Greer's OC

Mark your calendars, film lovers. The Newport Beach Film Festival announced Thursday that Oscar-nominated director and writer Tony Gilroy's "Behemoth!," starring Pedro Pascal, will close the 27th annual festival on Thursday, Oct. 22. The festival runs Oct. 15-22.

In "Behemoth!," Pascal plays Alex Serian, a gifted cellist who returns home to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, the constant, all-consuming river that has carried Alex his entire life, pulls him into an adventure that will change him forever. Featuring an unprecedented nine composers, the film is a love letter to movie scoring and to the dizzying power music holds over our memories and imaginations. Gilroy and production designer Jade Healy will attend Closing Night and join a conversation before the screening.

"We couldn't have picked a better way to celebrate 27 years of Newport than closing with a filmmaker as exciting as Tony Gilroy," said Gregg Schwenk, CEO and executive director of the festival. "This film has a deeply personal story about what music demands of the people who live inside it, and having Tony and Jade here in person for Q&A is exactly the kind of up-close experience that makes Newport unlike any other festival in the country."

Other highlights of this year's lineup include "A Talent for Murder," "Ink," "Josephine," "La Bola Negra," "The Only Living Pickpocket in New York," "Paper Tiger" and "Wild Horse Nine."

Drawing more than 50,000 attendees to Orange County, the Newport Beach Film Festival is the largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California, connecting audiences with the best in independent and international films. Beyond the screenings, the festival hosts nightly parties and events featuring more than 60 culinary partners serving up their finest tastings.

For the full lineup and tickets, visit newportbeachfilmfest.com. Festival honors and additional films will be announced at a later date.