Film Independent reports that this year’s Los Angeles Film 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.
Here is a list of films that made the cut:
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 (Sundance Selects)
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 & 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