By RAY KELLY

The Other Side of the Wind had its first screening on Tuesday, January 16, in Santa Monica, California — forty two years after principal photography concluded on Orson Welles’ legendary movie.

One audience member was enthusiastic to Wellesnet about the two-hour movie, but tight-lipped on specifics. What was shown at the “friends & family screening” was far more advanced than a rough cut, but it was not a finished film. A post-production worker, who was also at the screening, described on social media the edit that was shown as “somewhere between rough and fine.” Another audience member has posted that it appeared 10 people or so from the original shoot were in attendance and everyone “seemed excited and pleased” with how the film turned out.

Word of the screening first leaked out when one movie-goer spilled the beans by posting the invitation on Facebook. Ocean Screening in Santa Monica confirmed via its website that a digital screening room was reserved in the first name of one of the post-production crew members.

A spokesman for producers declined to comment. However, producer Filip Jan Rymsza posted a photo on Instagram captioned “Ocean Screening” with three dozen guests visible, including directors Quentin Tarantino and Rian Johnson; actors Danny Huston (son of the film’s star, John Huston) and Crispin Glover; and The Other Side of the Wind cast and crew members Peter Bogdanovich, Lou Race, Neil Canton and Peter Jason.

The invitation featured images of Oja Kodar and Bob Random in a previously unknown scene from the movie.

Netflix holds the worldwide distribution rights to The Other Side of the Wind. It has indicated it would like to premiere the finished film at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The streaming giant, which has more than 109 million subscribers worldwide, will also distribute a companion documentary by Oscar winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet from Stardom).

Academy Award winner Bob Murawski (The Hurt Locker) is editing The Other Side of the Wind. Four-time Oscar winning sound man Scott Millan (Apollo 13, Gladiator) is handling the audio. Rymsza and Frank Marshall are the producers.

Editing began less than three months ago. Producers revealed that the editing was “well underway” in a November 23, 2017 email to supporters.

The Other Side of Wind was Originally a Welles and Les Films de L’Astrophore production. It is being produced by Rymsza’s Royal Road Entertainment. Marshall, who served as line producer during the 1970s shoot and has worked to complete the movie for decades, is overseeing the project with Rymsza, whose negotiating skills freed the film from cinematic limbo. Executive producer Peter Bogdanovich, who was tasked by Welles to finish the film in the event of his death, is working closely with Marshall and Rymsza.

The movie takes place at the 70th birthday party of director Jake Hannaford (Huston), who is struggling to complete his comeback film during the rise of New Hollywood. The party is attended by young directors, like Brooks Otterlake (Bogdanovich), hangers-on and critics. Hannaford dies at the conclusion of the party. Welles’ movie recounts Hannaford’s final hours using a mix of 16mm and 35mm color and black-and-white film shot at the party, along with scenes from his unfinished movie. Kodar, Random, Cameron Mitchell, Mercedes McCambridge, Susan Strasberg and Edmond O’Brien round out the cast.

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