Every film is like a child. A sheer miracle. Loved by its creators. From conception to completion -- no matter the cast, budget or resources -- it is a journey of Homeresque proportions. And every filmmaker, it is fairly safe to say, has the same dream. They've hopefully made a "fill-in-the-blank" film (Beautiful? Searing? Incandescent? Riveting? Friggin' hilarious?) and get accepted to The Sundance/Cannes/Toronto/Tribeca Film Festival, receive a rabid response of adoration from audiences and critics alike -- nail a sweet distribution deal and have the financing set up for their next film before they've removed their festival lanyards. Yet, as with children, as wonderful as they many movies may be, they don't all get to go to Harvard, become Olympic Gold Medalists, or Miss America. In fact, most, if they're really lucky, lead a happy but average existence going straight to DVD.

Despite these steep odds for success, filmmakers keep dreaming the dream. Why? Because at least once a year there is an indie breakout film that lives the dream -- a beacon of taste, vision, ingenuity and hope -- which keeps the big carrot dangling out there for the rest of the hopefuls.

This year, the bar has been set even higher than ever. Never before in the history of the Sundance Film Festival has a film won both the Grand Jury Award and the Audience Award. Last night, we who had the honor and pleasure of attending NIFF's opening night got to meet the new iconoclastic golden guys of independant film, Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, co-writers and co-directors of aforementioned Sundance Grand Slam winner, Quinceanera. They appeared to be just as delighted as we were to be present for the film's auspicious New England premiere at the venerable Jane Pickens Theater in Washington Square.

NIFF's fearless and devoted leader, Executive Director, Laurie Kirby, looking lovely in fashionable garb from Karol Richardson, opened the festival with heartfelt words of thanks and praise. Then passing the mike over to new festival programmer, David Nugent, who seemed perfectly at ease in his new role at NIFF, introduced Quinceanera, comparing it to Truffaut's 400 Blows, among other cinematic masterpieces.

"Quinceanera" is the name of the fabulous rite-of-passage fifteen year-old birthday celebration for girls in the Latin culture. The film is about Magdalena, acted beautifully by Emily Rios, the minister's daughter who discovers she pregant having never had sex. Magdalena's disenfranchised cousin Carlos, trying to find himself, was effortlessly portrayed by up and comer, Jesse Garcia, who surprised us all on stage after the screening last night. Magdalena's virgin pregnancy creates talk of the Immaculate Conception and her baby, like the film we're watching, is a true miracle. Though Magdalena tells her father "there is a scientific explanation" for her baby, her dad prefers Marian-like version.

The low-budget film, shot on a Canon HD camera, and later transferred to film, received a wonderful response from the audience. Afterward, during the Q&A, Wash Westmoreland, said that winning both prizes at Sundance was better than sex. He and Glatzer, a couple for the last eleven years, also talked about how the project came together for them in a miraculous way. They secured their financing before the script was written -- which is almost unheard of for unknown filmmakers. They wrote the script in three weeks and shot it in another three. From the way they explained it, the film clearly was meant to be. The party that followed at the Colony House across the square from the theater is a fun and crazy juxtopostion. Delicious martinis, live music, and dancing in this historic building that houses a famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington typifies the reason why we love Newport. It's the marriage of the modern and historical and is what makes Newport, and the Newport International Film Fesival such a wonderful place to be.

REMEMBER FRIENDS -- all week at NIFF -- Children's Progrms, Panel Discussions, Films, Films, Films, Live Comedy Inprov from SNL'ers and Parties. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Please tune-in for more NIFF news tomorrow!!

Ever Yours,
"Miss NIFFty"