Celebs Descend On Mill Valley For Film Festival

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

The 41st annual Mill Valley Film Festival got off to a sensational start late last week. Things began on Thursday afternoon with a VIP reception at the Outdoor Art Club. Guests sipped Schramsberg while mingling in the beautiful garden setting. There were two screenings that evening—A Private War at the Smith Rafael Film Center and Green Book at CinéArts Sequoia. A Private War stars Rosamund Pike as the award-winning war correspondent Marie Colvin. Pike was at the screening along with one of the film’s writers, Arash Amel, and its director, Matthew Heineman.

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Green Book stars Oakland-native Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen as Dr. Don Shirley and Tony Lip, an acclaimed jazz pianist and his white chauffeur/bodyguard. The duo partakes on a concert tour of the American south in 1962. Ali and director Peter Farrelly were at the screening and participated in a Q&A session after the film. After both screenings, a lively crowd gathered at the Marin Country Mart for the after party where the sparkling wine flowed and the band Pop Rocks performed.

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

Paul Dano made his directorial debut on Friday night at the screening of his film Wildlife. The movie tells the story of a married couple in the 1960s and stars Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal. Although she was set to appear at the screening, Mulligan did not attend. Instead walked the red carpet with the festival’s director of programming Zoë Elton.

Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

On Saturday, another group of stars came out in full force for the special presentation of Beautiful Boy. The film stars Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet as David and Nic Sheff, a father, and son who deal with the consequences of drug addiction. Beautiful Boy is based on David Sheff’s book of the same name. The real-life father and son were at the screening. Nic Sheff and Chalamet both wore striped shirts.