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LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
At its new home in Westwood Village, the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) has reasons to celebrate: reaching a record in film submissions and drawing over 60,000 attendees, more than double compared to last year.
Presented by the Los Angeles Times, the LAFF ran from June 22 to July 2nd and had as premier sponsors InStyle, Target, Pop Secret, and Intel, and as its principal sponsors Kodak Axium, and Adobe.
Screened at LAFF were 265 independent films of talented filmmakers from around the world, reflecting diverse cultural backgrounds, languages, film budgets and visions. Included in the Festival were Summer Previews, Tribute & Anniversary screenings, Narrative & Documentary competition, International Showcase, Music Videos, Shorts (including High School Shorts) Festival Talks, and Family Day. In addition, there were Poolside Chats at the W Hotel, and conversations with filmmakers covering varied topics at the Hammer Museum.
Centered in the heart of Westwood Village, attendees were within walking distance to nearby theaters, dining facilities, as well as lodging and, notwithstanding the accessible parking, transportation to all the theater and event venues was provided through shuttle service.
Opening the Festival's Gala was The Devil Wears Prada by director David Frankel, followed by the centerpiece premiere Quincean_era by directors/writers Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland, and closed with Little Miss Sunshine by directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris.
The renowned creator of the Star Wars saga and Indiana Jones series, George Lucas, was the LAFF Guest Director, who selected three of his inspirational classics screened at the Festival: Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove(1964), Jean-Luc Godard's Masculine Feminine (1966), and Akira Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai (1954).
Distinguished artist/producer Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) was the Artist in Residence who selected for viewing Deconstructing Harry (1997), Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (2001), and The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979).
In between screenings, one could stroll down to Popcorn Alley on Broxton Avenue, relax in the lounge area furnished with sofas, mingle with others, or watch free outdoor screenings, such as West Side Story and The Incredibles, on select nights. Pop Secret provided plenty of free popcorn throughout the Festival.
Featured at the Family Day were appearances and performances by favorite film and cartoon characters, complemented by fun booths, games, a petting zoo, and prizes, proving to be a real heaven for children, and quite entertaining for adults.
Two Target $50,000 cash award winners were Amy Berg's Deliver Us From Evil for Best Documentary Feature, and Steve Collins' Gretchen for Best Narrative Feature.
Winners of the Audience Award were: Robert Cary's Ira & Abby for Best Narrative Feature, Jeff Werner and Susan Koch's Mario's Story for Best Documentary Feature, and Tomer Heymann's Paper Dolls for Best International Feature.
Awarded with Outstanding Performance in the Narrative Competition was the ensemble cast of Mike Akel's CHALK: Troy Schremmer, Janelle Schremmer, Shannon Haragan, and Chris Mass.
The wide spectrum of talent displayed on the big screen inspired, challenged, and simultaneously entertained audiences through dedicated commitment to filmmaking. - Ester Molayeme
Publishers Note: Other films that we really enjoyed were Islander (pictured above), Swedish Auto and The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down.
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