Chris Cooper, Phone Car, Imagine at IFFBoston

Boston's Independent Film Festival was a madhouse Saturday, April 25 in front of the Somerville Theatre. Actor Chris Cooper, narrator of the Luis Tiant documentary "The Lost Son of Havana," took a breather outside of the packed theater with his wife Marianne Leone during the screening.

The actor, who recently snagged a role in the Ben Affleck downsizing drama "The Company Men," signed autographs and was genuinely a nice guy. As previously reported in Loaded Gun, The Farrelly brothers and Tiant were also at the premiere of "The Lost Son of Havana." Also, IFFBoston organizers announced yesterday that a second screening has been added 5 p.m. Sunday, April 26 in response to the max-capacity crowds tonight.

While Cooper was generating some IFFBoston buzz on the sidewalk, The Phone Car parked near the Davis Square T station was getting all of the action down the street. Created by business owner Howard Davis as a way to promote his telephone company, he parked the car outside of the Somerville Theatre to help promote the flick "Auto-Morphosis" which screened at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

Folks were plopping their kids on the car and trying to take photos. One couple, who somehow fit their entire family and friends on top of the mobile, got into a verbal confrontation with the Phone Car guy. "You should have put signs up," yelled an angry mother after Davis admonished them to get off his car. "You have a tourist attraction and you expect people not to sit on it?"

Davis' response, "Would you sit on someone's Corvette?" The family still seemed ticked off.

Meanwhile inside the theater, I snagged a copy of the special edition of Imagine magazine's New England location, production & resource guide. Publisher Carol Patton asked for permission to use some of my photos here from the "See Kate Run" shoot a few weeks back. I was surprised to see that three of my photos landed on the cover of the regional trade publication. How exciting!

Click here for the lowdown on Imagine.

--Phone Car photo by Sam Baltrusis

Farrelly brothers unveil Red Sox doc at IFFBoston

Hollywood heavyweights and die-hard Red Sox fans Bobby and Peter Farrelly, currently working on a modern adaptation of the classic Three Stooges comedy act starring Sean Penn, will unveil their first documentary project “The Lost Son of Havana” at Boston’s Independent Film Festival 8 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square.

A deeply personal film about future Hall of Fame pitcher Luis Tiant’s journey back to his native homeland of Cuba for the first time in 46 years, “The Lost Son of Havana” was written and directed by Jonathan Hock, whose previous documentaries include “The Streak,” “Michael Jordan To The Max,” and the award-winning “Through the Fire.”

The documentary follows Tiant, now aged 67, as he confronts his guilt for leaving his impoverished homeland to pursue his dreams of baseball, juxtaposed with old friends and teammates’ reminiscences about his incredible career. Face to face with his own mortality, Tiant comes to terms with how the Cuban-American conflict has shaped his identity and his career.

Tiant will attend the premiere screening on Saturday, April 25 along with Bobby and Peter Farrelly, Chris Cooper, Director Jonathan Hock and many other actors and former and current Red Sox players.

Click here for more information on Boston's Independent Film Festival slotted for Wednesday, April 22 until Tuesday, April 28. Click here for tickets.