Drake Doremus

Local Films Get Their Due at NBFF

Works by Cherie Kerr, Joseph Armario, Doug Penikas, among others, make appearances alongside Jon Carnoy and Michael Horelick's skateboard doc

Drake Doremus' Breathe In Wins National Distribution; Fourth-Quarter Release Set

We told you last month about Santa Ana native Drake Doremus' film Breathe In getting picked up for international distribution. Now, the other distribution shoe has dropped.

International Rights Picked Up for Breathe In from OC's Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones

Breathe In, the latest film from former Orange County theater wunderkinds Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones, has been picked up for non-North American distribution following its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last month.

Cherie Kerr, OC Crazies Founder, Bowls for Big Screen Strike and Fest Bid with We've Got Balls

Spooner, the first feature film from Santa Ana and Newport Beach born and raised filmmaker Drake Doremus (Douchebag, Like Crazy), played at the Lido Theatre during the April 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival.The director cut his incisors as a youth making original children's plays that he staged at h ... More >>

Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones Prepare to Breathe In Sundance Film Fest Again

Home is swell, but ff Orange County-raised filmmakers Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones really want to feel the love, they go to Utah--Park City to be more precise and the Sundance Film Festival to be preciser.It was announced Monday that Breathe In, the latest independent film directed by Doremus wi ... More >>

Apartment in Athens, Nazi Drama from Italy, is Big Winner of Newport Beach Film Fest Awards

Wait, there's more: And the Other Newport Beach Film Festival Awards Go To . . .Apartment in Athens was the big winner of jury awards at the 2012 Newport Beach Film Festival, which officials say was attended by about 52,000 patrons between April 27-May 3, about the same as last year. Weekly picks H2 ... More >>

Will Drake Doremus' Like Crazy Sell and Rent Like You-Know-What on DVD and Blu Ray?

​Orange-born, Santa Ana-raised filmmaker Drake Doremus' 2011 movie Like Crazy is available starting today on DVD and Blu Ray. Co-written by Doremus and Corona del Mar's Ben York Jones, Like Crazy is the most adult of the filmmaker's three features (the other two being Spooner and Douchebag).

Like Crazy Enjoys Crazy Good Arthouse Opening

​Taking $120,000 in weekend box office generally won't raise a Hollywood bean counter's eyebrow. It's certainly was not enough lucre for Santa Ana-bred filmmaker Drake Doremus' Like Crazy to crack the top 10 in overall estimated box office for the weekend past. But playing on only four screens in ... More >>

Kevin Smith Screens Red State Twice Tonight; Co-Writer Ben York Jones Rolls Like Crazy

​Director Kevin Smith continues his Red State barnstorming in Long Beach tonight, presenting the Westboro Baptistesque shoot 'em up twice--and sticking around each time to take audience questions. Meanwhile, over in Newport Beach, there's a members-only screening of Santa Ana-bred filmmaker Drake ... More >>

Fred Durst Douchebag vs. Drake Doremus Douchebag

Douchebag the movie.​Before Drake Doremus' Like Crazy won the dramatic Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the Orange-born writer-director's previous dramedy Douchebag was nominated in the same category at the same prestigious event the year before. Now, as reported earlier on ... More >>

OC Weekly Captures 10 or 11 OC Press Club Awards

​OC Weekly won 10 or 11 awards at Wednesday night's Orange County Press Club Journalism Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Irvine. Among these were eight first-place awards. It's 10 or 11 total because the same Weekling tied for first place in the same category, something Kedric Francis, Firebrand ... More >>

Sundance Surprise Terri Opens in Irvine Today

​Time trip back to January, when Corona del Mar actor Ben York Jones was blogging for the Weekly from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival (when he wasn't taking bows for the U.S. Dramatic Competition winner he co-wrote with Santa Ana-bred Drake Doremus, Like Crazy).A film that Jones caught by the fest ... More >>

Letters From OC Weekly Readers

'Spooner' Is Love Crazy

Recently crowned Sundance king Drake Doremus' early promise is evident in his directorial debut

Drake Doremus' Debut, Spooner, Opens March 4

Matthew Lillard plays Herman Spooner.​Like Crazy, Drake Doremus' third film, was picked up by a division of Paramount Pictures at January's Sundance Film Festival for theatrical release this fall. Douchebag, Doremus' second film, was bought after the previous Sundance and had a short theatrical ru ... More >>

Sundancing With Ben York Jones and Like Crazy

The huge film festival success through the eyes of its co-writer, an OC boy

Like Crazy at Sundance: WE WON!!!!!!

​There's a lot of recapping to be done, but before anything else, last night--WE WON THE GRAND JURY PRIZE!!!!!!! The big one! Not only that, Felicity was awarded a Special Jury Prize for Best Actress! A prize is not given every year, unless deemed appropriate. The whole team was in disbelief. For ... More >>

Like Crazy, Indie Drama From OC's Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones, Wins Sundance Grand Jury Prize

​Like Crazy, the little indie darling at Sundance by former Santa Anan and second-time U.S. Dramatic Competition entrant Drake Doremus, won the prestigious film festival's grand jury prize last night.Co-written by Doremus and his childhood friend Ben York Jones, a Chapman University film school gr ... More >>

[UPDATED] Like Crazy, Latest Film From OC-Bred Drake Doremus and Ben York Jones, Is First Sundance Sale

​UPDATE, JAN. 23, 2:51 P.M.: The reaction to Like Crazy getting picked up from Ben York Jones:"I'm completely overwhelmed. I don't think anyone here with the film has gotten more than an hour or two of sleep in the past 36 hours. Those negotiating were up all night doing so, and the rest of us w ... More >>

Like Crazy at Sundance: We Begin . . .

​Witty and engaging. Yes. Okay. I'm feeling very confident about the whole thing. Is it me or do I look like Opus with a hangover in that margin picture? Confidence.Back in the snow, boots, gloves, exhaustion, an ever-shifting schedule, free drinks, meeting people who have inspired me since I can ... More >>

Ben York Jones and His Chapman Pals Storm Sundance

​The Weekly introduced readers to actor Ben York Jones a year ago, right after the Corona del Mar resident and his childhood pal, filmmaker Drake Doremus, stormed the 2010 Sundance Film Festival with their dramedy Douchebag.Jones returns to Park City, Utah, with Doremus' new indie-drama, Like Craz ... More >>

Meet the Real Mary Barger, Drake Doremus' 5th Grade Girlfriend and Douchebag Muse

The real Mary Barger, in fifth grade.​Former Santa Ana resident Drake Doremus' Douchebag, the critical darling of January's Sundance Film Festival, opens today* at Regency's South Coast Village across from South Coast Plaza. The dramedy is about douchey Sam Nussbaum who, on the eve of his wedding, ... More >>

Douchebag Coming Home to Santa Ana

​The trailer is out and the opening dates are set for the theatrical run of Douchebag, former Santa Ana resident Drake Doremus' dramedy about two brothers embarking on a spontaneous road trip despite hating one another.As he did at Sundance and the Newport Beach Film Festival, Doremus will take au ... More >>

Drake Doremus' Douchebag Wins U.S. Distribution, to be in Theaters This September

​The Weekly in January followed Douchebag, the indie dramedy about estranged brothers on an unlikely pre-wedding road trip, to the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where the buzz was deafening for former Santa Ana resident Drake Doremus' touching and amusing picture.Despite no budget, no big- ... More >>

Douchebag Comes Home

Photo by John GilhooleyThe "Douchebag" gang at its Newport Beach Film Festival screening Tuesday night (from left): Chris Robertson, director of photography; Scott Uhlfelder, director of photography; Sean Vatwer, co-producer; Ben York Jones, actor and associate producer; Drake Doremus, director and ... More >>

Bai Ling, Muslim Punks, Black Star Canyon's Warlock Among 15 Newport Beach Film Festival Highlights

Here are 15 things I'm looking forward to at the Newport Beach Film Festival, which kicks off tonight and continues through April 29. These are based on preview screenings, festival descriptions and even less-informed nonsense.Ling-Bai.blogspot.com​1) Bai Ling on the red carpet tonight. Years ago, ... More >>

Drake Doremus' 'Douchebag' at Sundance

OC stage prodigy-turned-filmmaker Drake Doremus brings his 'very personal' movie to Park City, Utah

Still Crazies After All These Years

Today's cover story follows Drake Doremus to Park City, Utah, where the young filmmaker's second feature, Douchebag, premiered at the Jan. 21-31 Sundance Film Festival. It was an equally momentous month for Doremus' mother, Cherie Kerr, whose Orange County Crazies comedic theater troupe celebrated i ... More >>

Let the Sundance Film Festival Bloggage Begin!

Village Voice Media has launched a film blog featuring posts directly from the Sundance Film Festival, which runs through through Jan. 31. Yours truly will blog on Navel Gazing from Park City, Utah, as well--in the event I find something to plug into.​If I do have the power, having both blogs up d ... More >>

Sundance Picks Up "Spooner" Director Drake Doremus' Film "Douchebag"

Photo by Matt Coker Drake Doremus at the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival party for filmmakers.​Drake Doremus, the former Santa Ana resident whose comedy Spooner scooped up several awards on the festival circuit, just learned his newest film will make its world premiere at Sundance.Douchebag--whic ... More >>

"Spooner" Picks Up Another Award

Herman (Matthew Lillard) and Rose (Nora Zehetner) jump into their relationship.Spooner, the romantic comedy that was directed by former Santa Ana resident Drake Doremus and stars former Tustin resident Matthew Lillard in the title role (and which won a rave here as well as an Outstanding Achievement ... More >>

Newport Beach Film Fest Ends on Some Strong Notes

UPDATED WITH THE EMOTIONAL LA MILAGROSA Q&A! The final Newport Beach Film Festival entries viewed by yours truly on closing day Thursday were solid efforts. Denied access to former San Clemente resident Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom Tuesday night, Clockwork joined a decent-sized  ... More >>

Seraphine is Big Winner at Newport Beach Film Fest

The "French Spotlight" film Seraphine, which is from France and Belgium, was the big jury-award winner at the just-concluded 10th anniversary Newport Beach Film Festival. The film nearly swept the jury's feature-film categories, winning best film, actor (Ulrich Tukur), actress (Yolande Moreau), dire ... More >>

Newport Beach Film Fest: Halftime Report

UPDATED WITH EYEWITNESS REPORT ON DJ MOM PANTS!Johnny Cash, the revenge-minded father of a dead teen porn star, Bijou Phillips, Julius Shulman, Kelly Lynch, "Kevin" from The Office, Vilmos Zsigmond and a sour-faced Kristen Scott Thomas. No, these are not my ideal players in the perfect poker game bu ... More >>

Spooner is Hidden Gem at Newport Beach Film Fest

Herman (Matthew Lillard) and Rose (Nora Zehetner) get a jump on their relationship in "Spooner."This post is based on one of life's happy accidents. Folks at the Newport Beach Film Festival, which runs through Thursday, asked weeks ago if I wanted to write about a film called Spooner, which was dire ... More >>

Filmmakers Pitch Their Wares at NBFF Director Party

Photos by Justin ViegaDrake Doremus works the crowd.A crowd estimated at 100-125 filmgoers, filmmakers and film presenters took over one side of Mesa restaurant in Costa Mesa Tuesday night for "An Evening With the Directors," a benefit that precedes the 10th annual Newport Beach Film Festival openin ... More >>

[Newport Beach Film Fest] Orange County Connections Abound Among This Year's Entries

See First 10 Years of Newport Beach Film Festival on TV

The First Ten, which chronicles the first decade of the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF), airs at noon Sunday on KOCE/Channel 50. The video was created free of charge by the nonprofit Media Alliance of Orange County, whose member (and The First Ten producer) Jack Gallagher put out a call in F ... More >>

Yule Log!