Bridging content creation and social justice issues, this curated selection of socially relevant short films precedes a public dialogue among noted artists, activists and educators.
In the age of #BlackLivesMatter, mass die-ins and other new forms of activism spreading among millennials and communities of color, #BlackLifeBlackProtest looks at the ways in which film and digital content can be used as an effective tool for social change. The event includes a screening of socially relevant short films exploring themes of police violence, implicit bias, black identity and human rights by some of the most compelling voices in film today, followed by a public dialogue with noted artists, activists and educators.
Program curated by filmmaker and writer Jai Tiggett.
FILMS:
#AmeriCAN, dir. Nate Parker, 2014
An LAPD officer working the night beat in inner city LA responds to a convenience store break-in. When chasing down the perpetrator, he’s in for a terrible surprise.
BlackCard, dir. Pete Chatmon, 2015
In a culture requiring an ID card and commitment to the code, an African-American couple is about to find out just how far the boundaries can be pushed.
Counter, dir. Nicholas Bouier, 2015
Based on a true story, this historical short depicts Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin as he spends a day in a Southern town’s dinerbefore a march with Dr. King.
Protect & Serve, dir. Jai Tiggett, 2015
This satirical short film raises issues of police violence, racial profiling, and effective community policing through the lens of a 90-day body camera trial.
Question Bridge: Black Males, core artists: Chris Johnson, Hank Willis Thomas, Kamal Sinclair, Bayeté Ross Smith, 2015
This acclaimed transmedia project returns to the Los Angeles Film Festival to premiere new content surrounding black male identity.
Wade in the Water: Movement Talk, dir. Terrance Pitts, 2015
Congressman John Lewis reflects on his decades-long involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and its relevance to today’s human rights struggle.
We Demand Justice for Renisha McBride, dir. dream hampton, 2015
Acclaimed filmmaker and social justice organizer dream hampton follows the campaign for an indictment for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Renisha McBride.
PANELISTS:
Tananarive Due
author, educator, filmmaker
‘My Soul to Keep,’ ‘Danger Word’
Tony Okungbowa
actor, filmmaker, DJ
‘Echo Park,’ ‘Mother of George’
Damon Turner
activist
Black Lives Matter
Christine Acham PhD
film professor and filmmaker
USC School of Cinematic Arts, ‘Infiltrating Hollywood’
Ashley Yates
activist
co-founder, Millennial Activists United
Special Thanks to Ryan Coogler, dream hampton, and Kristen Carter
#BlackLifeBlackProtest is playing as a part of LAUNCH, an inaugural program for LA Film Fest, which discovers and showcases works by independent artists crafting stories through digital mediums.
3rd Street Blackout
Jun 13 2015 4:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Jun 15 2015 8:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
US Fiction Competition
English
(2015 , 85 min.)
Directed by: Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf
Screenwriter: Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf
Producers: Jeremy Redleaf, Andrew Mendelson, Ryan Cunningham, Negin Farsad
Cinematographer: Eun-ah Lee
Editor: Andrew Mendelson
Music: Gaby Alter
Cast: Negin Farsad, Jeremy Redleaf, Ed Weeks, Phyllis Somerville, Janeane Garofalo, John Hodgman, Sasheer Zamata, Jordan Carlos, Katie Hartman, Miles J. Harvey, Rachel Feinstein
Neuroscientist Mina and her hacker boyfriend Rudy are a picture-perfect, prototypical hipster couple who live, work and love across digital platforms. When Hurricane Sandy pummels the city and knocks out the power in their neighborhood, at first it is romantic. But when Rudy discovers an indiscretion that Mina kept secret, they must learn to navigate an analog terrain, or risk losing their relationship. Following her debut effort The Muslims Are Coming, Negin Farsad co-writes, directs and stars in this satirical story about the very real distances technology creates in our daily interactions with neighbors and lovers alike.
-Mark Maynard and Roya Rastegar
A Midsummer’s Fantasia (Han-yeo-reum-ui Pan-ta-ji-a)
World Fiction Competition
Korean
(2014 , 96 min.)
Directed by: Jang Kun-jae
Screenwriter: Jang Kun-jae
Producers: Naomi Kawase, Jang Kun-jae
Cinematographer: Masayuky Fujii
Editor: Jang Kun-jae, Lee Yeon-jung
Music:
Cast: Kim Sae-byuk, Ryo Iwase, Lim Hyung-kook
Up-and-coming auteur Jang Kun-jae’s intriguingly two-fold narrative is both a documentary-like study of memory and a thoughtful meditation on what connects people despite cultural differences. A Korean director and his interpreter visit an almost abandoned Japanese village to research a film project. They discover an aging community on the verge of fading away after being abandoned by its younger members for the cities. Inspired by the first half of the film, the latter part of the story follows a young Korean actress who gradually develops a connection with a Japanese persimmon farmer. Simple, exquisite treasures are hidden in the fabric of this ever-so-gentle film, awaiting the patient viewer. Actors reappear in new roles, ideas lightly coalesce, and the head yields delicately to the heart.
– Steven Jacobson
Hosted by: Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles
A Midsummer’s Fantasia (Han-yeo-reum-ui Pan-ta-ji-a)
Jun 11 2015 6:45 PM
American DREAMers
Jun 16 2015 8:00 PM
La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Social Impact
( , 89 min. )
Directed by: Saray Deiseil, Jenniffer Castillo
Screenwriter: Jenniffer Castillo
Producers: Saray Deiseil, Jenniffer Castillo, Nicholas Stich
Cinematographer: Jeremy Mazur
Editor: Nicholas Stich
Music: Aaron Steinberg and The Bell Hours
Cast: Jonatan Martinez, Veronica Gomez, Raymi Gutierrez, Javier Hernandez, Nico Gonzalez, Alex Aldana, Jose Sandoval, Brian Gutierrez
Six youth walk 3,000 miles across America’s heartland, from San Francisco to Washington D.C., risking their freedom by publically exposing their own undocumented status to fight for the DREAM Act and immigrant rights.
Aram, Aram
Jun 14 2015 1:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
LA Muse
Armenian, English
(2015 , 90 min.)
Directed by: Christopher Chambers
Screenwriter: Christopher Chambers
Producers: Christopher Chambers, Jared Parsons, Ian Coyne, Nick Cimiluca
Cinematographer: Christopher Chambers
Editor: Eugenio Richer, Christopher Chambers, Jim Gilbane
Music: Katherine Jarzebowski
Cast: John Roohinian, Levon Sharafyan, Sevak Hakoyan, Alla Tumanian, Inga Stamboltyan, Mike Ghader, David Villada, Tina D’Marco, Naria Alyssa
A tragic accident uproots Aram, a 12-year-old Armenian boy, from his idyllic Beirut childhood, sending him to live with his grandfather in Los Angeles. Aram begins a new routine at his grandfather’s humble shoe repair shop and becomes friends with a young Latina from the neighborhood market. Lured by a gangster’s bravado to unite Armenians against the neighborhood Latino thugs, Aram is drawn into a dangerous urban culture that clashes with his grandfather’s values. Aram struggles to make sense of his new surroundings, his soulful eyes conveying a deep internal conflict between mourning for his old life and forging a new independent identity. Featuring well-known Armenian talent, first time director Christopher Chambers’ moving film portrays the complexities of life within the insular enclave of Little Armenia.
-Christine Davila
Jun 14 2015 1:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
Atomic Heart
Jun 13 2015 7:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Madar-e Ghalb Atomi
World Fiction Competition
Persian, Arabic, English
(2014 , 97 min.)
Directed by: Ali Ahmadzadeh
Screenwriter: Ali Ahmadzadeh, Mani Baghbani
Producers: Amir Seyedzadeh
Cinematographer: Ashkan Ashkani
Editor: Ali Ahmadzadeh, Ehsan Vaseghi
Music: Sahand Mehdizadeh
Cast: Taraneh Alidoosti, Pegah Ahangarani, Mehrdad Sedighiyan, Reza Behboudi, Ehsan Amani, Mohammad Reza Golzar
Sometime around the witching hour, Arineh and Nobahar stumble out of a party giddy and spaced out. Donning brightly dyed hair covered just enough by their headscarves, the young women drive around Tehran, picking up their hipster buddy Kami along the way. In a moment of carefree distraction, they get into a car accident that pivots their night into a bizarre series of events, and the possibility of a parallel world. Symbolically lush with sharp dialogue about pop culture, the Western gaze and politics, Ali Ahmadzade’s sophomore directorial feat establishes him as a blazing new independent voice in Iranian cinema.
-Roya Rastegar
Atomic Heart
Jun 13 2015 7:00 PM
Ayanda and the Mechanic
World Fiction Competition
Jun 13 2015 4:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Zulu, Sesotho, English
(2015 , 112 min.)
Directed by: Sara Blecher
Screenwriter: Trish Malone
Producers: Terry Pheto, Busi Sizani, Robbie Thorpe
Cinematographer: Jonathan Kovel
Editor: Nicholas Costaras
Music: Tiago Correia-Paulo
Cast: Fulu Moguvhani, OC Ukeje, Nthati Moshesh, Kenneth Nkosi, Jafta Mamabolo, Thomas Gumede, Sihle Xaba, Venessa Cooke
In a vibrant and diverse Johannesburg community, 21-year-old Afro-hipster Ayanda has a knack for taking neglected pieces of furniture and “bringing them back to love.” Eight years after her father’s death, she is determined to revive his prized garage, which is in deep debt and in danger of being sold. Director Sara Blecher’s sophomore work crackles with infectious energy and style, capturing a vividly contemporary view of a South Africa where cooperation trumps xenophobia. This one-of-a-kind film melds gorgeous still-frame montages inspired by the possibilities of a modern African aesthetic and documentary-like techniques to explore its core theme: how do we let go of the things and people we love?
-Steven Jacobson
Jun 13 2015 4:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Jun 14 2015 11:45 AM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
The Babushkas of Chernobyl (preceded by short film The Timekeeper)
Jun 14 2015 11:45 AM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
Jun 17 2015 6:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Preceded by music video Roy Kafri: Mayokero)
Documentary Competition
Ukrainian, English
(2015 , 72 min.)
Directed by: Holly Morris, Anne Bogart
Screenwriter:
Producers: Holly Morris, Anne Bogart
Cinematographer: Japhet Weeks
Editor: Richard Howard, Mary Manhardt, Michael Taylor
Music: Rob Teehan
Cast: Valentyna Sochenok, Hanna Zavorotnya, Maria Shovkuta
For nearly 30 years a community of unlikely heroines have lived in Chernobyl’s post-nuclear disaster “dead zone.” Stylish and stubborn, these fascinating women have survived, and even thrived, on some of the most toxic land on Earth. They are the last survivors of a community who refused to leave their ancestral homes after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. But the babushkas aren’t the only risk-takers: scientists, bureaucrats and even young men called “Stalkers” (who break in illegally to pursue their video game-inspired fantasies) explore the dystopian Zone and seek out its radioactive grandmas. First-time filmmakers Anne Bogart and Holly Morris’ portrait of a community tells a remarkable tale about the pull of home, the healing power of shaping one’s own destiny and the subjective nature of risk.
-Lee Jameson
Jun 17 2015 6:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Jun 14 2015 11:45 AM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
Jun 17 2015 6:00 PM
Zeitgeist
Spanish, English
(2015 , 95 min.)
Directed by: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Screenwriter: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Producers: John Will, Rick Rosenthal, Matt Ratner, Arun Kumar
Cinematographer: Noah Rosenthal
Editor: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Music: Joel P. West
Cast: Kyle Gallner, Adam Nee, Matthew Gray Gubler, Hannibal Buress, Melissa Benoist, Stephen Lang, Eric Christian Olsen, Daniel Edward Mora, Johnny Pemberton, Beth Grant, Cooper Huckabee, Lee Garlington, Creed Bratton
Mark Twain’s young heroes Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn spring vividly back to life, this time as modern-day grown men. When Huck is released from prison he hopes to leave his criminal past behind. But his lifelong friend and corrupt cop, Tom, has other plans, having formed the Band of Robbers, a group of misfits dedicated to locating the hidden treasure that eluded the boys in childhood.
Twain aficionados will find myriad references to their beloved characters, but the film stands on its own as a story about two well-intentioned heroes refusing to bid their childhoods goodbye. Charming and hilarious, the Nee brothers make a winning directorial team in this old-fashioned Boys’ Own yarn thrown headlong into the present day.
-Steven Jacobson
Roy Kafri: Mayokero , Directed by Stephen Pagano
Album covers come to life and beatbox.
Jun 13 2015 7:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Band of Robbers (preceded by music video Roy Kafri: Mayokero)
Zeitgeist
Jun 13 2015 7:15 PM
Band of Robbers (preceded by music video Roy Kafri: Mayokero)
Jun 16 2015 7:30 PM
Spanish, English
(2015 , 95 min.)
Directed by: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Screenwriter: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Producers: John Will, Rick Rosenthal, Matt Ratner, Arun Kumar
Cinematographer: Noah Rosenthal
Editor: Adam Nee, Aaron Nee
Music: Joel P. West
Cast: Kyle Gallner, Adam Nee, Matthew Gray Gubler, Hannibal Buress, Melissa Benoist, Stephen Lang, Eric Christian Olsen, Daniel Edward Mora, Johnny Pemberton, Beth Grant, Cooper Huckabee, Lee Garlington, Creed Bratton
Mark Twain’s young heroes Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn spring vividly back to life, this time as modern-day grown men. When Huck is released from prison he hopes to leave his criminal past behind. But his lifelong friend and corrupt cop, Tom, has other plans, having formed the Band of Robbers, a group of misfits dedicated to locating the hidden treasure that eluded the boys in childhood.
Twain aficionados will find myriad references to their beloved characters, but the film stands on its own as a story about two well-intentioned heroes refusing to bid their childhoods goodbye. Charming and hilarious, the Nee brothers make a winning directorial team in this old-fashioned Boys’ Own yarn thrown headlong into the present day.
-Steven Jacobson
Roy Kafri: Mayokero , Directed by Stephen Pagano
Album covers come to life and beatbox.
Band of Robbers (preceded by music video Roy Kafri: Mayokero)
Jun 13 2015 7:15 PM
Band of Robbers (preceded by music video Roy Kafri: Mayokero)
Jun 16 2015 7:30 PM
Bastards y Diablos
US Fiction Competition
Bastards y Diablos
Jun 14 2015 8:45 PM
Bastards y Diablos
Jun 17 2015 6:30 PM
Spanish, English
(2014 , 99 min.)
Directed by: A.D. Freese
Screenwriter: Andrew Perez
Producers: Andrew Perez, Dillon Porter, A.D. Freese, Joe Milner, Eric G. Johnson, Peter Grigsby
Cinematographer: Peter Grigsby
Editor: A.D. Freese
Music: Louis Febre
Cast: Andrew Perez, Dillon Porter, Sebastian Eslava, Juanita Arias, Brunhilde Otto, Constanza Marek Otto, Gabriel Antonio Mejia, Vicky Zorrilla Vaughn, Ruben Dario Arciniegas, JB Blanc
Ed and Dion are half-Colombian half-brothers who were raised in the U.S. estranged from their father, their roots and each other. After their father’s death they reunite and travel together to Bogotá to fulfill the wishes in their father’s will, only to find a mysterious set of instructions sending them on an unexpected journey all over Colombia. Leading them on this quest is their enigmatic father’s spirit, linking his own formative journeys as a young man with his sons’ present day adventures. Amid the mystical splendor of Colombia’s panorama, Ed and Dion experience a brotherhood and sibling rivalry they missed out on growing up. A fresh and distinctly bi-cultural story brimming with resonant moments, Bastards Y Diablos is about finding your inheritance at the end of the world.
-Christine Davila
Bastards y Diablos
Jun 14 2015 8:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
Buy
Bastards y Diablos
Jun 17 2015 6:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 12
Be Here Now (The Andy Whitfield Story)
Documentary Competition
English
(2015 , 100 min.)
Directed by: Lilibet Foster
Screenwriter:
Producers: Lilibet Foster, Sam Maydew
Cinematographer: Phil Dow, Donald Duncan, Adrian Reinhardt, Rakesh Nagar, Anthony Jennings, Devris Hasan, Chris Herd, Matthew Porwoll, Paul Reuter, Stuart Trevan, John Biggins, David Collins, Jesse Frazer, Brycen Horne, John Murphy, Rafael Laski, Scott Last, Rainsford Townsend, Lilibet Foster
Editor: David Meneses
Music: Gareth Williams, Craig DeLeon
Cast: Andy Whitfield, Vashti Whitfield
Andy Whitfield had just landed the role of a lifetime as the star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma… and given only a 25% chance of survival. Not knowing his fate, but determined to beat the odds, Andy decides to film his journey in hope of inspiring others facing life-threatening illnesses. Armed with courage, humor and matching tattoos, Andy and his wife Vashti vow to fight the disease while living fearlessly in the present. Sparking an unprecedented international response on Kickstarter, and directed by Academy Award®-nominated documentarian Lilibet Foster, Be Here Now is a remarkable love story, a testament to the human spirit and an inspiring lesson about living each moment to the fullest.
-Julie Anderson
Be Here Now (The Andy Whitfield Story)
Jun 13 2015 2:40 PM
Be Here Now (The Andy Whitfield Story)
Jun 15 2015 5:00 PM
A Beautiful Now
LA Muse
English
(2015 , 98 min.)
Directed by: Daniela Amavia
Screenwriter: Daniela Amavia
Producers: Keith Kjarval, Lynn Kressel, Daniela Amavia
Cinematographer: Pat Scola
Editor: Valdis Oskarsdottir, Adam H Mack
Music: Johnny Jewel
Cast: Abigail Spencer, Cheyenne Jackson, Collette Wolfe, Elena Satine, Sonja Kinski, Patrick Heusinger
Romy barricades herself in a bathroom with a handgun and a bottle of champagne on the eve of her birthday. She embodies the easy glamor of a ballet dancer, and is beloved by her friends – but still, she feels alone. Teetering between reality and fantasy over the course of one night, Daniela Amavia’s directorial debut is grounded in a nuanced screenplay about finding beauty even when dreams have spiraled into despair. Supported by an ensemble cast who authentically inhabit the competing neuroses and affection of a group of friends in a moment of crisis, Abigail Spencer’s impassioned performance as Romy lifts the spirit, even as it breaks the heart.
A Beautiful Now
Jun 12 2015 6:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
Brand: A Second Coming
Buzz
Jun 17 2015 8:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
(2015 , 105 min. )
Directed by: Ondi Timoner
Screenwriter: Ondi Timoner
Producers: Ondi Timoner
Cinematographer: Svetlana Cvetko, Paul Marchand, Mark Schwartzbard
Editor: Tim Rush, David Timoner, Ondi Timoner, Clay Zimmerman
Music:
Cast: Russell Brand
Following comedianauthoractivist Russell Brand as he questions whether he can break out of the very system that built him while exploring his past quest of drugs, sex and fame.
Jun 17 2015 8:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race
Social Impact
Jun 14 2015 1:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
(2015 , 55 min.)
Directed by: Lyn Goldfarb
Screenwriter: Lyn Goldfarb, Alison Sotomayor
Producers: Lyn Goldfarb, Alison Sotomayor
Cinematographer: Michelle Crenshaw
Editor: Lillian Benson, Stosh Jarecki
Music: Stephen James Taylor
Narrator: Alfre Woodard
Jun 14 2015 1:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
BT: Electronica in Film
Jun 11 2015 8:00 PM
The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE
Brian Transeau, better known as BT, is one of the pioneers of modern American electronic music. Classically trained at the Berklee School of Music, he became an innovator in the world of electronic music, bringing a symphonic quality to dance music in the late 90s. BT made his debut as a film composer with the score for Go. Since then he has composed the music for such hits as Monster, The Fast and the Furious, Under Suspicion, and the forthcoming films Dark Places and Solace. BT comes to the festival to discuss his craft and perform some selections from his film score career.
BT: Electronica in Film
Jun 11 2015 8:00 PM
Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race
Jun 14 2015 1:30 PM
Jun 11 2015 8:00 PM
The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE
Can You Dig This
Jun 11 2015 8:50 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
LA Muse
English
(2015 , 80 min. )
Directed by: Delila Vallot
Screenwriter:
Producers: Rafael Marmor, Christopher Leggett
Cinematographer: Delila Vallot
Editor: Asako Ushio
Music: Dave Sitek, John Legend
Cast: Ron Finley, Mychael “Spicey” Evans, Kenya Johnson, Quimonie Lewis, Hosea Smith
South Central Los Angeles is on the brink of a revolution. Self-proclaimed “gangster gardener” Ron Finley has called on people to put their hands in the soil, planting gardens to restore the neighborhood and transform the community in the process.
Delila Vallot’s debut documentary film follows new gardeners over a growing season. From an outspoken nine-year-old girl, to a recently released inmate living in a halfway house, each person has a unique motivation for gardening. Finley stresses the importance of planting food in one of the largest food deserts in the United States and gives a voice to the greater urban gardening movement. As a native Angeleno, Vallot’s vision is wonderfully intimate, exploring the individual changes each gardener cultivates.
-Stephanie Owens
Can You Dig This
Jun 11 2015 8:50 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Catching the Sun (preceded by short film The Guardian of North Lawndale)
Documentary Competition
Jun 16 2015 3:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Mandarin, English
(2015 , 90 min.)
Directed by: Shalini Kantayya
Screenwriter: Shalini Kantayya
Executive Producers: Adrian Grenier, Peter Glatzer, Megan Gelstein
Producers: Shalini Kantayya, Aarti Tandon, Cedric Troadec
Cinematographer: Steve Acevedo
Editor: Tyler Walk, Michael Culyba, Shalini Kantayya
Music: David Majzlin
Cast: Van Jones, Wally Jiang, Jigar Shah, Danny Kennedy, David Crane, Paul Muldrow, Edward Wiltz, Gayle McLaughlin
While solar power fuels the renewable energy revolution, some experts predict it will become the world’s major power source within the next 20 years, bringing with it millions of jobs and billions of dollars. For beleaguered cities like Richmond, CA, with high crime and unemployment rates, the solar boom provides a desperately needed way to jump-start their economy. Catching the Sun follows workers attending solar training boot camps, newly-minted installers applying their skills, solar entrepreneurs like Wally Jiang vying for a share of the budding global market, and activists like the Bay Area’s Van Jones advocating for green jobs and federal subsidies. Award-winning filmmaker and eco-activist Shalini Kantayya’s documentary broadens the often faceless climate change debate to include people of color and explore the possibilities of social and economic justice in a soon-to-be solar-powered world.
-Julie Anderson
Jun 16 2015 3:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
The Guardian of North Lawndale , Directed by Sam Price-Waldman
In a Chicago neighborhood where 43 percent of residents live below the poverty line, Billy Lamar Brooks Sr. helps children build a future.
Catching the Sun (preceded by short film The Guardian of North Lawndale)
Jun 11 2015 6:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Jun 16 2015 3:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Caught
Jun 12 2015 10:55 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Nightfall
English
(2015 , 83 min. )
Directed by: Maggie Kiley
Screenwriter: Marcy Holland
Producers: Jennifer Westin
Cinematographer: Martim Vian
Editor: Vincent Oresman
Music: Matthew Pucket
Cast: Anna Camp, Stefanie Scott, Amelia Rose Blaire, Sam Page
Allie is a dimpled American teen – friendly, hardworking and involved in a secret relationship with a hot older man. Unfortunately, her clandestine beau is married. Even worse, he’s married to Sabrina, a beautiful but wild-eyed suburban housewife who will do literally anything to keep her marriage intact – including kidnapping Allie at knifepoint and keeping her tied to a chair in the attic of her gorgeously decorated home.
Bold and delicious like female-driven, teeth-gnashing dramas of yore – but with more blood and bone – Caught is an exciting departure for director Maggie Kiley, who escalates the tension while ratcheting up the madness. Marital truths and schoolgirl crushes are rarely given this kind of treatment, where camp crashes gleefully into serious suspense.
-Drea Clark
Caught
Jun 12 2015 10:55 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Chuck Norris vs Communism
Jun 16 2015 8:20 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Buzz
Romanian
(2015 , 78 min.)
Directed by: Ilinca Calugareanu
Screenwriter: Ilinca Calugareanu
Producers: Mara Adina, Brett Ratner
Cinematographer: Jose Ruiz
Editor: Per K. Kirkegaard
Music: Anne Nikitin, Rob Manning
Cast: Irina Margareta Nistor, Ana Maria Moldovan, Dan Chiorean
Communist Romania -1980s. Culturally isolated, ideologically censored; all images of life outside the Iron Curtain are cut off and TV is reduced to a couple of hours of propaganda bulletins each day. From the drab concrete housing blocks to the food ration queues, an overwhelming fear of state surveillance had prevented the people from stepping out of line. But there was one window into the free world available to anyone who dared to look.
In the mid-1980s, thousands of Hollywood films were smuggled into the country through a well-oiled operation that swelled and swelled until it reached millions across Romania. The films were dubbed by one courageous female translator whose distinct voice captivated the whole nation and became a symbol of freedom.
The fearless stories of action heroes like Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme captured every child’s imagination, but it was the lavish settings and backdrops that mesmerized this unique audience. For the first time people saw what had been denied to them: supermarkets stacked full of food, the trappings of wealth, the latest fashions, super cars, and most of all, freedom.
Chuck Norris vs Communism
Jun 16 2015 8:20 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Coffee Talks: Actors
Jun 13 2015 1:00 PM
Courtyard Marriott at L.A. LIVE
The festival wouldn’t be complete without the popular Coffee Talks. Join some of today’s most fascinating film figures as they discuss their craft in fun, unpredictable and free-wheeling conversations. And coffee for everyone!
Panelists include: Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World, The Help) , Kathryn Hahn (We’re the Millers, Afternoon Delight) , David Koechner (Cheap Thrills, Anchorman), Adam Scott (The Overnight, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Alfre Woodard (12 Years a Slave, Passion Fish)
Sponsored by SAGindieScreen Actors Guild
Coffee Talks: Composers
Jun 13 2015 3:00 PM
Courtyard Marriott at L.A. LIVE
The festival wouldn’t be complete without the popular Coffee Talks. Join some of today’s most fascinating film figures as they discuss their craft in fun, unpredictable and free-wheeling conversations. And coffee for everyone!
Panelists include: Danny Elfman (Big Eyes, Milk) , Thomas Newman (Saving Mr. Banks, Skyfall)
Moderated by BMI’s Doreen Ringer Ross
Sponsored by BMI
Coffee Talks: Directors
Jun 13 2015 11:00 AM
Courtyard Marriott at L.A. LIVE
The festival wouldn’t be complete without the popular Coffee Talks. Join some of today’s most fascinating film figures as they discuss their craft in fun, unpredictable and free-wheeling conversations. And coffee for everyone!
Panelists include: Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World, Safety Not Guaranteed), Paul Weitz (Grandma, About A Boy)
Sponsored by Directors Guild of America
Coffee Talks: Screenwriters
Jun 13 2015 5:00 PM
Courtyard Marriott at L.A. LIVE
The festival wouldn’t be complete without the popular Coffee Talks. Join some of today’s most fascinating film figures as they discuss their craft in fun, unpredictable and free-wheeling conversations. And coffee for everyone!
Panelists include: David S. Goyer (Man of Steel, The Dark Knight), Meg LeFauve (Inside Out), Melisa Wallack (Dallas Buyers Club, Mirror, Mirror)
Sponsored by Writers Guild of America, West
The Confines (preceded by short film Shhhhhhh…)
Nightfall
Jun 13 2015 10:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
English
(2015 , 86 min. )
Directed by: Eytan Rockaway
Screenwriter: Ido Fluk
Producers:
Cinematographer: Zachary Galler
Editor: Giacomo Ambrosini
Music: Lorne Balfe
Cast: Jason Patric, Louisa Krause, Mark Margolis
A struggling single mother, Julia takes a security job working nights at an abandoned apartment building in a last ditch effort to get her life together. As she patrols the hollow and vast superstructure, her scurrilous on-duty partner and a local vagrant begin toying with her, testing her sanity and eventually forcing her into the rotting catacombs below the building. Making his directorial debut, Eytan Rockway deftly constructs a tense, claustrophobic thriller that blurs the lines between illness and reality to mirror the traumatized psyche of the protagonist.
-So Yun Um
Jun 13 2015 10:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
Consumed
Premieres
Jun 15 2015 8:50 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
(2014 , 96 min. )
Directed by: Daryl Wein
Screenwriter: Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister Jones
Producers: Zoe Lister Jones, Daryl Wein, Michael Jacob, Lily Lister, William Lister, Nine Nights, Shanee Pink, Neil Stubenhaus , Robert Watman, Brett Hays
Cinematographer: Alex Bergman
Editor: Zach Anderson
Music: Nima Fakhrara
Cast: Zoe Lister Jones, Danny Glover, Victor Garber, Taylor Kinney, Anthony Edwards, Griffin Dunne, Kunal Nayyar, Beth Grant
Set in the complex world of genetically modified food, this dramatic thriller intertwines the stories of an organic farmer and a biotechnology CEO with the quest of a single mother working to uncover the cause of her son’s mysterious illness.
Jun 15 2015 8:50 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
A Country Called Home
US Fiction Competition
Jun 13 2015 8:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
A Country Called Home
Jun 16 2015 5:50 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
English
(2015 , 90 min.)
Directed by: Anna Axster
Screenwriter: Anna Axster, Jim Beggarly
Producers: Nicolas Gonda, Jason Netter
Cinematographer: Charlie Wuppermann
Editor: Kiran Pallegadda
Music: Ryan Bingham, Daniel Sproul, Nate Barnes
Cast: Imogen Poots, Mary McCormack, Mackenzie Davis=
When 27-year-old Ellie learns that her estranged father has died, she travels to a small town in Texas and tries to clean up the mess he left behind. With Main Street as a backdrop, Ellie gradually finds family she didn’t know she had and unexpected friendship on the fringes of fading Americana. Her journey of growth and forgiveness finally comes to a head at her father’s wake. In her feature directorial debut, Anna Axster has co-written a touching story led by the talented Imogen Poots as Ellie, with knockout performances by the supporting cast of Mackenzie Davis, Shea Whigham, June Squibb and Mary McCormack. Academy Award® winner Ryan Bingham’s music wonderfully completes this homespun tale about growing up your own way.
-Jennifer Cochis
Jun 13 2015 8:15 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
A Country Called Home
Jun 16 2015 5:50 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Crumbs (preceded by short film Dog Bowl)
Jun 14 2015 9:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Nightfall
Amharic
(2014 , 68 min. )
Directed by: Miguel Llanso
Screenwriter: Miguel Llanso
Producers: Sergio Uguet de Resayre
Cinematographer: Israel Seoana
Editor: Velasco Broca
Music: Atomizador
Cast: Daniel Tadesse, Selam Tesfaye, Tsegaye Abegaz
After decades of lying dormant, a mothership awakens in the horizon. Resolved to board the ship, an unlikely hero embarks on an otherworldly adventure across a surreal, post-apocalyptic Ethiopian landscape. Pop cultural artifacts of our present society take on new value as oddities floating in space are traded as antiquities in a bizarre storefront. With his directorial debut, Miguel Llansó, a Spanish filmmaker based in Ethiopia, has created a mystical and romantic journey for which there is no destination.
-Samuel Douek
Jun 14 2015 9:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Crush the Skull (preceded by music video Ideas Are That Grand)
Jun 11 2015 11:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
Nightfall
English
(2014 , 84 min. )
Directed by: Viet Nguyen
Screenwriter: Viet Nguyen, Christopher Dinh
Producers: Jimmy Tsai, Aya Tanimura, Viet Nguyen, Christopher Dinh
Cinematographer: John Reyes-Nguyen, Tuan Quoc Le
Editor: Viet Nguyen
Music: David Frank Long
Cast: Christopher Dinh, Katie Savoy, Chris Riedell, Tim Chiou, Lauren Reeder, Walter Michael Bost
Ollie and Blair earn a dishonest living by robbing upper class homes. They decide to pull one last job but it takes a turn for the worse when they find themselves trapped inside the house. As they explore, they discover that this seemingly innocuous home is actually a sadistic torture den: a mind-screwing maze with an unseen killer separating them from one another and stalking them from the shadows.
First time feature director Viet Nguyen builds on the hybrid tone he mastered with his award-winning shorts, creating an entirely new genre: master thieves versus serial killer. Clever, gruesome and hilarious, Crush the Skull is fast-paced fun that winks at the audience but never insults its intelligence.
-Drea Clark
Ideas Are That Grand, Directed by Quique Rivera
Sometime in the future an old man, equipped with the benefits of evolution, survives the extinction of all other living beings.
Jun 11 2015 11:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
The Dark Horse
Buzz
English
Jun 13 2015 2:40 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
(2014 , 124 min. )
Directed by: James Napier Robertson
Screenwriter: James Napier Robertson
Producers: Tom Hern
Cinematographer: Denson Baker
Editor: Peter Roberts
Music: Dana Lund
Cast: Cliff Curtis, James Rolleston, Sia Trokenheim, Kirk Torrance, Xavier Horan, Miriam McDowell, Baz Te Hira, Wayne Hapi
An inspiring true story based on the life of charismatic and brilliant chess champion, Genesis Potini. His emotionally-charged story is about finding the courage to lead, despite his own struggles – finding purpose and hope in passing on his gift to the children of his community.
The Dark Horse
Jun 13 2015 2:40 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
Day Out of Days
Jun 14 2015 9:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
LA Muse
English
(2014 , 93 min. )
Directed by: Zoe Cassavetes
Screenwriter: Zoe Cassavetes, Alexia Landeau
Producers: Kate Roughan, Gina Kwon, Zoe Cassavetes
Cinematographer: Denise Milford
Editor: Michael Mees
Music: Scratch Massive
Cast: Alexia Landeau, Eddie Izzard, Melanie Griffith, Cheyenne Jackson, Allessandro Nivola, Brooke Smith, Bellamy Young, Vincent Kartheiser, Matt Letscher, Josh Stamberg
With her second feature, Zoe Cassavetes chronicles a day in the life of Mia Roarke, a once well-known actress now approaching the age of 40 and struggling to maintain her dignity while navigating the empty facade of Hollywood. Desperate to stay relevant, Mia becomes her own worst enemy and eventually spirals out of control. Employing an unfiltered, bare-bones structure, Cassavetes crafts an intimate portrait of enduring determination in this classic Los Angeles tale.
-So Yun Um
Day Out of Days
Jun 14 2015 9:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Jun 13 2015 5:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
Buzz
English
(2015 , 101 min. )
Directed by: Marielle Heller
Screenwriter: Marielle Heller
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Anne Carey, Bert Hamelinck, Madeline Samit
Cinematographer: Brandon Trost
Editor: Marie-Helene Dozo, Koen Timmerman
Music: Nate Heller
Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgard, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Meloni
Like most teenage girls, Minnie Goetze is longing for love, acceptance and a sense of purpose in the world. Minnie begins a complex love affair with her mother’s boyfriend, “the handsomest man in the world,” Monroe Rutherford. What follows is a sharp, funny and provocative account of one girl’s sexual and artistic awakening, without judgment.
Set in 1976 San Francisco, The Diary Of A Teenage Girl begins at the crossroads of the fading hippie movement and the dawn of punk rock. News commentary of the Patty Hearst trial echoes in the background, as Minnie’s young expressive eyes soak in a drug-laden city in transition— where teenage rebellion and adult responsibility clash in characters lost and longing. Minnie’s hard-partying mother and absent father have left her rudderless. She first finds solace in Monroe’s seductive smile, and then on the backstreets of the city by the bay. Animation serves a refuge from the confusing and unstable world around her. Minnie emerges defiant — taking command of her sexuality and drawing on her newfound creative talents to reveal truths in the kind of intimate and vivid detail that can only be found in the pages of a teenage girl’s diary.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
Jun 13 2015 5:45 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 10
Diversity Speaks: In Conversation
Jun 13 2015 1:30 PM
Conga Room
In Conversation with John Ridley
Film Independent Curator Elvis Mitchell joins prolific Oscar®-winning authorscreenwriterexecutive producer John Ridley (American Crime, 12 Years a Slave, Jimi: All Is by My Side) onstage for an intimate, off-the-record conversation about the state of the film industry.
Moderated by Elvis Mitchell
Free and open to the public
Diversity Speaks: Prime Time: Adjusting the Color
Jun 13 2015 2:45 PM
Conga Room
An explosion of content on television and the web seems to be finally speaking to a broader audience that has been historically absent or misrepresented on the screen. Shows like Blackish, Empire, Fresh off the Boat, Jane the Virgin, and Transparent are changing the way we look at ourselves and others by bringing to life cultural specific characters that represent a more realistic vision of the American experience.
Join us for a dialogue with the talent behind some of these shows to celebrate their feat and examine the challenges to establish a more inclusive environment in this space.
Panelists include: Wendy Calhoun, writer, Empire; Gail Lerner, writerco-executive producer, Black-ish; Andrea Navedo, actress, Jane the Virgin ; Randall Park, actor, Fresh off the Boat; and Our Lady J, writer, Transparent.
Moderated by Debra Birnbaum, Executive Editor, TV for Variety.
Diversity Speaks: Visions of Mandela
Jun 13 2015 4:00 PM
Conga Room
The Nelson Mandela Foundation presents an exclusive premiere screening of a collection of films inspired by Nelson Mandela’s speeches, followed by a Q&A with select filmmakers. Directors include Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo, 99 Homes), Eva Weber (Black Out) & James Marsh (The Theory of Everything, Man on Wire), Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding; New York, I Love You), Nabil Elderkin (Bouncing Cats), and Hank Willis Thomas (Question Bridge: Black Males).
Diversity Speaks: Visions of Mandela
Jun 13 2015 4:00 PM
Free Event
Dope
Jun 8 2015 7:30 PM
Premiere House
Special Screening
(2015 , 115 min. )
Directed by: Rick Famuyiwa
Screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa
Producers: Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker
Cinematographer: Rachel Morrison
Editor: Lee Haugen
Music: Germaine Franco
Cast: Zoe Kravitz, Keith Stanfield, Forest Whitaker
In this sharp and smart comedydrama, Malcolm is an Inglewood high-schooler who loves all things ‘90s and dreams of going to Harvard, but first he must navigate the dangerous streets – and the equally treacherous educational system – of Los Angeles.
Dope
Jun 8 2015 7:30 PM
Passholder Only
Premiere House
The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce
Jun 13 2015 6:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
LA Muse
English
(2015 , 75 min.)
Directed by: Baron Davis, Chad Gordon
Screenwriter:
Producers: Paul Hunter, Ali Brown, Erikka Yancy, Gus Roxburgh
Editor: Quinn Alvarez
Music:
Cast: Dino Smiley, Baron Davis, DeMar DeRozan, Dorell Wright, Byron Scott, Casper Ware Jr.
The Staples Center may be home to the Lakers and Clippers but 10 miles away is a different arena – the ultimate destination for pure basketball competition, the Drew League. From humble beginnings in 1970s South Central, the Drew League started out as a sanctuary from gang activity. Now, through the sweat and dedication of community members, the league has grown into the nation’s premiere court for pro-amateur basketball.
This widely appealing debut film from former Clipper Baron Davis and co-director Chad Gordon showcases high-energy basketball talent in a story about persistence, loyalty, and above all, community. Candid interviews from Drew League legends and top NBA players are intercut with fast-paced game footage. Forget about courtside, The Drew puts you in the middle of the game.
-Stephanie Owens
The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce
Jun 13 2015 6:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
Dude Bro Party Massacre III (preceded by short film Shevenge)
Jun 13 2015 10:20 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
Nightfall
English
(2015 , 101 min. )
Directed by: Michael Rousselet, Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon
Screenwriter: Michael Rousselet, Alec Owen, Ben Gigli, Brian Firenzi, Jon Salmon, Joey Scoma, Michael E. Peter, Mike James, Timothy Ciancio, Tomm Jacobsen
Producers: Ben Gigli, Michael E. Peter, Jon Worley, Sarah Farrand, Dave Gare
Cinematographer: Jon Salmon
Editor: Brian Firenzi
Music: Tyler Burton, Spencer Owen
Cast: Alec Owen, Paul Prado, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Ben Gigli, Mike James, Joey Scoma, Michael Rousselet, Kelsey Gunn, Jon Salmon, Brian Firenzi, Maria del Carmen
Yes, it’s back—the most notorious slasher flick that never existed! Unearthed from the golden age of 1980s teen horror movies, the third installment of the Dude Bro Party Massacre franchise leaps to the screen in all its lurid glory. Dorky loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the hard-partying Delta Bi Theta fraternity to solve the brutal murder of his identical twin brother. In an abandoned sorority house beside a secluded lake (where else?) an unseen killer strikes with increasingly gruesome methods. Has the insanely sadistic “Motherface” returned from beyond the grave? This pitch-perfect recreation of the “boobs and blood” teen movie subgenre is a gift to those of us who fondly remember nights huddled in front of the tube watching the films our parents warned us about.
-Steven Jacobson
Jun 13 2015 10:20 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
El Elefante Desaparecido (The Vanished Elephant)
Jun 16 2015 6:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
Buzz
Spanish
(2014 , 109 min. )
Directed by: Javier Fuentes-León
Screenwriter: Javier Fuentes-León
Producers: Javier Fuentes-León, Michel Ruben, Andrés Calderón, Delia García
Cinematographer: Mauricio Vidal
Editor: Phillip J. Bartell
Music: Selma Mutal
Cast: Salvador del Solar, Lucho Cáceres, Angie Cepeda, Vanessa Saba, Tatiana Astengo, Carlos Carlín, Toño Vega, Magdyel Ugaz, Michel Ruben
It’s been seven years since crime novelist Edo Celeste’s fiancée Celia vanished without a trace. On the anniversary of her disappearance, Celeste receives an envelope from Mara, whose ex-husband died the same day that Celia went missing. The envelope contains photographs that Celeste quickly realizes provide a long-sought-after clue to his beloved’s whereabouts. The obsessed author embarks on a quest that takes him from Lima to the outlying beaches of Paracas, his literary and real-life mysteries becoming evermore intertwined. This original and mind-bending whodunit mystery pays homage to Hollywood film noir and the reality-twisting fiction of Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar.
El Elefante Desaparecido (The Vanished Elephant)
Jun 16 2015 6:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
Elvira, te daría mi vida pero la estoy usando (Elvira, I’d Give You My Life But I’m Using It)
Jun 13 2015 9:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
World Fiction Competition
Spanish
(2015 , 92 min. )
Directed by: Manolo Caro
Screenwriter: Manolo Caro
Producers: Rafael Ley
Cinematographer: Mateo Londono
Editor: Jorge García
Music: Pablo Chemor
Cast: Cecilia Suárez, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Vanessa Bauche, Angie Cepeda, Carlos Bardem
Elvira’s husband went to buy a pack of cigarettes – and never came back. The 40-year-old mother of two young children frantically hunts for clues. Erratically taking things into her own hands, Elvira turns into an amateur sleuth on a relentless and hysterical quest to discover what happened. As Elvira begins to unravel secrets about the husband she thought she knew, her own repressed identity begins to unravel before her. With a charming vivacity, resplendent cinematography and a talented cast with impeccable comedic timing, Cecilia Suarez shines in this delightfully rare, physical and emotional comedy.
-Christine Davila
Hosted by: UCLA Latin American Institute
Elvira, te daría mi vida pero la estoy usando (Elvira, I’d Give You My Life But I’m Using It)
Jun 13 2015 9:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Episodes: Indie Series from the Web
Jun 11 2015 7:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 13
A showcase of independently crafted web series, celebrating rising show creators whose work is innovative and unfiltered.
A breeding ground for video artists with an ear for dialogue and a finger on the pulse, independently crafted web series have become a legitimate outlet for modern viewers. Spotlighting stories and characters undiluted by the process of traditional television programming, these series take advantage of the immediacy of the online medium and the complete lack of creative restrictions, all while parceling out narratives in episodic segments.
Charged
Dir. Ndosi Anyabwile
In the wake of a viral epidemic, a novice fighter struggles to survive illegal experimentation in order to escape from the company that imprisoned him.
Croissant Man
Dir. Tulica Singh
A depressed croissant trying to find meaning in the superficial world of Bourgeois pastries.
Downtown Girls
Dir. Emebeit Beyene, Chandra Russell
Four recent college grads decide to call their own shots, raising money to launch their own business by turning their NYC apartment into a lucrative nightclub.
The Genderton Project (World Premiere)
Dir. Anna Martemucci, Victor Quinaz
A modern group of young gay men head to Palm Springs for a gay wedding weekend, when their story is interrupted by the tale of a 1960’s Pasadena housewife whose life is anything but a piece of cake in this gender-swapped comedy.
Happy And You Know It
Dir. Jeremy Howe
Having just moved to Los Angeles to take care of her grandmother, an aimless girl meets a small-time drug dealer who is similarly searching for purpose.
I Love Lucy & Bekka
Dir. Rachael Holder
Lucy & Bekka have been roommates and best friends since the beginning of their twenties. They are so close that they finish each other’s sandwiches.
The Impossibilities
Dir. Anna Kerrigan
The unexpected connections of Harry, a jaded children’s party magician and Willa, a daffy, lesbian yogi.
The Incredible Life of Darrell
Dir. Darrell Lake
The spectacularly mundane adventures of an incredible average Joe in small town
Wakooki, Arizona.
Jon and Jen Are Married
Dir. Gregory Fitzsimmons
Jon and Jen are married, they’re expecting a child, and they take absurd measures to influence their fetus.
The Oversharer
Dir. Ali Le Roi
A friendly woman embodies the phrase “too much information”.
Toybox Theater: Sad Little People
Dir. Marty Schousboe Creator Barry Hite
Stan is a Minotaur managing a midlife crisis while working at the hottest ad agency in town.
Trip Advisor
Dir. Melinda Cohen, Adam Roa
A man whose sole skill in life is his mastery of drugs begins offering his services to the public, providing guided ‘trips’ to a variety of eccentric characters.
Unusual Targets
Dir. Tom Huang
A hit man specializing in supernatural beings tries to learn on the job while taking down monsters that live and hide among the people of Los Angeles.
Episodes: Indie Series from the Web is playing as a part of LAUNCH, an inaugural program for LA Film Fest, which discovers and showcases works by independent artists crafting stories through digital mediums.
Episodes: Indie Series from the Web
Jun 11 2015 7:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 13
The Escort
Jun 15 2015 8:40 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
LA Muse
(2014 , 85 min.)
Directed by: Will Slocombe
Screenwriter: Michael Doneger, Brandon A. Cohen
Producers: Michael Doneger, Blake Goza, Mark DiCristofaro
Cinematographer: Kyle Klutz
Editor: Brad McLaughlin
Music: Rob Barbato
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Doneger, Tommy Dewey, Bruce Campbell, Rachel Resheff, Rumer Willis, Sonya Walger, Dan Bakkedahl, Iqbal Theba, Dean Chekvala
The Escort begins as a story of two 20-somethings using one another for professional gain. Mitch, a sex-obsessed journalist, convinces Natalie, a Stanford-educated prostitute, to allow him to follow her around for an exposé he’s writing for a magazine. While initially hesitant to allow him into her life, Natalie eventually sees an upside for herself and (unbeknownst to Mitch) starts using him as a bodyguard to protect her from the assorted personalities she deals with on a nightly basis. What starts out as just business soon develops into a strong friendship, as the two discover their lives are more fulfilled together.
-Lee Jameson
The Escort
Jun 15 2015 8:40 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 11
The Final Girls
Jun 16 2015 7:30 PM
Premiere House
Gala Screening
English
(2015 )
Directed by: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Screenwriter: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller
Producers: Michael London, Janice Williams
Cinematographer: Elie Smolkin
Editor: Debbie Berman
Music: Gregory James Jenkins
Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Malin Akerman, Adam DeVine, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Alexander Ludwig, Nina Dobrev, Angela Trimbur, Tory N. Thompson, Chloe Bridges
The Final Girls is an unconventional comedy about Max, a high school senior, who is mysteriously transported with her friends into a 1980s horror film that starred Max’s mother, a celebrated scream queen.
Trapped inside the movie, Max finds herself reunited with her mom, who she lost in real life. Together with Max’s friends, they must fend off the camp counselors’ raging hormones, battle a deranged machete-wielding killer and find a way to escape the movie and make it back home.
The Final Girls
Jun 16 2015 7:30 PM
Premiere House
Flock of Dudes
Jun 13 2015 7:40 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
LA Muse
English
(2015 , 104 min. )
Directed by: Bob Castrone
Screenwriter: Bob Castrone, Jason Zumwalt, Brian Levin
Producers: Mark Manuel, Aaron Kaufman, Ted O’Neal, Brian Levin
Cinematographer: Yaron Levy
Editor: Lawrence Jordan
Music: Jonathan Zalben
Cast: Chris D’Elia, Hannah Simone, Bryan Greenberg, Eric Andre, Brett Gelman, Skylar Astin
Adam and his friends have the perfect set up:all night house parties, elaborate drinking games, and random hook-ups. The problem is, Adam and his friends are in their thirties. After yet another round of shenanigans, including getting evicted and discovering his ex-girlfriend is now dating a hot actor, Adam decides he needs to break up with his friends if he wants to grow up as a man.
Director Bob Castrone’s debut boasts an ensemble cast with impeccable comedic flow and the genuine rapport necessary for a story about co-dependent friends. One man’s journey to transcend his juvenile ways turns out to be as ridiculous and fun as expected, especially when it’s balanced with welcome moments of romance and reflection.
-Drea Clark
Flock of Dudes
Jun 13 2015 7:40 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
Flocken (Flocking)
Jun 14 2015 6:10 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
World Fiction Competition
Swedish
(2015 , 110 min. )
Directed by: Beata Gårdeler
Screenwriter: Emma Broström
Producers: Agneta Fagerström Olsson, Annika Hellström
Cinematographer: Gösta Reiland
Editor: Linda Jildmalm
Music:
Cast: Fatime Azemi, John Risto, Eva Melander, Malin Levanon, Jacob Öhrman
For a tight-knit community in a small, Swedish village, life is simple. But the town’s idle routine is disrupted when 14-year-old Jennifer reports a well-liked classmate has sexually assaulted her. The police, judiciary and townspeople all quickly turn against Jennifer and her family and the young woman’s life begins to spiral downwards.
Loosely based on real life events and breathtakingly lensed, BeataGardler’s sophomore feature unfolds with otherworldly ease, examining the frustrating and single-minded nature of small town mob-mentality, finger-pointin, and slut-shaming. Winner of the Crystal Bear at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival, Gardler’s restrained and stripped-down film explores the vicious social blowback that rape victims experience the world over.
-So Yun Um
Flocken (Flocking)
Jun 14 2015 6:10 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 14
Frank & Cindy
Jun 16 2015 8:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
Premieres
(2015 , 100 min. )
Directed by: Gilbert Echternkamp
Screenwriter: Gilbert Echternkamp, Alex Holdridge
Producers: Bill Perkins, John Pierce, Scoot McNairy, Bic Tran
Cinematographer: Tobias Datum
Editor: James Harrison III, Rick Shaine
Music: Mac Quayle
Cast: Rene Russo, Oliver Platt, Johnny Simmons, Jane Levy, Marc Maron
In 1983, Cindy married a rock star, Frank. She imagined a life of glitz and glamor. But as life happened, Frank lost his mojo. Twenty years later, Cindy’s son, G.J., both appalled and amused by his parents’ behavior, picks up his video camera and aims it at them. In an attempt to mock his one- hit-wonder step-father, G.J. unintentionally creates a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness—and love.
Frank & Cindy
Jun 16 2015 8:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
French Dirty (preceded by short film Tourist Trap)
Jun 11 2015 9:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
LA Muse
English
(2015 , 72 min. )
Directed by: Wade Allain-Marcus, Jesse Allain-Marcus
Screenwriter: Peter K. Hagen, Wade Allain-Marcus
Producers: Jason Wolf, Mel Jones
Cinematographer: M. Holden Warren
Editor: Javier Alvarez
Music: Jonathan Scott Friedman
Cast: Wade Allain-Marcus, Melina Lizette, Arjun Gupta, Elsa Beidermann, Santana Dempsey
Vincent is a classic millennial. Untethered to a job, or relationship, he hangs out with Steve, his best friend since childhood, until he meets Roma. Since Vincent is already in a relationship, he introduces Roma to Steve who falls madly in love forcing Vincent to hide his growing attraction. As the sun drops behind the Los Angeles skyline, Vincent ruminates on his own arrested development and the hard choice he must make to become a better man.
Filmmaking brothers Wade Allain-Marcus and Jesse Allain-Marcus command attention from the first sizzling scene of their audacious debut feature, with an ensemble cast full of youthful verve and kinetic energy.
-Mark Maynard
Tourist Trap , Directed by Alana Purcell
To take his mind off a broken romance, a tourist from Japan finds distraction in a local LA girl.
French Dirty (preceded by short film Tourist Trap)
Jun 11 2015 9:00 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 8
Funny or Die’s Make ’em LAFF Showcase
Jun 11 2015 8:00 PM
Festival Lounge
Funny Or Die is reteaming with the Festival this year to host a mash-up comedy extravaganza celebrating diverse, unique and authentic voices in the comedy world.This showcase of stand-up performances and comedy videos features comedians such as Kristen Schaal, Jermaine Fowler, Solomon Georgio, Ali Wong and host Chris Garcia, with additional performers to be announced. An after party for attendees will directly follow the showcase.
Select videos from the Make ‘em LAFF competition will screen as part of the showcase. A jury comprised of Film Independent Curator Elvis Mitchell and comedians Jason Mantzoukas (Kroll Show, Parks and Recreation), Beth Stelling (@midnight, Jimmy Kimmel Live!) and Ron Funches (Kroll Show, Undateable), has selected the winner who will be announced live at the event. The winner will meet with a Funny Or Die producer where they’ll pitch ideas for their next comedy video and once Funny Or Die approves a concept, they will co-produce the video and have it distributed on Funny Or Die.
Jun 11 2015 8:00 PM
Festival Lounge
Please note: You must be 21+ to attend this event.
Funny or Die’s Make ’em LAFF Showcase
Jun 11 2015 8:00 PM
Future Filmmakers 1
Jun 13 2015 10:30 AM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
The Los Angeles Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Showcase brings to the big screen the best films made by budding young filmmakers from across the country and the globe. In this diverse slate of films, incredibly accomplished high school students will present wild comedies, moving dramas, mesmerizing animation, introspective experimental films and everything in between.
It’s a Thing
Directors: Sebastian Crank, Sage McCommas, Meredith Morran
Adolescent love blooms when two masked misfits come together over their similar neuroses. 5 mins.
Beatrix
Directors: Grace Hoffman, Michelle Miles
Featuring artist and style icon Beatrix Ost, this beautifully shot portrait explores individuality and the joy in finding oneself. 6 mins.
Mask
Director: Katie Speare
Societal definitions of female beauty are questioned in this sharp, cinematic exploration. 2 mins.
Sour Lemonade
Director: Natalia Ferrara
A garden party’s hostess has something unexpected in store for her lady-like guests. 3 mins.
Stranded
Director: Clio Gevirtz
An overachieving dancer on tour pushes herself to the edge during an unexpected detour. 10 mins.
Memories from Before (Souvenirs d’avant)
Director: Dustin Whitley
Gorgeously animated, this moving experimental film depicts the horrors of World War One. 3 mins.
Falling
Directors: Imani Peterkin, Maya Suchak
In this honest and moving portrayal of young love, a father’s misguided interference threatens to crush his daughter’s blossoming romance and, worst of all, her spirit. 10 mins.
My Bully
Director: Ava Ludwig
Self-reflection and realization are explored in this beautiful, cinematic spoken word piece. 2 mins.
The Rhythm of Healing
Director: Imani Cook-Gist
The unparalleled healing power of music and dance is explored in this touching and ultimately uplifting documentary about the horrific Rwandan genocide. 7 mins.
Stanley
Director: Jamie Lipman
An automaton student breaks free from the prison of routine when he starts listening to his own voice. 5 mins.
Penguin Suicides
Directors: Seungha Na, Heri Yoo
A sad little penguin just wants to end it all, but he can’t quite seem to get there. 5 mins. South Korea
Dreams
Director: Matthew Dominguez
The shuffle of a young man’s iPod becomes the soundtrack of his dreamscape. 3 min.
A Guy with a Dog
Director: William Lancaster
Hilarity and bloodshed ensue when a zombie apocalypse forces two strangers into a very unlikely friendship. 12 mins.
Old Tricks
Director: Theodore Buckwald
A burglar gets more than he bargained for when his elderly victim proves more wily than expected. 7 mins.
Supported by
Argyros Family Foundation
Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television
Time Warner Foundation
Future Filmmakers 1
Jun 13 2015 10:30 AM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
Future Filmmakers 2
Jun 13 2015 2:30 PM
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE 9
The Los Angeles Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Showcase brings to the big screen the best films made by budding young filmmakers from across the country and the globe. In this diverse slate of films, incredibly accomplished high school students will