The Downtown Film Festival—Los Angeles (DFFLA)announces a night of experimental film and performance on Sunday August 16 at the AT&T; Center.
Curated by Noel Lawrence, “City of Angles” surveys recent audiovisual work from and about the city of Los Angeles and its relation to Hollywood mythologies. The show includes a special film screening, a program of expanded cinema and live performance, as well as a gallery in the Cinema Lounge that will be open throughout the festival.
The night kicks off at 5:00 pm with Deborah Stratman’s O’er The Land which premiered at Sundance 2009. A meditation on freedom and technological approaches to manifest destiny,the piece is simultaneously a critique of violence, a rumination upon our national psyche, and a ritualized celebration of colossal forces beyond our control.
As the opening act, we also present the world premiere of Noel Lawrence’s J.X. Williams’ L.A., a no-budget video tour of the seamier side of Los Angeles that chronicles the misadventures of a cult film director whose antics would make James Ellroy blush.
At 6:30 pm, the celebration continues with a reception for various contributors to the Cinema Lounge Gallery, including recent work from George & Mike Kuchar, Semiconductor, Brian Butler (in collaboration with Vincent Gallo & Kenneth Anger), Threee Geniuses, Rick Trembles, Nic Caesar, and much more.
The 7:30 pm performance/screening will be presented on The Engine, a transportable, kinetic sculpture/projection hybrid that redefines the art of new media presentation. The 2000-pound steel sculpture houses a rotating 17-foot screen and features a high-end audiovisual system. Recognized in LA Weekly’s “Best of ’09,” the nomadic innovation has been featured at dozens of events ranging from Coachella to LACMA to Burning Man. Featured performers include Soul or System, Eric D. Clark, Threee Geniuses, and Brian Butler. And if minds have not been sufficiently blown, we will have some secret surprise films by Burke Roberts, J.X. Williams, and much, much more!
For more information, visit the festival’s website: www.dffla.com