Newport Beach has long celebrated its storied history with Hollywood since the early 1900s to today. And before the first Oscar was handed out 94 years ago, Newport Beach served as a silent film set, a haven for Hollywood’s golden era actors and actresses and continues to inspire stories for TV and film today.

What’s more, Newport Beach is home to the largest luxury lifestyle film festival in America, Newport Beach Film Festival, which has certainly caught the eyes of the industry over the years. One of this year’s Academy Awards hosts, Regina Hall, was honored last October at the Newport Beach Film Festival’s Honors awards ceremony, where she was recognized for her outstanding achievement in both film and television.

On Sunday, March 27, the 2022 Oscars will take place at the Dolby Theatre where Hollywood will come back together once again to celebrate the best in film. In honor of the 2022 Oscars, we turned to our local film expert, Newport Beach Film Festival’s co-founder, Gregg Schwenk, for his predictions on who will take home an Oscar in the following five categories!

Actor in a Leading Role:  Will Smith
“In King Richard, Smith gave an amazing performance and is a wonderful actor”

Actress in a Leading Role: Kristen Stewart
“Kristen Stewart gave an incredibly insightful and moving performance”

International Feature Film:  The Hand of God
“The Hand of God was such a personal story – told by a modern master of filmmaking”

Best Director: Jane Campion for The Power of the Dog

Best Picture: The Power of the Dog

“A tie! The Power of the Dog was a powerful film with deeply moving performances, however best picture could also go to CODA”

Written by: Kaylin Waizinger