The Words of a Maverick Winner "I want to thank Jenelle (Riley) for her introduction and Don Franken for recognizing me in this way. The life of an actor is fairly lonely and distant in many, many ways. I've had all sorts of ups and downs in my maverick career, getting fired here and there for, I guess, holding too true to my character ... for thinking of myself as a character actor when I was a 20-year-old actress starting out. I knew there was a difference between a movie star and a character actor, and I am very, very grateful to the Method Fest for recognizing the character actor - the actor with technique that brings the character and the story to life. So, it is a joy and pleasure, and a great honor, to receive this award ... to be a maverick. It's a very apt title for me." See more March 30 photos in the daily 2008 Method Fest Photo Gallery. (Tom Coat photo)

Calabasas, Calif., March 30, 2008 - With a long list of credits topped by her success in Frozen River, the Sundance Grand Jury prize winner, Melissa Leo gratefully accepted the Method Fest's 2008 Maverick Award yesterday. Then, the lights dimmed in the Louis B. Mayer Theatre and her most recent effort, Lullaby, sprung to life. It was soon easy to see what all the acclaim is about for Leo and her films.

In Lullaby, Leo gives a riverting performance in answering the question of how far a person would go for love. Playing the mother of a drug-addicted son who falls into the clutches of a violent drug lord in a dangerous area of Johannesburg, South Africa, she transforms her character from an accepting Texas waitress to an action figure willing to look evil in the eye and do what it takes to try to save her son, then revenge his death. It is a testament to her acting abilities that her character's remarkable transformation comes off as genuine.

Leo's powerful performane highlighted a busy Method Fest day on which six films were screened, two programs of short features were presented, and the film Running Funny was shown as part of the festival's annual youth program presented by SONY and Final Draft. Among the fims screened was Then She Found Me, the directorial debut of Academy Award winning actress Helen Hunt, who also starred in the film.

Presented by the City of Calabasas, the 10th annual Method Fest continues today with international films taking the spotlight. True Love and the Brazilian feature Corpo screen at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m., respectively. At the Viewpoint Theatre, Portage screens at 7:00 p.m., with a program of short features following at 9:00 p.m. (See the Screening Schedule for more details, trailers, and directions).

Sunday's world premiere showing of Lullaby revealed a side of South Africa teeming with extreme violence driven by poverty and lawlessness.

"The Hillbrow section of Johannesburg, where we filmed, is one of the most dangerous places on earth," said Producer Donald Barton. Despite his love for his country, renowned director Darrell Roodt ("Yesterday,"" Sarafina,""Cry the Beloved Country" ) showed the violence of Hillbrow unvarnished, with car windows being smashed and purses/wallets being grabbed from the hands of terrified victims, on-the-street beatings watched by an uninvolved public, and murders.

It was into this extreme environment that Leo, and her character, were thrust.

The cast and crew of God's Ears, which had its world premiere on Monday at Viewpoint Theatre, gather for a photo. From left are: Mitzi Kapture , Karen Kim, Director Michael Worth, John Saxon and DP Neil Lisk. See more God's Ears photos in the March 30 Photo Gallery.

"I was there for a month, on three days notice," Leo said. "I hired on for 24 hours a day and I had an armed guard with me at all times."

During filming, up to five guards - all of whom were "packing" - patrolled the sets. But even with all the security, Leo and the crew still witnessed violent street incidents.

"My stomach is still in knots," one audience member said after the screening. "If that is what you wanted to do, you achieved it. It was an amazing film."

And an amazing performance by Leo.

Other marquee selections on this year's Method Fest feature lineup include: Chronic Town, directed by Tom Hines and starring JR Bourne, Emily Wagner, Jeffrey Scott Jensen, Alice Drummond, Dan Butler and Paul Dooley, and Diminished Capacity with Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, Alan Alda and Dylan Baker.

World premieres yet to screen include:

• Chain Link, directed by Dylan Reynolds and starring Mark Irvingsen and Jim Storm;
• True Love, directed by Henry Barrial, a Sundance alum with his first film, Some Body.

There will be a total of 25 features and 48 short films, also from across the U.S. and the globe, screened at this year's The Method Fest.  Access the screening schedule or call (310) 535-9230 for more information.

Festival Package are available for purchase online, and tickets for individual films and shorts also may be purchased online at www.brownpapertickets.com, 800-838-3006.  Ticket prices range from $10 for most individual screenings (excluding opening, centerpiece films, and closing night films), with a festival pass for all screenings, parties, receptions, and tributes only $195.  A limited amount of special industry passes are available at only $125 each.