- World Premiere of Warner Bros. Pictures' Magic Mike to
Close the Festival -
- Dreamworks Pictures' People Like Us to World Premiere
-
- 19 Films Chosen for Narrative & Documentary
Competition -
LOS ANGELES,
May 1,
2012 -- Today the
Los Angeles
Film Festival, in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the
Los Angeles Times and Host
Partner L.A. LIVE, announced the Closing Night film and official US and
international selections for the 2012 Festival. Guest Director, Artists in
Residence and Conversations with special guests will be announced later this
month. The 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen a diverse slate of nearly
200 feature films, short films, and music videos, representing more than 30
countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Poolside
Chats, Coffee Talks, music events and more. As previously announced,
Woody Allen's
To Rome With Love will be Opening
Night, sponsored by Virgin America, and
Lorene
Scafaria's
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World,
Ava DuVernay's
Middle of Nowhere and
Benh Zeitlin's
Beasts of the Southern Wild were
selected for the Galas section.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles and
headquartered at L.A. LIVE for a third year, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June
24. Now in its eighteenth year, the Festival is widely recognized as a
world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema,
and is produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also
produces the Spirit Awards.
"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!"
"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 Andre Techine 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.
The Festival will end its festivities with the World Premiere of Warner Bros.
Pictures' Magic Mike , directed by Steven
Soderbergh, written by Reid Carolin and
starring Channing Tatum, Alex
Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn,
Matt Bomer, Riley
Keough, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez
and Gabriel Iglesias. 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 on June 29, 2012.
Dreamworks Pictures' People Like Us will have its World
Premiere amongst the Summer Showcase screenings. The film is directed by Alex Kurtzman, written by Kurtzman and Roberto Orci and Jody
Lambert, and stars Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia
Wilde, Michael Hall D'Addario, Philip Baker
Hall, Mark Duplass and Michelle Pfeiffer. In a story inspired by true events,
Sam (Pine), a twenty-something, fast-talking
salesman, is tasked with fulfilling his estranged father's last wishes -
delivering an inheritance to a sister he never knew he had. Dreamworks Pictures
will release the film on June 29, 2012.
As part of the Los Angeles Film Festival's
free outdoor programming, there will be a Dirty Dancing
Dance-A-Long at California Plaza on June 22 at
7pm to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film.
Produced in cooperation with Dance Camera West and Grand Performances, there
will be free salsa lessons by Contra-Tiempo, a 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 during key scenes.
This year, the Festival received 5,283 submissions from filmmakers around the
world, compared to 5,025 last year. The final selections represent 30 World,
North American and US premieres, which includes premiere status for films
previously announced. 19 of the premieres are in the Narrative and Documentary
Competition sections.
Passes are currently on sale to Film Independent members and the general
public. In addition to screenings and events, Festival passes provide access to
a series of networking receptions and entry to the Filmmaker Lounge, where
Festival pass holders can interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in
the film community. General admission tickets to individual films go on sale
beginning May 29. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event
information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit LAFilmFest.com.
For the seventh year, the Los Angeles Times will
serve as the Festival's Presenting Media Sponsor and will once again produce the
Official Film Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings,
locations and related special events. The Film Guide will top the paper on Sunday, June 10 in Los
Angeles and Orange County, and will be
made available throughout downtown Los Angeles
during the ten-day event.
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 Moshe - 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 Gonzalez - 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 Cote - Canada
- Bunohan: Return to Murder , Dain Said - Malaysia (Oscilloscope Pictures)
- Canicula , Jose Alvarez - Mexico
- The First Man , Gianni Amelio - France - US PREMIERE
- The Last Elvis , Armando Bo - Argentina
- Neighboring Sounds , Kleber Mendona 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 , Andre Techine - 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)
- 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 Brugues - 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.
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.
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
PLEASE REFERENCE THE ADDENDUM FOR ALL FILM TITLES, SYNOPSES, CAST, AND
CREDITS FOR ALL FEATURE FILMS.
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL
Now in its eighteenth year, the
Los
Angeles Film Festival, supported by L.A. LIVE and The
Los Angeles Times, is widely recognized as a world-class
event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema and
providing the movie-loving public with access to some of the most critically
acclaimed filmmakers, film industry professionals, and emerging talent from
around the world.
The Festival features unique signature programs including the Filmmaker
Retreat, Poolside Chats, Coffee Talks, Music Events and more. Additionally, the
Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special
section devoted to music videos.
Nearly 200 features, shorts, and music videos, representing more than 30
countries, make up the main body of the Festival.
The Festival hosts juried cash awards for best narrative and documentary
features, best narrative, documentary and animated short film, and a jury award
for best performance in the narrative competition. Audience awards are also
presented to best documentary, narrative and international feature, short film
and music video.
The
Los Angeles Film Festival is presented in
conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the
Los Angeles
Times and Host Partner L.A. LIVE, Principal and Opening Night Sponsor
Virgin America and Platinum sponsors Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, Deluxe
Entertainment Services Group and EFILM and Nokia. Special support is provided by
FOCUS FORWARD - a partnership between GE and CINELAN, the Alfred P. Sloan
Foundation and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Official
Screening Venue is Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14. The Los Angeles Athletic
Club is the Official Host Hotel and Virgin America is the Official Airline
Partner. WireImage is the Official Photography Agency and PR Newswire is the
Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.
More information can be found at
www.LAFilmFest.com .
ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT
Film Independent is a non-profit
arts organization that champions independent film and supports a community of
artists who embody diversity, innovation, and uniqueness of vision. Film
Independent helps filmmakers make their movies, builds an audience for their
projects, and works to diversify the film industry. Film Independent's Board of
Directors, filmmakers, staff, and constituents, is comprised of an inclusive
community of individuals across ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, and
sexual orientation. Anyone passionate about film can become a member, whether
you are a filmmaker, industry professional, or a film lover.
Film
Independent produces the Spirit Awards, the annual celebration honoring
artist-driven films and recognizing the finest achievements of American
independent filmmakers. Film Independent also produces the
Los Angeles Film Festival, showcasing the best of
American and international cinema and the Film Independent at LACMA Film Series,
a year-round, weekly program that offers unique cinematic experiences for the
Los Angeles creative community and the general
public.
With over 250 annual screenings and events, Film Independent
provides access to a network of like-minded artists who are driving creativity
in the film industry. Film Independent's Artist Development program offers free
Labs for selected writers, directors, producers and documentary filmmakers and
presents year-round networking opportunities. Project:Involve is Film
Independent's signature program dedicated to fostering the careers of talented
filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the film industry.
For more information or to become a member, visit FilmIndependent.org.
ABOUT L.A. LIVE
L.A. LIVE is a 4 million square foot /
$2.5 billion downtown
Los
Angeles sports & entertainment district adjacent to STAPLES Center
and the
Los Angeles Convention Center featuring
Club Nokia, a 2,300 capacity live music venue,
Nokia Theatre L.A.
LIVE, a 7,100-seat live theatre, a 54-story, 1001-room convention
"headquarters" destination (featuring
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles and JW Marriott Los Angeles
at L.A. LIVE hotels and 224 luxury condominiums -
The Ritz
Carlton Residences at L.A. LIVE - all in a single tower), the
GRAMMY
Museum, the 14-screen
Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theatre,
"broadcast" facilities for
ESPN along with entertainment, residential,
restaurant and office space.
Visit L.A. LIVE today at
www.lalive.com .
ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
The
Los Angeles Times is the
largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of
1.9 million and 2.9 million on Sunday, more than 17 million unique latimes.com
visitors monthly and a combined print and online local weekly audience of 4.4
million
. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Times has been covering
Southern California for more than 130 years.
The
Los
Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG) businesses and affiliates also include
The Envelope, Times
Community News,
LA, Los
Angeles Times Magazine and
Hoy Los Angeles which, combined
with the flagship
Los Angeles Times, reach
approximately 5.1 million or 38% of all adults in the
Southern California marketplace. LATMG also owns and
operates
California Community News as well as
Tribune Direct's west
coast division and is part of
Tribune Company, one of the country's leading media companies
with businesses in publishing, the Internet and broadcasting. Additional
information is available at
http://latimes.com/aboutus.
SOURCE Film Independent
