Four-time Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe will headline a new filmed conversation series at Witte Hall on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Newport Beach Film Festival and PBS SoCal are producing the series, called "The Process Unlocked."

The pilot episode pairs Dafoe with host Jenelle Riley, a three-time Emmy winner, for a live taping reported by Stu News Newport. The festival described the format as going beyond a career overview to examine the specific creative decisions and instincts behind particular roles and projects.

Dafoe has appeared in more than 100 films. His four Oscar nominations span "Platoon," "Shadow of the Vampire," "The Florida Project" and "At Eternity's Gate," in which he played Vincent van Gogh.

Riley announced on Facebook that she is also launching "The Process Unlocked" as a podcast, with the Newport Beach taping serving as its live debut.

The event marks an early high-profile booking for Witte Hall, the 299-seat venue at 998 Avocado Ave. that opened in July after more than a decade of planning and $24 million in combined city and private funding. The hall sits on the Central Library grounds and was designed by Robert R. Coffee Architect + Associates, with a curved roof inspired by local seashells. At the July 10 grand opening, Newport Beach City Councilmember Robyn Grant called it "a place where bold ideas will be shared, meaningful conversations will begin, and mighty forces will continue to come to our community."

The film festival has been expanding its year-round footprint in Newport Beach. According to the Newport Beach Independent, its Second Annual TV Festival drew sold-out crowds to the Lido Theater in June. Organizers expected the event would attract the largest gathering of Guild and Television Academy voters outside Los Angeles and New York.

Big Newport Studios is sponsoring the Sept. 19 event. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m. Because the taping will be filmed, no one will be admitted after 6 p.m. Business attire is recommended; no shorts, T-shirts or sneakers. Tickets are available at theprocessunlocked.eventive.org.