Waylon Payne portrays guitar legend Hank Garland in the fascinating biopic, CRAZY.

Always a trendy event, this year's Newport Beach Film Festival was no excpetion, attracting the best and brightest filmmakers to showcase their talents, visions, and dreams.

Trekking all the way from Canada was Chris Paré, a young film school graduate with a decidedly good-humored and self-deprecating manner. His submission, entitled A Short Film by Chris Paré, is a playful mockery of the sometimes-rewarding, sometimes-excruciating work and life of one striving to become a successful filmmaker. Though this short film pokes playful fun at the profession and its participants, it also touches on the deeper underlying struggles and frustrating inequities of the film business, providing a stimulating package all wrapped into eight and a half minutes of footage.

One of the more prominently publicized submissions was CRAZY, a detailed independent biopic about the late Nashville guitarist Hank Garland, who was famous for his tantalizing hillbilly style of music. The film features an impressive cast including Waylon Payne and Ali Larter as leads, the latter of whom does a commendable job embodying Garland's beautiful but perfidious wife, Evelyn (and sheds her B-list image from cinematic atrocities such as Final Destination).

Both story-wise and appearance-wise, CRAZY has many parallels to Walk the Line, zeroing in on the domestic and personal troubles of successful musicians off the stage. The film also does an excellent job of showing just what an influential man Garland was, and reminding those who may be underinformed of just how big he was in his day.

Part of the festival's Friday night showcase was Camille, a 2007 romance premiering for the very first time. Unfortunately, this film did not remotely meet its potential. On paper, the storyline sounded moving and magical – a young newly married couple (Siena Miller and James Franco) setting off on their honeymoon, with an already-troubled relationship that is put to the test when tragedy strikes. In comes an old grisled cowboy (David Carradine), mystical blue horses, and a journey that leads ultimately to the mists of Niagara Falls.

In reality, none of these features are utilized as one would imagine. Though the cowboy appears ready to share his profound wisdom and emanate a larger-than-life image, he is in fact a fairly ordinary old guy who likes painting his horses. The mystery one expects from his character is absent. And while the couple struggles to reconcile and the husband finally finds a sense of care and affection for his wife, the characters remain both unlikeable and unrealistic – and not in the dreamy way one would desire. To the viewer's dismay, this film does not induce the transcendence or captivation made possible by its components.

Perhaps the best experience for a young press member was the lavish after party, located at the Land Rover dealership on Jamboree Road. Aside from the open bars, sushi, and chocolate fondue fountain, here I was able to speak with some of the young filmmakers themselves, and get an inside prespective on the dog-eat-dog Hollywood business. Luckily, they seemed excited and honored to be a part of such an exciting showcase. And so was I – here I was sipping cocktails and hob-nobbing with the film world, at a glamorous after party in youth-glorified Newport Beach. "How many OC-obsessed teenaged girls (and boys) would kill to be where I am right now?" I thought to myself. To finish my stint in the lap of luxury, I wandered down to the harbor in the warm April darkness, marvelling at the moon shining on the water and the small party boats traversing the tranquil night.

This year's Newport Beach Film Festival took place from April 24th through May 1st at the Edwards Island Cinemas located within Fashion Island, as well as the Regency Lido Theater located at 3459 Via Lido.