Serving Up Support for NB Film Fest
Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at 1:49PM By Lynn Selich
(Left) Wendy Fields and Barbara Foster/photo by Lynn SelichNormally if you walk in to the Bungalow Restaurant in Corona del Mar early on a Tuesday evening you’ll find the usual crowd enjoying a quiet, relaxing atmosphere. But if you came to their “celebrity bartender” event last night you would have found the place packed wall-to-wall, as Newport Beach City Council members (and former mayors) Ed Selich and Steve Rosansky rolled up their sleeves to earn tips in support of the Newport Beach Film Festival.
Newport Beach City Councilman Ed Selich takes a drink order/photo by Lynn SelichThe evening was generously hosted by Bungalow owner Jim Walker, who also donated a portion of the evening’s proceeds in support of the Film Fest on top of the tips made by the celeb barkeeps.
The Newport Beach Film Festival is coming up fast with festivities scheduled from April 22-29, and like all artistic organizations these days, they need all the help they can get to make the event another big success.
A crowd packed the bar at The Bungalow/photo by Lynn SelichIt was an impressive and jovial crowd that filled the quaint bar including Mayor Keith Curry and wife Pamela, Film Festival CEO Gregg Schwenk along with his Film Fest co-founder Todd Quartararo, Seymour Beek and Bobbie Daniel, Newport Beach Chamber Skipper Jerry Sewell and wife Georgia, and Ken Anderson and Zach Lyons of ChopShop – co-producers of the Film Festival’s Action Sports Film Series. Barbara Venezia and Stan Tkaczyk strolled in with Tim Stoaks to support the evening and they don’t even drink, but tipped big for their diet cokes to support the festival. Barbara Foster, Lorin Fields and Wendy Fields joined me in a nice glass of cab. Bill and Bonnie Barrington chatted lightly with Marie Case and Nancy Shoemate. It was so crowded at some points that I had to wave across the room to the likes of Rush Hill, Sue and Steve Tucker, Tim Brown and Stephanie Murguia, Rita Goldberg and Ann Chatillon.
The night was a great success in terms of both “friend-raising” and fundraising for the Newport Beach Film Festival. Cheers to everyone who came out on a “school night” to support councilmen Selich and Rosansky as they shined a spotlight on an international event we can all be proud is held in our beautiful city.
Columnist Lynn Selich resides with her husband in Newport Beach. Her regular column runs every Monday. She can be reached at lynnselich@roadrunner.com.