'By the Sea' is still making waves
"By the Sea" is proving to be the Energizer Bunny of local movies. Starring Robert Pemberton, Elena Aaron, Tori Davis, and Duncan Putney, the film made its premiere in 2002. It was shot in Rhode Island by writer/director Dean Barnes and Boston-based producers Dean Huh and Tony Bennis shortly after 9/11, made the film festival rounds, and won several awards before coming out on DVD in 2005. That's usually where the story for small-budget films ends. But "By the Sea" will be shown at three more festivals in 2007: the Swansea Bay Film Festival in England, the Eilat International Film Festival in Israel, and the Everglades International Film Festival in South Africa. It's not that the filmmakers have been idle since the movie was made. Bennis has recently completed an anti-gun-violence music video with 4Peace and Huh is working on a French-language film. Putney has cowritten a script that has been optioned for PBS about the first championship baseball series in the late 19th century -- before the term "World Series" was coined -- between the Providence Grays and the New York Metropolitans. But with the New England romantic comedy about a woman who takes a job at a resort to rebuild her life, we can only wonder how the scenes with area comics Jimmy Tingle and Tony V -- and their accents -- will play in South Africa.
No inauguration for ‘Funny Lady’
Even though her name has been (wishfully?) mentioned since early in the campaign, right now Barbra Streisand is not among the performers lined up for Deval Patrick's formal inaugural ball Jan. 4 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. But contemporary jazz saxophonist and singer Walter Beasley, a Southborough native, and singer Patti Austin are scheduled to perform, the governor-elect's camp confirmed yesterday. Also on tap is Boston singer-songwriter Larry "Woo" Wedgeworth, who is preparing to sing the "Victory Song" that was used during the campaign. We're told more acts for the ball will be announced in the coming days.Newton native playing his Trump card
He's listed as being from Los Angeles on NBC's "The Apprentice" site, which doesn't even give his last name. And the network's rules forbid him from talking to the media until we know his fate in the sixth installment of Donald Trump's show, which gets rolling Jan. 7. But we can tell you that among those vying for a job with the Trumpster is Newton native Tim Urban. (We know this thanks to his proud dad, Andy Urban.) The 24-year-old Harvard alum co-founded an academic tutoring company, the Cartim Group, and he's got his first CD coming out in early 2007. The go-getter moved to LA to write music and began tutoring on the side. His business took off and it now employs 20 people, according to his bio on the website. As for the show that Urban first tried out for as a lark, he says in the bio: "I should be the next Apprentice because I have always welcomed a massive challenge, and I approach everything I take on with passion and energy."BU alum Jason Binn, CEO of Niche Media, which publishes Boston Common, hosted a party in Colorado the other night for the company's Aspen Peak magazine. Tuesday night's party, at Aspen's swank Hotel Jerome, was hosted by Mariah Carey and boutique vodka maker Craig Dieffenbach. . . . Among those appearing as guest chestnut sellers in the Boston Ballet's production of "The Nutcracker" recently were "Phantom Gourmet" host Dan Andelman and his wife, Alison, and Channel 5 reporter Jorge Quiroga and his son, Gustavo.
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