METHOD FEST MAJOR SUCCESS.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

BURBANK - The Method Fest Independent Film Festival fades to black today after a week of showcasing the craft of acting, with total estimated attendance about 20 percent higher than last year's festival.

Method Fest was supported by corporate sponsors and a $25,000 grant from the city of Burbank. It was a boost for the Burbank economy, as those attending the festival spent money in the city and became more familiar with it, said Don Franken, the festival's executive director.

``This year (attendance has) just been increasing. And the nice thing is people don't want to leave after the screenings. They're all going to the parties,'' Franken said.

Total estimated attendance for the festival was about 15,000, including screenings, panel discussions, workshops and receptions, Franken said. That is about 20 percent more than last year.

The festival, which held screenings at the new AMC 16 Theatre, opened April 2. It is in its sixth year, and its second year in Burbank after previously being held in Pasadena.

Gail Stewart, downtown manager for the city, said the festival got better attendance this year in part because of better publicity.

``And we just kind of had more lead time this year than last year to work on it,'' she said.

Also, organizers had more films to chose from this year, which may have led to a higher quality of films. And the festival had a bigger contingent of international films.

City Councilman Todd Campbell said he will ask city officials for numbers on how much the festival contributed to the Burbank economy.

``I'm absolutely very supportive of young artists, and I certainly think the event brings some prestige to Burbank, which is rightly the prestige we should receive being the media center for the region,'' Campbell said.

Among the more popular movies at the festival were ``Seven Times Lucky,`` a film starring Kevin Pollack and Liane Balaban. Another crowd pleaser was ``Intoxicating,'' with Kirk Harris as a heart surgeon who abuses drugs and parties heavily. The surgeon's father, played by John Savage, is the victim of a form of Alzheimer's disease common in prize fighters.

Actor Chazz Palminteri flew in from New York for the festival, where he answered questions from up-and-coming actors about getting producers to notice their work. The festival will end tonight with an awards ceremony at The Castaway, at 1250 Harvard Road.

Casting director Ronnie Yeskel, who worked on such films as ``Pulp Fiction'' and ``Igby Goes Down,'' will receive a lifetime achievement award. Yeskel, who lives in Santa Monica, said casting directors rarely get that sort of attention.

``This is a whole new experience for me ... I'm looking forward to it tremendously. I have friends and family coming, and I'm just very, very honored,'' she said.

Tickets for tonight's awards ceremony are $25.

The Method Fest organizers distributed surveys to those who attended the festival, and they plan to use those surveys to determine how much festivalgoers spent in Burbank.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com