FILM INDEPENDENT ANNOUNCES LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL’S ANNUAL ‘COFFEE TALKS’ FEATURING SHANE BLACK, VIRGINIA MADSEN, JOE MANGANIELLO, DREW PEARCE, KAREN MCCULLAH AND MORE
KCRW’s The Treatment Announces Festival Edition
With Host/Film Independent At LACMA Curator Elvis Mitchell and Filmmaker Justin Lin
Film Independent’s Project Involve To Celebrate Its 20th Anniversary
With The World Premiere Of Life Of A King
Film Independent and The Blackouse Foundation Unveil Diversity Speaks Panels
Future Filmmakers Luncheon With Keynote Speaker Jon M. Chu,
Meet Indiewire’s Influencers and Casting By Conversation Panel With John Lithgow Also Scheduled
LOS ANGELES (June 4, 2013) – Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by Film Independent, in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times and Host Partner L.A. LIVE, announced its annual Sunday “Coffee Talks” programming for June 16. The four talks will take place over the course of one day and feature Directors, Actors, Composers and Screenwriters, including Shane Black (Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Virginia Madsen (Sideways, Hell on Wheels), Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Magic Mike), Drew Pearce (Pacific Rim, Iron Man 3), Karen McCullah (Legally Blonde, The Ugly Truth), Atticus Ross (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network) and more.
Additionally, the Festival announced KCRW’s The Treatment at the Los Angeles Film Festival will take place on June 19 with Host/Film Independent at LACMA Curator Elvis Mitchell and filmmaker Justin Lin (Fast & Furious 6, Better Luck Tomorrow). The Festival will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Film Independent’s Project Involve, which will include the world premiere of Life of a King, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. on June 22. Scheduled for June 15 are the Diversity Speaks Panels, which bring together network executives, independent filmmakers, rising Internet sensations and aspiring artists to discuss an array of topics in an effort to further promote inclusivity in the industry. The Festival will also feature a host of other annual events and panels, including the Future Filmmakers Luncheon with keynote speaker Jon M. Chu (Project Involve 2012), Meet Indiewire’s Influencers and a Casting By Conversation. For more information on general ticketing/programming, please visit
lafilmfest.com.
“At the Festival, one of our goals is to connect our audience with the most innovative artists and craftspeople working today,” said Festival Director Stephanie Allain. “In every conversation, Coffee Talk or panel there is an electric exchange that recharges both artist and audience.”
“The Festival provides a great opportunity for us at Film Independent to share what we do year-round for filmmakers with a broader audience: going behind the scenes of the movie making process and celebrating the art of filmmaking at every level,” said Director of Education Maria Bozzi.
On
Sunday June 16 the Los Angeles Film Festival will hold its annual Sunday “Coffee Talks.” The Festival’s popular series returns with four sessions featuring some of today’s most interesting film figures discussing their craft with their peers in fun and freewheeling conversations:
DirectorsSponsored by Directors Guild of America
11:00 am – 12:00 pmPanelists include: Shane Black (Iron Man 3, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), other panelists TBA.
ActorsSponsored by SAGindie
1:00 pm – 2:00 pmPanelists include: Josh Henderson (Desperate Housewives), Virginia Madsen (Sideways, Hell on Wheels) and Joe Manganiello (True Blood, Magic Mike), other panelists TBA.
ComposersSponsored by BMI
3:00 pm – 4:00 pmPanelists include: Atticus Ross (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Social Network), Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3, John Dies at the End), David Sardy (End of Watch, Zombieland), other panelists TBA.
ScreenwritersSponsored by Writers Guild of America, West
5:00 pm – 6:00 pmPanelists include: Drew Pearce (Iron Man 3, Pacific Rim), Karen McCullah (Legally Blonde, The Ugly Truth), other panelists TBA.
Film Independent at LACMA Curator Elvis Mitchell will host a special episode of his radio show KCRW’s The Treatment in front of a live audience as part of the Los Angeles Film Festival. A “treatment,” in Hollywood parlance, is a concise overview of a screenplay. On KCRW’s The Treatment, Mitchell turns the tables and gives the “treatment” to some of the most influential and innovative forces creating movies and popular art and entertainment.
KCRW’s The Treatment at the Los Angeles Film Festival will take place on June 19 at the DIRECTV Theatre Regal 9 and will feature a conversation with filmmaker Justin Lin, director of four of the six Fast & Furious movies, including the recently released Fast & Furious 6. Following the event, the discussion will air as an episode of The Treatment on KCRW (89.9 FM).
One of Film Independent’s signature programs is Project Involve, a program dedicated to cultivating the careers of filmmakers from communities traditionally underrepresented in the industry. This year it celebrates the
20th Anniversary of Project Involve and on
June 22 at
7:00pm the Los Angeles Film Festival will commemorate this milestone with the world premiere of
Life of a King, produced by Jim Young (Fellow Producers Lab 2008) and co-produced by Steak House (Fellow Producers Lab 2008, Fast Track 2008). In this compelling drama inspired by true events, Oscar-winning® actor Cuba Gooding Jr. leads an ensemble of new talent and established greats like Dennis Haysbert and Lisa Gay Hamilton. After being incarcerated for eighteen years, Eugene Brown made an unexpected move. He established a Chess Club for inner-city high school students in Washington D.C. where, amidst dwindling educational resources, over-policing and a looming drug economy, it can be near impossible for youth to find their way to a whole and happy adulthood. Brown resolved to teach young people the fundamentals of chess but it was never just a game for them. For Brown and his students, chess became a matter of survival. “Always think before you move,” says Brown.
At the Diversity Speaks Panels, taking place at The Conga Room at L.A. LIVE, content creators of color who embody innovation will discuss how they manage to combine their passions for storytelling, entrepreneurship and their cultural identities into success stories. Kicking off the day is “Inside HBO: A Conversation With HBO Development Executives” which takes place on June 15 at 1:00 pm. HBO’s critically acclaimed and award-winning programming is unwavering in its ability to engage multicultural audiences with irreverence and excellence. Senior-level original programming executives will host a conversation on what makes a program right for their groundbreaking network. “Computer Love: Color Adjustment on the Web,” sponsored by BET, takes place on June 15 at 2:30 pm and highlights storytellers and content creators of color who have taken the Internet by storm. Panelists include Dennis Dortch & Numa Perrier (The Couple, The Number), Asha Kamali May (Milk + Honey), Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl, The “F” Word) and Al Thompson (Johnny B Homeless, Lenox Avenue). The “New American” Independent Cinema panel, sponsored by HBO, takes place on June 15 at 4:00 pm. As an increasing number of independent filmmakers are exploring what it truly means to be “American,” comprehensive depictions of American life are becoming more visible. In this panel, filmmakers will discuss race, social alienation, sexuality, and the intricacies of drawing an American identity outside of the margins. Panelists include Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), Ava DuVernay (Middle of Nowhere) and Grace Lee (American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs). All events are free and open to the public.
The Future Filmmakers Luncheon, sponsored by PBS SoCaL will take place on June 15 at 12:30 pm and features filmmaker Jon M. Chu (G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, Never Say Never, Step Up 2) as the keynote speaker. The Luncheon is an annual Festival event where we honor the talented high school students with films in the festival. A celebration of the art of storytelling from the youngest voices of our creative community, Chu will pass on words of wisdom to empower and inspire the young filmmakers as they pursue a career in the industry.
On June 17 at 5:00 pm the Festival, along with moderator Dana Harris, Indiewire’s editor-in-chief, unveils the Meet Indiewire’s Influencers list of the smartest, most innovative and forward-thinking filmmakers, content producers, distributors, financiers and curators who are turning the creative world on its head. Sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television, Indiewire will celebrate the people and companies who are bending technology to their creative wills, and, in turn, providing filmmakers and film lovers with the tools that allow the best content to be created and discovered in the 21st century. We gather some of these great minds at the Festival to share their vision, insight and innovations in a freewheeling roundtable discussion. The Meet Indiewire’s Influencers roundtable will include Duncan Cork, CEO of film financing platform SLATED; Nicolas Gonda, co-founder of theatrical on-demand platform TUGG; filmmaker/transmedia artist Lance Weiler (Head Trauma, Pandemic), and others TBA.
The film Casting By will be screening as part of the Festival’s Summer Showcase section and as such we’ll be highlighting the film with a Casting By Conversation panel on June 15 directly following the 5:30 pm screening of the film, which will include a panel discussion with director Tom Donahue, actor John Lithgow, casting director icon Lynn Stalmaster and moderated by Richard Hicks, President of the Casting Society of America. The documentary Casting By follows the career of Marion Dougherty, the legendary casting director who revolutionized the casting in movies and TV. This revelatory, star-studded tribute illuminates the secrets of a little understood trade.
The 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival, which returns to downtown Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE for a fourth year and runs from Thursday, June 13 to Sunday, June 23, will screen a diverse slate of nearly 200 feature films, shorts and music videos, representing more than 40 countries, along with signature programs such as the Filmmaker Retreat, Music in Film Nights at The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE, Master Classes and more. Opening the Festival will be the North American premiere of Pedro Almodóvar’s I’m So Excited! and closing the Festival will be The Way, Way Back from Oscar® winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash and starring Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Annasophia Robb, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph and Liam James. Visit
lafilmfest.com for the most up-to-date schedule of films and programming.
The Los Angeles Film Festival’s FAMILY DAY, a public event, will be held at Nokia Plaza at L.A. LIVE on Saturday, June 15 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm and is made possible by the sponsorship of Hasbro Studios. FAMILY DAY will feature an exciting lineup of activities inspired by the popular My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Kaijudo, Transformers Rescue Bots, Transformers Prime and Littlest Pet Shop animated programs produced by Hasbro Studios. A day of fun for the entire family will feature character appearances, a digital gaming area, a photo booth, a Play-Doh creativity station, balloon animals, face painting, and an entertainment lounge. Kids can also enjoy a real fire truck and police car interactive experience, as well as a “Ponyfication Station” fashion experience. Following FAMILY DAY, the Los Angeles Film Festival will premiere, My Little Pony Equestria Girls, a brand new full-length feature by Hasbro Studios which will introduce a whole new dimension into the world of My Little Pony. The screening will take place at Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14.
Previously announced was the official 2013 Festival lineup, as well as Guest Director David O. Russell, who will receive the Spirit of Independence Award. Also confirmed was a Master Class with Maya Rudolph, “An Evening With Costa-Gavras,” including the US premiere of his new film Capital, a discussion with Spike Jonze, an “In Conversation” with playwright/filmmaker David Mamet and actor/stage magician/author Ricky Jay, a pre-Festival screening of Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel, and the addition of Disney•Pixar’s Monsters University to the Festival lineup. Also announced was Family Day which will feature the world premiere of My Little Pony Equestria Girls, the Gala world premiere at LACMA of Doug Pray’s documentary Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer’s Monolithic Scultpture, the free Community Screenings of Brasslands and the 20th Anniversary screening of Dazed and Confused at FIGat7th and a Dance-A-Long screening of John Waters’ Hairspray at Grand Park in honor of its 25th Anniversary. The Festival’s Music in Film Nights at The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE also slated an evening with the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble hosted by KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox.
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. All Access, Fast, Industry and Cinema Pass holders have access to sold out events. General admission tickets to individual films go on sale beginning May 21. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit
LAFilmFest.com.
For the eighth year, the Los Angeles Times will serve as the Festival’s Presenting Media Sponsor and will 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 9 in Los Angeles and Orange County, and will be made available throughout downtown Los Angeles during the ten-day event.
The Los Angeles Film Festival is presented in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times, Premier and Closing Night Sponsor DIRECTV, Premier Sponsor American Airlines, Principal and Family Day sponsor Hasbro Studios and Platinum sponsors Stella Artois, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, EFILM, HBO, Volkswagen of America, Canon U.S.A., Inc. and Dolby Laboratories, Inc. Special support is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Official Screening Venue is Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14. Stella Artois is the official beer. Renwood Winery is the official wine provider. Shellback Caribbean Rum is the official spirit. The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the Official Host Hotel. WireImage is the Official Photography Agency and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.
ADDITIONAL FILMS & PROGRAMMING
Programming:
• Casting By Conversation – June 15
• Future Filmmakers Luncheon – June 15
• Diversity Speaks Panels – June 15
• “Coffee Talks” Directors/Actors/Screenwriters/Composers – June 16
• Spotlight on the Craft: Canon Celebrates Storytellers: Life of a King Case Study – June 16
• Spotlight on the Craft: Kodak Focus: Robert D. Yeoman – June 16
• Meet Indiewire’s Influencers – June 17
• KCRW’s The Treatment at the Los Angeles Film Festival – June 19
• 20th Anniversary of Project Involve/Life of a King Premiere – June 22
• Spotlight on the Craft: Dolby’s The Sound of Your Story – June 22
PLEASE REFERENCE THE ADDENDUM FOR ALL FILM TITLES, SYNOPSES, CAST AND CREDITS FOR ALL FEATURE FILMS.ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVALNow in its nineteenth year, the Los Angeles Film Festival, supported by L.A. LIVE and the Los Angeles Times, showcases 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, Music in Film Nights at the Grammy Museum, Poolside Chats, Master Classes and more. Additionally, the Festival screens short films created by high school students and has a special section devoted to music videos.
Over 200 features, shorts and music videos, representing more than 30 countries, make up the main body of the Festival.
The DIRECTV Narrative and Documentary Grand Jury Prizes are cash awards for best narrative and documentary features selected by an esteemed panel of jurors each year. The Festival also hosts best narrative, documentary and animated short film jury awards as well as 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, Premier and Closing Night Sponsor DIRECTV, Premier Sponsor American Airlines, Principal and Family Day sponsor Hasbro Studios and Platinum sponsors Stella Artois, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14, EFILM, HBO, Volkswagen of America, and Canon U.S.A., Inc. Special support is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The Official Screening Venue is Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14. Stella Artois is the official beer. Renwood Winery is the official wine provider. Shellback Caribbean Rum is the official spirit. The Los Angeles Athletic Club is the Official Host Hotel. WireImage is the Official Photography Agency and PR Newswire is the Official Breaking News Service of Film Independent.
More information can be found at
LAFilmFest.comABOUT FILM INDEPENDENTFilm Independent is a nonprofit 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 LOS ANGELES TIMESThe Los Angeles Times is the largest metropolitan daily newspaper in the country, with a daily readership of 1.5 million and 2.6 million on Sunday, more than 23 million unique latimes.com visitors monthly and a combined print and online local weekly audience of 4.1 million. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Times has been covering Southern California for more than 131 years.
The Los Angeles Times Media Group (LATMG) businesses and affiliates also include The Envelope, Times Community News, and Hoy Los Angeles which, combined with the flagship Los Angeles Times, reach approximately 5.2 million or 39% of all adults in the Southern California marketplace. LATMG also owns California Community News, LLC, operates Tribune Direct LA, 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/aboutusABOUT L.A. LIVEL.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 at L.A. LIVE, 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
The LA Film Fest kicked off on Thursday, June 13 with the North American premiere of Pedro Almodovar’s I’m So Excited, sponsored by American Airlines, and will close tonight with the world premiere of Oscar® winners Nat Faxon and Jim Faxon’s The Way, Way Back, sponsored by DIRECTV. Gala Screenings included the world premiere of Doug Pray’s Levitated Mass: The Story of Michael Heizer’s Monolithic Sculpture, the North American premiere of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Only God Forgives and the Los Angeles premiere of Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station. 2013 Guest Director and recipient of this year’s Spirit of Independence Award was David O. Russell and Artists in Residences were actress Maya Rudolph and composer Gustavo Santaolalla.
