‘Carmel-by-the-Sea’ gets first local screening

The newly launched Monterey Bay Film Society will hold its first big public event – a screening of “Carmel-by-the-Sea” – on March 19 at Sunset Center.

The film was shot on the Monterey Peninsula in 2009, with additional on-location shots filmed recently to give it more of the flavor of Carmel. The movie is about a 15-year-old boy who becomes embroiled in a tale of international art forgery. It stars Alfred Molina, Lauren Bacall, Josh Hutcherson, Hayden Panettiere, and Dina Eastwood (pictured at left, with cinematographer Walt Lloyd), and includes many local residents as extras.

This will be the film’s first local showing; it premiered earlier this month in Los Angeles.

The 7 p.m. screening is a fundraiser for the film society. Tickets are $10 for students, $25 for general admission, and $100 for VIP seating and a reception. They can be purchased by calling the Sunset Center box office at 620-2048.

The Sunset Center showing happened by chance. Producer Michael-Ryan Fletchall had originally planned to premiere it in Carmel, but moved the opening to Los Angeles for business reasons. Then, he was contacted by CSUMB students.

“We were on the Peninsula to do some additional photography, and were approached by CSU Monterey Bay students who said they were trying to do a fundraiser . . . ‘Would you be willing to have the screening be part of the event?,’ they asked. We thought it was a great idea,” Fletchall said. That led to the Sunset Center showing.

The film society is associated with the Teledramatic Arts and Technology Department (TAT) at CSUMB. Its mission is to promote the cinematic arts with year-round programs for the community and to provide free media workshops for at-risk and underserved youngsters throughout Monterey County.

“The idea is to support local filmmakers by bringing artists to the area. It will serve as an opportunity for the artists to do community workshops and to speak to film students at the university,” said TAT chair and co-director of the society Enid Baxter Blader. The society’s creative director is Mike Plante of the Sundance Film Festival.

Organizers have raised $280,000 in grant money and another $70,000 from private donors to help fund their ambitious plans.

More information is available online at www.montereybayfilmsociety.org

IF YOU GO What: “Carmel-by-the-Sea” fund-raising event for the Monterey Bay Film Society When: March 19, 7 p.m. Where: Sunset Center, San Carlos Street and Ninth Avenue, Carmel Tickets: $10 students; $25 general admission; $100 VIP seating and reception. Can be purchased by calling the box office at 620-2048 Information: Online at www.montereybayfilmsociety.org