The 2006 Newport Beach Film Festival Welcomes Will Ferrell as Honorary Chair of the Youth Division.

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- The Newport Beach Film Festival announces its second annual Youth Film Showcase presented by Volcom. The international showcase of youth films will spotlight unique cinematic works created by student filmmakers 18 years-old and younger.

The Festival is proud to welcome Orange County native, actor and comedian, Will Ferrell as the Honorary Chair of the Youth Division. "I'm excited to be a part of the Newport Beach Film Festival," says Will Ferrell, Honorary Chair for the Film Festival's Youth Division. "It's such a great opportunity for young adults to participate in. There is a lot of great talent and passion out there in today's teenagers, and I am really looking forward to seeing the productions that they have created."

For the second year in a row the event is sponsored by Volcom, one of Orange County's hottest action sports brands and maker of cutting edge snow, surf, and skateboard wear and videos. As presenters of the showcase, Volcom will present special filmmaker awards recognizing artistic excellence in filmmaking. "It's great to be involved with creative thinking and we're proud to be a part of the Youth Division Showcase," stated Volcom's President and CEO Richard Woolcott.

The showcase will feature original works from local and international filmmakers, including student filmmakers from the Orange County High School for the Arts, the Idyllwild Arts Academy and young filmmakers participating in the "Beyond Borders: Personal Stories from a Small Planet," a project of the international filmmaking program produced by Listen UP! Youth Media Network.

The eleven student films were selected from more than 100 youth film submissions. Local high school students actively participated in the planning and the promotion of the event. Following each screening, the Festival will host a question and answer session with the student filmmakers.

The showcase features both live action and animated films representing a wide array of genres including drama, romance, comedy, documentary, musical and science fiction. The Festival's lineup of 2006 youth shorts is as follows: "Blonde," a comedic film with a Marilyn Monroe twist, directed by Braedon Vogel; the hand-drawn animated operatic "Envious Heart" directed by Carolyn Chrisman; the ensemble musical "Anthony In The Key of B," directed by Ethan Kuperberg; "We Don't Want No War," war stories from a child soldier in Sierra Leone, West Africa, directed by Edwin Daniel, Schwwarbu Emile, Kamara and Jane Peters; "Style Wars," a documentary about fashion trends from four teen subcultures, directed by Grant White; "The Cast," a comedic interchange between two teens wrapped in bandages, directed by Josh Cohen; "A Divided City," a documentary about a teenager from Jordan caught between modern society and traditional culture, directed by Ghayda Nawrus and Aya Al Tal - Ghadya: "Monster Film," a stop-motion horror thriller, directed by Erika Carroll; "18 Minutes," three dramatic stories told during the earth's last moments of sunlight, directed by Alexis Echavarria; "Robotics," the computer-generated animated portrayal of a robot's journey to break free, directed by Joshua Dorfman; and "From Martian Plains," the sci-fi adventure with a Martian and cool special effects, directed by Jordan Lockhart.

"The Festival is thrilled to celebrate the talents of emerging filmmakers and give young people an opportunity to showcase their films in a dynamic Festival setting. The Festival embraces the creative visions of today's youth as they explore new avenues in visual storytelling and demonstrate an amazing knowledge of modern technology, while engaging in the collaborative process of filmmaking," stated Leslie Feibleman, the Festival's Director of Outreach and Special Programs, who serves as the Youth Division mentor.

The Newport Beach Film Festival will host two FREE screenings of the youth films during the first weekend of the Festival. The Youth Film Showcase presented by Volcom will screen on Friday, April 21st at 6 p.m. at the Regency Lido Theater, located at 3459 Via Lido Drive in Newport Beach. The second screening will take place on Saturday, April 22nd at 1:00 p.m. at Edwards Island Cinema in Fashion Island, located at 999 Newport Center Drive in Newport Beach.

The seventh annual Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 20-30, 2006 and will highlight more than 350 films from around the world, including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation. Festival tickets and the film program are available online at www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com or by calling (866) NBFF-TIX.