Film Independent Announces 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival Line-up & Closing Night Premiere

LOS ANGELES, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 Mendona 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.

• 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

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