Acclaimed actor Michael Keaton will be honored for his outstanding work in film at the 11th Annual Sonoma Valley Film Festival, which is scheduled from April 9 – 13, 2008. One of the films to be shown during the festival is Keaton’s directorial debut movie, The Merry Gentleman, a big hit at Sundance.     

According to Greg Hittelman, the fest’s Director of Marketing and Global Alliance, this year’s program offers “a multiplicity of pleasures.” In addition to the 60 diverse movies being shown, Hittelman is especially pleased about Keaton’s tribute. “He puts so much into his work,” said the enthusiastic Hittelman, who’s also happy about Sonoma's efforts to go Green. “The festival is fully walkable, and all glassware used will be washable -- no plastic.”  Because wine and tasty treats are served prior to each screening, that last point is very important. Hittelman hopes other film festivals will be inspired to follow suit. “We are non-profit and have a small budget, so if we can do it, others can do it.” 

Marc Lhormer, Festival Executive Director, also seems very excited about this year’s schedule. “The 2008 Sonoma Valley Film Festival will offer a true feast of cinematic pleasures, including inspiring documentaries, innovative animation, thrilling drama, and hilarious comedies,” he promises.   

Films screened will showcase performances by Keaton, Laura Dern, Martin Sheen, Brittany Murphy, Malcolm McDowell, Kristen Bell, Blake Lively, Joe Mantegna, Mary Steenburgen, Orlando Bloom, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Ormond, William H. Macy and many other celebrated actors and filmmakers.

Here are the early film selections:

The Merry Gentleman. In person: Michael Keaton. Follows a woman who narrowly escapes a bad relationship to find comfort in the hands of a suicidal hitman.  

Elvis and Anabelle. In person: Director Will Geiger, Joe Mantegna. Starring Joe Mantegna, Blake Lively, Max Minghella and Mary Steenburgen. A gothic love story set in West Texas.  At the moment of her coronation, a young beauty pageant-winner dies of eating disorders compounded by the pressures of competition and an overbearing stage mom. Her demise lands her on the embalming table of Elvis, an embittered young man whose sense of family duty and love for his brain-damaged mortician father (Joe Mantegna) keep him from following his dreams. When Anabelle is miraculously resurrected on Elvis' embalming table, their touching, hilarious, and very strange romance sparks a tabloid media sensation.

Love and Other Disasters. In person: Director Alek Keshishian. From Alek Keshishian, the cult director of Madonna: Truth or Dare. Love and Other Disasters, starring Brittany Murphy, is a sexy comedy about an obsessive matchmaker with a fast-paced life at British Vogue.

Lynch. In person: (Surprise Guest!). Starring David Lynch, Jeremy Irons, Laura Dern, Justin Theroux, Julia Ormand, William H. Macy, and Harry Dean Stanton. Lynch is a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of award-winning cinematic genius, David Lynch, director of contemporary classics like Eraserhead, Mulholland Drive, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, and The Elephant Man.

Fugitive Pieces (Poland, Greece, Canada). This dramatic and poetic epic follows the life journey of a child who makes a courageous escape from Poland during World War II and heads to Greece before coming of age as a famous writer.

Flatland. Starring: Martin Sheen, Kristen Bell. Based on Edwin Abott's classic 1970’s mathematical novella "Flatland", this animated film dramatizes the conflicts, hopes and fates of a community of  geometric characters living in a two-dimensional world. When a young girl named "Hex" decides to "think outside the box" (in a world where such thought is forbidden), her life is threatened and it is up to her grandfather to save her life.

Young at Heart.  A musical documentary that follows a SENIORS ONLY choir as they amaze and stun with their unexpected covers of artists from Jimi Hendrix to Coldplay to Sonic Youth.

Amal (India). Saint-like auto-rickshaw driver Amal is content with the small but vital role he serves -- driving customers around New Delhi as quickly and safely as possible. But his sense of duty is tested by an eccentric, dying billionaire, who, moved by Amal's humility, bequeaths him his entire estate… placing Amal in the deadly path of money-hungry family members and corrupt business partners.

For more information about the Sonoma Valley Film Festival or to order tickets, please click here or call (707) 933-2600.

(Photo: Michael Keaton)

This year's festival looks so great I almost want to quit my job so I can see everything! -- Greg Hittelman