Red carpet entrance to the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival has ended and I do hope that many of you had a chance to attend the incredible festival this year that included first time screenings, opening night celebrity filled premieres and award winning documentaries and short films.  Most of my friends who went had a great time watching new documentaries,  meeting celebrities, directors, producers and actors.   Co-founded  in 2002  by legendary & twice Academy Award winning actor Robert De Niro (The Godfather II  & The Raging Bull) and highly acclaimed & brilliant producer Jane Rosenthal, the festival has over the years  proven to be one of the most popular and prominent  film festivals around the world.

I unfortunately got caught up in some projects  this year so I was unable to go  to many of the events.  But luckily I had the time to attend the closing night red carpet premiere  for the much anticipated  movie  “My Life In Ruins”  (produced by Tom Hank’s Playtone Production Company) starring Nia Vardalos, Richard Dreyfuss, Greek

Festival Co-Founder and Academy Award winning actor Robert Di Nero along with lovely wife Grace Hightower smiles for The Ravi Report.

superstar Alexis Georgoulis and

Rachel Dratch. You will truly enjoy it! The film is director by extremely talented actor turned director Donald Petrie (“Mystic Pizza” & “How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days”).  The guy has some serious talent folks!Many of you are already  familiar with Vardalos. How could you not. I mean please. Her incredible & astonishing 2002 film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” which the Greek actress both wrote and starred  in has been seen over and over again my millions.

Actress Nia Vardalos at the premiere of her film “My Life in Ruins”

Who can forget that the  movie proved to be the highest grossing comedy film of 2002 putting the actress on the map and making her  an instant overnight sensation. So naturally “My Life in Ruins” in which Vardolas plays an unhappy Greek tour guide who has lost her “mojo” in life and is trying to find it was in fact the talk of the festival which was attended by  celebrities and hundreds of fans of who wanted  to see how the 46 year old actress got her mojo back! (I personally think she never lost it!)

Vardalos was looking Hollywood glamorous indeed at the premiere. “Wow” shouted one fan. “She looks so beautiful” said a sexy brunette waiting in line to get the actress’s autograph.  Vardalos completely transformed herself into a glamorous and sexy movie star with all the trimmings of an Hollywood actress.

The talented actress spoke to The Ravi Report about the making of her film and how after all these years, it’s still been a family oriented career for her.

Ravi Yande with actress Nia Vardalos at the red carpet premiere of “My Life In Ruins”.

RR:Nia, you look terrific. Thanks so much for your time and congrats on the film.

NV: Thanks so much. I’m pretty excited.

RR: What excites you the most about your new film?

NV:For me, the hardest films to make are the ones that are so worth it at the end. You have to test your drive like we did we this film.We were trying to get permission to shoot at the ancient ruins in Greece and it was so tough for us,  so it made us work that much harder on the script, hone it and make the budget affordable and we did and it all turned out well at the end.

RR: The incredible success of your  film  “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” made history in Hollywood. Seven years later, people are still watching the film and loving it. Is that a tough act to follow with your future work?

NV:(laughs). Well for me, I think ok..that already happened so now I can concentrate more on other projects and things so I can be “been there…done that” (more laughs).

Vardolas also went on to speak to reporters about how she is teaching her newly adopted daughter the importance of family values and how having a close knit family for herself  is vitally important  in life and in her career.

Co-Founder of The Tribeca Film Festival Jane Rosenthal talking to the press

Of course besides her movie, the talk of the red carpet was Vardalos’s new sensational look.

RR:Ok…so from cute actress to sexy siren. How did you do it?

NV:  I know!!! (Laughs in excitement) I designed my own program and in one sentence I will say this. I broke up with cheese!

Despite the on going recession and other recent public concerns,  fans came out in droves to the festival this year. Most of the screenings I heard about were sold out and the Q&A afterwards with stars and directors were standing room only. De Niro &  Rosenthal and their  team of dedicated staff members  do an OUTSTANDING job every year and continue to face new challenges as the festival grows in attendance and in film entries.

Director Donald Petrie of “My Life In Ruins” gives two thumbs up to The Ravi Report!

If you missed it this year, I highly recommend that you make Tribeca Film Festival one of the top ten things to do in 2010.

“My Life In Ruins” opens nationwide on June 5.

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/mylifeinruins

The Journey continues…

Ravi

www.raviyande.com