THERE'S A METHOD TO FILM FEST'S SELECTION PROCESS.

Byline: Bob Strauss

Film Writer

The ninth annual Method Fest film festival begins tonight with the West Coast premiere of the late director-actress Adrienne Shelly's acclaimed comedy-drama "Waitress."

More than 25 features and dozens of shorts will screen through next Wednesday at the festival's two venues: The Louis B. Mayer Theatre at the Motion Picture & Television Fund in Woodland Hills and the Carlson Family Theatre at Viewpoint School in Calabasas.

"This year, we really feel we have a stronger lineup than we've ever had, a lineup that compares favorably to almost any festival in the country," Method Fest executive director Don Franken enthuses. "To me, the No. 1 thing that makes a film festival is the quality of films in it. It's not the parties, not the workshops, it's the quality of films."

Tonight's opener at the Mayer seems to bear that out. Already a hit at Sundance and other festivals, "Waitress" stars Keri Russell as a Southern hash-slinger whose dreams of a better life are complicated by unexpected pregnancy. Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto, Nathan Fillion, Andy Griffith and director Shelly co-star.

"A wonderful reason why we're at Method Fest is that the film is really carried by the performances," says "Waitress" producer Michael Roiff (Method Fest bills itself as the only film festival in North America that focuses on acting). "What drew me to Adrienne's script initially was that it was so well-written in terms of character."

Tragically, Shelly was murdered in her New York apartment last November. The lead-up to the film's May commercial release is understandably emotional for its cast and crew.

"It's one of those strange situations where, every day, things get easier and, every day, things get harder because it gets more real that Adrienne won't be coming back," Roiff says. "I hope that, somewhere, she knows that people are getting a chance to see the film and, hopefully, they're enjoying it."

Beside Fox Searchlight's "Waitress," Method Fest will preview several releases from big arthouse distributors for the first time this year. Among those titles are Sony Classics' "Jindabyne," an Australian drama with Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney; Lionsgate's zombie comedy "Fido"; and Samuel Goldwyn/Roadside Attractions' noir thriller "Lonely Hearts," starring John Travolta, Salma Hayek and James Gandolfini.

Also sounding special is Saturday night's centerpiece screening of "Man in the Chair" as part of a tribute to its star, Christopher Plummer. The great Canadian actor will not be able to attend due to a theatrical commitment in New York, but a lot of other people from the movie should be there; part of "Man in the Chair" was filmed at the Motion Picture & Television Fund's facility.

"The movie is about the problem of aging and how great, talented people in the entertainment industry are just forgotten and not utilized," Franken explains. "Some of the residents are in the film, and all of them can attend any screening we have free -- which is so great; they're just fanatical movie fans!"

With a large selection of world and U.S. premieres, Franken notes that this year's feature section is "much more international than we have ever been. That wasn't intentional, it's just that this year we had great international films we were able to obtain for Method Fest.

"We really try hard to be a discovery film festival and not just recycle 10 or 12 films from Sundance," he concludes.

For information on screenings, seminars and other Method Fest events, go to www.methodfest.com. Tickets can be purchased at the festival Web site and at www.brownpapertickets.com, or by phone at [phone].

Bob Strauss [phone]

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Keri Russell stars as a Southern hash-slinger whose dreams of a better life are complicated by an unexpected pregnancy in "Waitress," tonight's Method Fest opener.