The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Film Independent in conjunction with Los Angeles Times will be hosted at L.A. Live in downtown LA from Thursday, June 14th to Sunday, June 24th. The LA Film Fest (LAFF) has now grown up into it’s 18th year of celebrating the best in new American and international cinema. The LAFF is recognized as a world-class event and this will be the 3rd year it will hosted by L.A. Live and located in the heart of LA.
This LAFF will be screening a diverse ticket of nearly 200 feature films, short films, and music videos, representing more than 30 countries from around the world. The event will feature their signature programs like the Filmmaker Retreat, Coffee Talks, Poolside Chats, music events and more. Opening night will feature Woody Allen’s To Rome With Love in addition Ava DuVernay’s Middle of Nowhere, Benh Zeitlin’s Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World were also selected to screen throughout the festival.
To Rome With Love
“There is nothing more satisfying than shining a spotlight on so many unique films from both seasoned and emerging filmmakers. Come experience the wonder of Beasts of the Southern Wild, let Call Me Kuchu break your heart and call you to action, or simply be entertained by Channing Tatum and Matthew McConaughey in Magic Mike,” said Festival Director Stephanie Allain. “These are just a few of the diverse stories that bring us into new worlds or put a fresh twist on familiar ones. ‘Exclusively for Everyone’ isn’t just a tag line. It’s an invitation to experience both the specific and the universal, and hopefully come away entertained and enlightened. Enjoy!”
Magic Mike
Closing night will feature the World Premiere of director Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike created by Warner Bros. Pictures and written by Reid Carolin. Stars in the cast include Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Riley Keough, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez, Joe Manganiello and Gabriel Iglesias. This movie is set in the world of male strippers. The dramatic comedy follows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women and making easy money. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film nationwide in theaters on Friday, June 29th, 2012.
People Like Us
Another anticipated World Premiere amongst the Summer Showcase screenings is director Alex Kurtzman’s People Like Us created by Dreamworks Pictures and written by Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Jody Lambert. Starring in this film is Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, Philip Baker Hall, Michael Hall D’Addario, Mark Duplass and Michelle Pfeiffer. A story inspired by true events, Sam (Pine), a twenty-something, fast-talking salesman, is tasked with fulfilling his estranged father’s last wishes, which is delivering an inheritance to a sister he never knew he had. Dreamworks Pictures will release the film in theaters on Friday, June 29th, 2012.
Woody Allen on To Rome With Love
“We’ve got a marvelous mix this year that reflects the incredible diversity of world cinema and of Los Angeles itself. I’m excited to have such giants as Woody Allen, Steven Soderbergh and André Téchiné alongside some amazing first-time filmmakers whose names you’ll be hearing a lot in the future. We want to offer festival-goers stories and visions they haven’t seen before and a chance to meet the most creative minds working in movies. It’s going to be a fun and mind-expanding ten days,” said Festival Artistic Director David Ansen.
Dirty Dancing 25th Anniversary
The LAFF will also feature free outdoor programming for fans to crowd around. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the film Dirty Dancing there will be a Dance-A-Long at the California Plaza on June 22nd at 7:00 pm. This production is a cooperation with Dance Camera West and Grand Performances. Attendees may take a free salsa lesson by Contra-Tiempo. There will also be an interactive screening of the film with special guests and a shadow cast consisting of performers from local dance companies to dance on stage below the screening corresponding to key scenes.
The LAFF received 5,283 submissions from filmmakers around the world this year, compared to 5,025 submissions last year. From all these submissions the final selections represent 30 countries from around the world, North American and US premieres, which includes premiere status for films previously announced. There will be 19 premieres that are in the Narrative and Documentary Competition sections.
Make arrangements to attend this 10 day event. There are passes available for sale to Film Independent members and to the general public. The Festival passes give you access to screenings, events, a series of networking receptions and entry to the Filmmaker Lounge. This gives Festival pass holders opportunity to interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community at the Filmmaker Lounge.
LA Film Festival Information:
Beginning Tuesday, May 29th, general admission tickets to individual films go on sale. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event information by calling (866) FILM-FEST, (866) 345-6337, or visit the official website at LAFilmFest.com.
This will be the seventh year the Los Angeles Times will be serving as the LAFF Presenting Media Sponsor. The LA Times will produce the Official Film Guide which is a comprehensive source for all movie information, screenings, locations and related special events. The Film Guide will be on top of their paper on Sunday, June 10th, in Los Angeles and Orange County, and will be made available throughout downtown Los Angeles during the 10 day event.
Films to be Featured at LAFF:
OPENING NIGHT:
To Rome With Love – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Woody Allen PRODUCERS Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum CAST Woody Allen, Alec Baldwin, Roberto Benigni, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Jesse Eisenberg, Greta Gerwig, Ellen Page) – Written and directed by Woody Allen, To Rome With Love is a story about a number of people in Italy — some American, some Italian, some residents, some visitors — and the romances and adventures and predicaments they get into. North American Premiere
CLOSING NIGHT:
Magic Mike – (DIRECTOR Steven Soderbergh PRODUCERS Reid Carolin, Gregory Jacobs, Channing Tatum, Nick Wechsler WRITER Reid Carolin CAST Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn, Matt Bomer, Riley Keough, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias) – Set in the world of male strippers, the dramatic joefollows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money. World Premiere
GALA SCREENINGS:
Beasts of the Southern Wild – (DIRECTOR Benh Zeitlin WRITERS Lucy Alibar, Benh Zeitlin PRODUCERS Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey, Josh Penn CAST Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry) – This stunningly imaginative, boldly original film follows six-year-old Hushpuppy as she fights to protect her father and their unique way of life in a remote, dreamlike area of the Delta threatened by apocalyptic floods.
Middle of Nowhere – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Ava DuVernay PRODUCERS Howard Barish, Ava DuVernay, Paul Garnes CAST Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Toussaint, Edwina Findley, Sharon Lawrence) – How do you maintain a marriage — and your own identity — when your husband has been sentenced to eight years in prison? Writer/director Ava DuVernay’s elegant and powerful portrait of a strong woman contending with conflicting feelings of love, guilt and desire marks the arrival of a bold new voice in independent cinema.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – (DIRECTOR/WRITER Lorene Scafaria PRODUCERS Steve Golin, Joy Gorman, Steven M. Rales, Mark Roybal CAST Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Connie Britton, Rob Corddry, Gillian Jacobs, Derek Luke, Melanie Lynskey, T.J. Miller, Mark Moses, Patton Oswalt, William Petersen) – Taking audiences on a humorous, moving and intimate journey against an epic backdrop of Earth’s final days, the film is Lorene’s feature directorial debut (she previously adapted Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist). Set in a too-near future where time at once stands still and is slipping away forever, the film explores what people will do and how they will feel when humanity’s end is near. World Premiere
Narrative Competition (10): The Narrative Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Filmmaker Award. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature or Best International Feature.
All Is Well, Pocas Pascoal – Portugal – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Breakfast with Curtis, Laura Colella – WORLD PREMIERE
The Compass is Carried by the Dead Man, Arturo Pons – Mexico – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Crazy and Thief, Cory McAbee – NORTH PREMIERE
Dead Man’s Burden, Jared Moshé – WORLD PREMIERE
Four, Joshua Sanchez – WORLD PREMIERE
A Night Too Young, Olmo Omerzu – Czech Republic – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Pincus, David Fenster – WORLD PREMIERE
Red Flag, Alex Karpovsky – WORLD PREMIERE
Thursday till Sunday, Dominga Sotomayor – Chile – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Documentary Competition (9): The Documentary Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Documentary Award. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature or Best International Feature.
25 to Life, Mike Brown – WORLD PREMIERE
A Band Called Death, Jeff Howlett, Mark Covino – WORLD PREMIERE
Birth Story: Ina May Gaskin and the Farm Midwives, Sara Lamm, Mary Wigmore – WORLD PREMIERE
Call Me Kuchu, Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall – US PREMIERE
Drought, Everado González – Mexico – US PREMIERE
The Iran Job, Till Schauder – USA/Germany/Iran – WORLD PREMIERE
Sun Kissed, Maya Stark, Adi Lavy – WORLD PREMIERE
Vampira and Me, R. H. Greene – WORLD PREMIERE
Words of Witness, Mai Iskander – Egypt/USA – US PREMIERE
International Showcase (15): The International Showcase highlights innovative independent narrative and documentary features from outside of the United States. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.
Bestiaire, Denis Côté – Canada
Bunohan: Return to Murder, Dain Said – Malaysia (Oscilloscope Pictures)
Canícula, José Álvarez – Mexico
The First Man, Gianni Amelio – France – US PREMIERE
The Last Elvis, Armando Bo – Argentina
Neighboring Sounds, Kleber Mendonça Filho – Brazil (The Cinema Guild)
On the Edge, Leila Kilani – France/Morocco/Germany
P-047, Kongdej Jaturanrasamee – Thailand
Return to Burma, Midi Z. – Taiwan/Myanmar
Sister, Ursula Meier – Switzerland (Adopt Films) – NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
The Strawberry Tree, Simone Rapisarda Casanova – Canada/Cuba/Italy
Summer Games, Rolando Colla – Switzerland
Teddy Bear, Mads Matthiesen – Denmark (Film Movement)
Unforgivable, André Téchiné – France (Strand Releasing)
Without Gorky, Cosima Spender – UK
Summer Showcase (16): The Summer Showcase section offers an advance look at this summer’s most talked about independent film releases from the festival circuit. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, or Best Documentary Feature.
About Face, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders (HBO Films)
Beauty Is Embarrassing, Neil Berkeley
Big Easy Express, Emmett Malloy
Celeste and Jesse Forever, Lee Toland Krieger (Sony Pictures Classics)
Gayby, Jonathan Lisecki (Wolfe Releasing)
Gimme the Loot, Adam Leon (IFC Films)
The House I Live In, Eugene Jarecki
It’s a Disaster, Todd Berger – WORLD PREMIERE
La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus, Mark Kendall – USA/Guatemala
Neil Young Journeys, Jonathan Demme (Sony Pictures Classics)
An Oversimplification of her Beauty, Terence Nance – USA/France
People Like Us, Alex Kurtzman (Dreamworks Pictures) – WORLD PREMIERE
The Queen of Versailles, Lauren Greenfield (Magnolia Pictures)
Reportero, Bernardo Ruiz
Robot and Frank, Jake Schreier (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Searching for Sugar Man, Malik Bendjelloul (Sony Pictures Classics)
Community Screenings (6): These films will be presented free to the public. New films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best Narrative Feature or Best Documentary Feature.
Dirty Dancing (1987), Emile Ardolino – Grand Performances Screening
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Steven Spielberg – FIGat7th Screening
G-Dog, Freida Mock – WORLD PREMIERE
The Invisible War, Kirby Dick (Cinedigm)
LUV, Sheldon Candis – Project Involve Screening (Indomina)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Nicholas Meyer – FIGat7th Screening
The Beyond (3): The Beyond offers films that dare to be different. Films in this section are eligible for Audience Awards for Best International Feature or Best Narrative Feature.
The History of Future Folk, J. Anderson Mitchell, Jeremy Kipp Walker – WORLD PREMIERE
Juan of the Dead, Alejandro Brugués – Cuba
Saturday Morning Massacre, Spencer Parsons – WORLD PREMIERE
Retro (3):
Ballads, Blues and Bluegrass (1961), Alan Lomax – WORLD PREMIERE
Banishment (2007), Andrey Zvyagintsev – Russia – LAFCA’s The Film That Got Away
The Breaking Point (1950), Michael Curtiz – Film Foundation Screening
Short Films (48): Shorts are shown before features and as part of four short film programs. With their diverse and complex content, these films shine brilliantly. Most short films, domestic and international, will compete for prizes in Narrative, Documentary, and Animation/Experimental categories. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors. An Audience Award for Best Short Film is also presented.
Shorts Program 1-4
Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (31): These two programs of shorts are made by high school students from around the country, featuring work by the next generation of filmmakers.
Programs 1-2
Music Videos (40): The Music Video Showcase consists of two programs. Eclectic Mix is a visual mix tape of this year’s best independent music videos with a few innovative major label artists thrown in for good measure. As a Special Focus, DANIELS and Walter Robot go head to head in an event peppered with music videos, shorts, production secrets, feats of strength, audience challenges and possible mime. Music videos will compete for an Audience Award.
Eclectic Mix 1
Thunderdome: DANIELS vs Walter Robot
For more information visit the official website at LAFilmFest.com.
