LA, USA
What’s It ALl about?
In its 21st year, the Los Angeles Film Festival is looking forward to creating a programme of vibrant and diverse stories and storytellers. As the primary exhibition arm of Film Independent, the festival’s mission is to showcase diversity, innovation and unique visions in independent American and international cinema.
The festival will showcase 74 features, 60 shorts and 50 news-media works from across countries. The films programed to feature at the festival range from micro-budgets to large-scale productions, by first-time directors and widely celebrated veterans.
The festival’s signature programmes includes: Master Classes – talks from prominent artists about their trade; Coffee Talks – live discussion on the craft of film making by composers, cinematographers, actors, writers, directors, and more; Diversity Speaks – a day-long convention of filmmakers and storytellers; and the Music in Film Nights at The GRAMMY Museum with some of the world’s most acclaimed musicians. Among the awards to be handed out are the Spirit of Independence Award, the Glory to the Filmmaker Award in celebration of women filmmakers, the Filmmaker Retreat, exclusively for feature filmmakers with films world premiering at the festival this year.
The 2015 edition of LAFF has also introduced a new section entitled Launch, featuring more than 50 films. The section will showcase independent stories crafted through digital media, including music videos and web series.
Watch Out For!
Opening Film:
Lily Tomlin’s Grandma
The film directed by Paul Weitz revolves around a misanthropic poet (Lily Tomlin) who takes her granddaughter (Julia Garner) across Los Angeles in search of the money she needs to terminate her unwanted pregnancy.The comedy drama flick stars Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner and Marcia Gay Harden.
Gala Screening:
The fest will feature first episode of the MTV series Scream followed by Benson Lee’s Seoul Searching and Todd Strauss-Schulson’s The Final Girl.
Other Feature Films
Buzz (includes premieres of renowned films from around the world)
Brand: A Second Coming
Chuck Norris vs Communism
The Dark Horse
Diary of a Teenage Girl
In Football We Trust
Infinitely Polar Bear
Jimmy’s Hall
Manson Family Vacation
The Overnight
People, Places, Things
The Vanished Elephant
Victoria
Sweet Micky for President
LA Muse (World premieres of fiction and documentary films specifically from LA)
A Beautiful Now
Aram, Aram
Can You Dig This
Day Out of Days
The Drew: No Excuse, Just Produce
The Escort
Flock of Dudes
French Dirty
No Más Bebés (No More Babies)
Weepah Way for Now
Nightfall (Horror films)
Caught
The Confines
Crumbs
Crush the Skull
Dude Bro Party Massacre III
Plan Sexenal (Six Year Plan)
Ratter
Shut In
Competition and Awards
Apart from the regular documentary competition this year, the annual event has added two new contest US Fiction and World Fiction competitions. The US Fiction competition will feature 10 films whereas the World Fiction will enlist 8 films in its category.The festival will host the world premieres of around 18 films. The films that are selected for competition, which premiere in the US for the first time at the Los Angeles Film Festival, are also eligible for multiple jury and audience awards.