Headlining the 2009 Carmel Art & Film Festival was the critically acclaimed “Precious.” Director Lee Daniels and actress Paula Patton made the trip to Carmel for the screening. A clearly moved audience then had the opportunity to ask Daniels and Patton questions. The discussion was led by Sundance Film Festival Director John Cooper who curated the event. “Precious” earned an Academy Award nomination for “Best Picture,” and Mo’Nique took home the Oscar for “Best Supporting Actress.”

Carmel’s own Clint and Dina Eastwood also attended the festival in 2009. Eastwood’s Mission Ranch hosted the exclusive Director’s Dinner featuring the creative forces behind many of the films shown at the CAFF.  Among them – director R.J. Cutler. His documentary, “The September Issue,” showcased the daunting task legendary Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour has of putting together that magazine’s most popular issue. Cutler added incredible insight to a captivated festival audience about his unprecedented access inside the magazine.

In addition to the great feature-length films and crowd-favorite shorts that were shown, the festival featured a series of guest lectures. One of the highlights: Brunch With Alan Silverstri. The famed Hollywood composer took the Sunset Center stage and discussed his journey from starving artist to writing the theme to CHIPS to scoring some of the industry’s most classic films, including:”Forrest Gump,” “Cast Away,” “Back to the Future,” and many more. Along with a question and answer session, Silvestri brought clips of “Forrest Gump” before and after he added music. He also talked about his relationship with director Robert Zemeckis. Together they have created some unforgettable movies. Next time you watch “Cast Away” listen for the music, and what you will hear will leave you speechless. For one hour Silvestri shared stories that no one in the audience could ever forget.

The festival also featured an acoustic, solo performance from Nashville singer/songwriter Griffin House. His powerfully written lyrics and soulful vocals moved and soothed at the same time. He added great stories about his grandfather, who he swears was the guy that took down Hitler.

The four days was packed with art in all its forms: painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking and so much more. Devendorf Park in Carmel was transformed into a showcase of incredible talent from around the state. A photography exhibit featuring 50 breathtaking photos from exhibitors across the globe was beautifully displayed at the Sunset Center, as well. In addition, more than a dozen local galleries opened their doors to new exhibitions from artists like Dennis Hare. On Saturday night, the festival paired those galleries with an array of area vineyards for an art and wine crawl. Plus, there were four extraordinary V.I.P. after hours parties throughout the Monterey Peninsula.