projects, optioned numerous literary properties, and are currently in pre-production on a number of feature projects, including Why Beulah Shot her Pistol Inside The Baptist Church, a dark comedy adapted by Gail Gilchriest (My Dog Skip) from the novel by Clayton Sullivan.
Gunn and David also co-own IndieProducer (www.indieproducer.net), a renown, worldwide filmmaking community created to discover, educate and support new and emerging talent in film.
STILL IMAGES
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CLOSING NIGHT SHOWTIMES
SAT. 5/23 at 7:30PM SHOW & FILM
Faye Spanos Concert Hall
SAT. 5/23 at 9:45PM PARTY
Centrale Kitchen and Bar
CAST AND CREW
Production Company: Downes Brothers Entertainment
Based on Novel By: Karen Kingsbury
Screenwriter: Stephen J. Rivele, Michael Lachance
Producer: Kevin Downes, Bobby Downes, Kerry David, Christopher Morrow, Wayne McCall, Geoff Ludlow, Shelene Bryan
Cinematographer: Reynaldo Villalobos
Editor: Jon Gunn
Music: Nathan Larson
Principal Cast: Mira Sorvino, Barry Pepper, Kate Levering, Maxwell Perry Cotton, Cole Hauser
SOURCES
Print Source: Downes Brothers Entertainment
www.downesbrothers.com |
