The LA Film Festival has unveiled the official U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, Nightfall and LA Muse sections. The festival runs June 1-9 at the ArcLight Cinemas.
“Our Programming team, led by Roya Rastegar and Jennifer Cochis, killed it,” said festival director Stephanie Allain. “The competition lineup of 42 world premieres echoes Film Independent’s mission to celebrate diversity and showcases a multitude of innovative, fresh voices. We can’t wait to share these films with audiences and industry alike, and, following years which saw films like ‘Meet the Patels,’ ‘Code Black,’ ‘Nightingale,’ ‘The Drew,’ ‘Out of My Hand’ and ‘French Dirty’ acquired out of the festival, are confident that 2016 will mark our best festival yet.”
“Discovering storytellers is our raison d’être,” said director of programming Roya Rastegar. “We invest a great deal to learn about filmmaking communities across the globe. We look for films with conviction in perspective, style and voice.”
“Curating films for LA audiences is so special because Angelenos have a uniquely homegrown love of cinema,” added creative director Jennifer Cochis. “It’s with true film lovers in mind that we program: from political theater to musical theater, we’re highlighting storytelling in all its forms.”
The 2016 LA Film Festival, which will have its headquarters at the ArcLight Culver City, will feature a diverse slate of 56 feature films, 58 short films and 13 short episodic works representing 28 countries. The festival will open with the world premiere of Ricardo De Montreuil’s “Lowriders.” This year’s guest director is Ryan Coogler (“Creed”), while Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) and Array Releasing will receive the Spirit of Independence Award. More special screenings and programs will be announced in the coming weeks.
The festival’s five competitions feature 42 World Premieres. Across the five feature competition categories, 43% of the films are directed by women and 38% of the films are directed by people of color.
This year, LA Film Festival director Stephanie Allain is joined by creative director Jennifer Cochis, director of programming Roya Rastegar and managing director Ralph Rivera. Film Independent Curator Elvis Mitchell continues to oversee signature programs and LACMA events.
US Fiction Competition (12)
Original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers.
11:55, dir. Ari Issler, Ben Snyder, USA, World Premiere
72 Hours, dir. Raafi Rivero, USA, World Premiere
Blood Stripe, dir. Remy Auberjonois, USA, World Premiere
Chee and T, dir. Tanuj Chopra, USA, World Premiere
Destined, dir. Qasim Basir, USA, World Premiere
Dreamstates, dir. Anisia Uzeyman, USA, World Premiere
GREEN / is / GOLD, dir. Ryon Baxter, USA, World Premiere
My First Kiss and the People Involved, dir. Luigi Campi, USA, World Premiere
Paint it Black, dir. Amber Tamblyn, USA, World Premiere
Tracktown, dir. Jeremy Teicher, Alexi Pappas, USA, World Premiere
The View from Tall, dir. Erica Weiss, Caitlin Parrish, USA, World Premiere
Woven, dir. Salome Mulugeta, Nagwa Ibrahim, USA, World Premiere
Documentary Competition (12) – Sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television.
Compelling, character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world.
Company Town, dir. Natalie Kottke, Erica Sardarian, USA, World Premiere
Denial, dir. Derek Hallquist, USA, World Premiere
Dr. Feelgood, dir. Eve Marson, USA, World Premiere
Dying Laughing, dir. Lloyd Stanton, Paul Toogood, USA/UK, World Premiere
The House on Coco Road, dir. Damani Baker, Grenada/USA, World Premiere
Jackson, dir. Maisie Crow, USA, World Premiere
The Last Gold, dir. Brian T. Brown, Germany/USA, World Premiere
Looking at the Stars, dir. Alexandre Peralta, Brazil/Nicaragua/USA, World Premiere
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, dir. Deborah Riley Draper, USA, World Premiere
Out of Iraq, dir. Eva Orner, Chris McKim, Canada/Iraq/Lebanon/USA, World Premiere
Political Animals, dir. Jonah Markowitz, Tracy Wares, USA, World Premiere
They Call us Monsters, dir. Ben Lear, USA, World Premiere
World Fiction Competition (6)
Unique fiction films from around the world from emerging and established filmmakers, especially curated for LA audiences.
Heis (chronicles), dir. Anaïs Volpé, France, World Premiere
Like Cotton Twines, dir. Leila Djansi, Ghana/USA, World Premiere
London Town, dir. Derrick Borte, UK, World Premiere
Lupe Under the Sun, dir. Rodrigo Reyes, Mexico/USA, World Premiere
A Moving Image, dir. Shola Amoo, UK, World Premiere
Play the Devil, dir. Maria Govan, Trinidad/Bahamas/USA, World Premiere
LA Muse (6)
Fiction and documentary films that capture the spirit of L.A.
Actors of Sound, dir. Lalo Molina, Argentina/Finland/Germany/India/Ireland/USA, World Premiere
Girl Flu., dir. Dorie Barton, USA, World Premiere
Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story, dir. Eric “Ptah” Herbert, USA, World Premiere
Namour, dir. Heidi Saman, USA, World Premiere
No Light and No Land Anywhere, dir. Amber Sealey, USA, World Premiere
Sensitivity Training, dir. Melissa Finell, USA, World Premiere
Nightfall (6)
From the bizarre to the horrifying, these are films to watch after dark.
Abattoir, dir. Darren Lynn Bousman, USA, World Premiere
Beyond the Gates, dir. Jackson Stewart, USA, World Premiere
Don’t Hang Up, dir. Alexis Wajsbrot, Damien Macé, UK, World Premiere
Mercy, dir. Chris Sparling, USA, World Premiere
Officer Downe, dir. M. Shawn Crahan, USA, World Premiere
Villisca, dir. Tony Valenzuela, USA, World Premiere
Short Films (58): From over 2,500 submissions, the short films selected represent 15 countries and 64% are directed by women. Short films are shown before features and as part of seven short film programs. Shorts will compete for juried prizes for fiction and documentary shorts, as well as an Audience Award for Best Short Film.
Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (33): The LA Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Showcase brings to the big screen the best films made by budding young filmmakers from across the country and the globe. In this diverse slate of films, incredibly accomplished high school students will present wild comedies, moving dramas, mesmerizing animation, introspective experimental films and everything in between. Program sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television and Time Warner Foundation.
Episodes: Indie Series from the Web (13)
A showcase of independently crafted web series, celebrating rising creators whose work and subjects are innovative and unfiltered.
20 Seconds to Live, dir. Ben Rock, USA
Brothers, dir. Emmett Jack Lundberg, USA
Caring, dir. Maggie Kiley, USA
Fridays, dir. Anna Kerrigan, USA
The Ghost and the Negro, dir. Sylvester Folks, USA
Her Story, dir. Sydney Freeland, USA
Instababy, dir. Rosie Haber, USA
Literally So Busy, dir. Jerad Sloan, USA
Little Things, dir. Lex Halaby, Mila Shah, USA
Outside Comedy: Beth Stelling, dir. Thomas Wood, USA
Quirky Female Protagonist, dir. Yulin Kuang, USA
Shangri-LA, dir. Drew Rosas, USA
Time Out with Yes Please!, dir. Kholi Hicks, USA