The World Will Unspool in Newport Film Fest

More than 80 movies, including the director’s cut of “Das Boot,” are planned for the second annual Newport Beach International Film Festival from April 3 through April 13.

Executive director Jeff Conner says about 30 countries will be represented including Australia, Japan, Germany, France, Vietnam, England, Ireland, India, Sri Lanka, Korea and the United States. A few filmmakers from Orange County will be spotlighted.

The schedule of films, theaters, screening times and ticket prices have yet to be announced. Most tickets will cost $6.50. Most screenings will take place in Edwards theaters in Newport Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Santa Ana and Orange, according to festival spokesman Gala Struthers.

Conner said Thursday that he expects attendance to surpass last year’s 12,000 and that “the phones are already ringing off the hook.”

*

“Das Boot--The Director’s Cut” will be shown on the festival’s opening night at the Edwards Newport Cinemas, 300 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. Director Wolfgang Petersen has restored the negative of his acclaimed 16-year-old feature, has added scenes and has digitally re-mastered the soundtrack.

The preliminary list of other full-length films to be shown includes “Wild Bill-Hollywood Maverick,” “Sand Trap,” “The Almighty Fred,” “Driven,” “Day at the Beach,” “Eden,” “Joe and Joe,” “A Perfect Candidate,” “God’s Lonely Land,” “Nothing Personal,” “Stand Tall,” “Staccato Purr of the Exhaust,” “Troublesome Creek: A Midwestern” and “Timeless” (all from the U.S.).

Other feature-length films will include “Heartbreak Island” (Taiwan); “Rainbow” and “The Champagne Safari” (Canada); “Elena’s Redemption” (the Philippines); “The Making of Maps” and “Darklands” (Wales); “An Almost Perfect Affair” (Austria); “Alisa” (Ireland); and “Crying Freeman” (Japan/France).

*

The preliminary list of short films from the U.S. includes “The Junky’s Christmas,” “Secret Fears of Jake McDougal,” “The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage,” “I Need to Kill My Roommate,” “Paul McCall,” “Flowers for Charlie,” “Edward James: Builder of Dreams,” “Sax’s Final Orbit,” “Uncle Milton’s Ant Farm,” “Rachel, Nevada,” “Swell,” “Remember,” “The Rep,” “The Ringmaster,” “Smoke Screens,” “Covenant” and “Celebrity.”

Other short films will include “Passive Anarchy” (USA/Italy); “A Day in the Life” (France/Italy/England); “Jack and Homeboy,” “Boys and Men,” “Jack” (Ireland); “Second Watch” (Israel); “Regarde Moi” (France); “Eating Bitter” (England); “Never” (Denmark); “Lagunas” (Spain); and “O Tamaiti” (New Zealand).

*

The festival will present several awards including a Jury Award for best entry. The jury will include actor Pepe Serna, former L.A. Times movie critic Charles Champlin and Linda Williams of UC Irvine.

Seminars, book signings and charity events also are planned.