Los Angeles Film Festival 2008 June 19, 2008

FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAM

The 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen more than 230 feature films, shorts, and music videos. This year the Festival received more than 5000 submissions from filmmakers around the world with the final selections representing several World, North American, and U.S. premieres.
PLEASE REFERENCE THE ADDENDUM FOR ALL FILM TITLES, SYNOPSES, CAST AND CREDITS FOR ALL FEATURE FILMS.
Narrative Competition (7): This section is comprised of films, made by emerging U.S. filmmakers that will compete for the Target Filmmaker Award. Funded by Target, the award carries a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The prize is determined by a panel of prestigious jurors. Films screened in this section also compete for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.
Big Heart City, Ben Rodkin
HottieBoombaLottie, Seth Packard - WORLD PREMIERE
I'll Come Running, Spencer Parsons - WORLD PREMIERE
Medicine for Melancholy, Barry Jenkins
The Pleasure of Being Robbed, Josh Safdie
The Poker House, Lori Petty - WORLD PREMIERE
Prince of Broadway, Sean Baker - WORLD PREMIERE
Documentary Competition (10): This section is comprised of films made by
emerging US filmmakers that will compete for the Target Documentary Award, which
carries a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The prize is determined by a panel of prestigious
jurors. Films screened in this section also compete for the Audience Award for Best
Documentary Feature.
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story, Stefan Forbes
Dirty Hands: The Art & Crimes of David Choe, Harry Kim - WORLD PREMIERE
Finishing Heaven, Mark Mann - WORLD PREMIERE
Largo, Andrew van Baal, Mark Flanagan - WORLD PREMIERE
Loot, Darius Marder - WORLD PREMIERE
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Must Read After My Death, Morgan Dews - US PREMIERE
Paper or Plastic?, Justine Jacob, Alex D. da Silva - WORLD PREMIERE
Pressure Cooker, Jennifer Grausman, Mark Becker - WORLD PREMIERE
Thing With No Name, Sarah Friedland
Trinidad, PJ Raval, Jay Hodges - WORLD PREMIERE
International Showcase (21): The International Showcase highlights the best in
world cinema. Films screened in this section are eligible for the Audience Awards for
Best International Film, Best Narrative Film, or Best Documentary Film.
The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela, Olaf De Fleur Johannesson -
Iceland/Philippines/USA
Captain Ahab, Philippe Ramos - France
The Choir, Michael Davie - South Africa - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Exodus, Pang Ho-Cheung - Hong Kong
Fear(s) of the Dark, Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo
Mattotti, Richard McGuire - France (IFC Films)
Four Wives - One Man, Nahid Persson - Sweden/Iran
Hafner's Paradise, Günter Schwaiger - Austria/Spain - US PREMIERE
Heartbeat Detector, Nicolas Klotz - France (New Yorker Films)
Hello, Stranger, Kim Dong-hyun - South Korea - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go, Kim Longinotto - England (Women Make Movies)
Hotel Very Welcome, Sonja Heiss - Germany
Infinite Border, Juan Manuel Sepúlveda - Mexico - US PREMIERE
La France, Serge Bozon - France
Mechanical Love, Phie Ambo - Denmark
Sonetàula, Salvatore Mereu - Italy/France/Belgium
Tricks, Andrzej Jakimowski - Poland
Useless, Jia Zhang-ke - China
When Clouds Clear, Anne Slick, Danielle Bernstein - Ecuador/USA
Where Are Their Stories?, Nicolás Pereda - Mexico/Canada
Wonderful Town, Aditya Assarat - Thailand (Kino International)
You, the Living, Roy Andersson - Sweden (Tartan Films)
Summer Previews (14): A sneak peek at this summer's upcoming independent
film releases.
American Son, Neil Abramson
The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not For Sale, Jeff Stimmel (HBO) - WORLD
PREMIERE
Baghead, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass (Sony Pictures Classics)
Ballast, Lance Hammer (IFC Films)
Boy A, John Crowley - England (The Weinstein Company)
Choke, Clark Gregg (Fox Searchlight)
Elite Squad, José Padilha - Brazil (The Weinstein Company)
Encounters at the End of the World, Werner Herzog (THINKFilm)
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Frozen River, Courtney Hunt (Sony Pictures Classics)
A Girl Cut in Two, Claude Chabrol - France (IFC Films)
Man on Wire, James Marsh - England (Magnolia Pictures)
Momma's Man, Azazel Jacobs (THINKFilm)
The Order of Myths, Margaret Brown
The Wackness, Jonathan Levine (Sony Pictures Classics)
Dark Wave (3): Edgy films from around the world. For mature audiences.
Cargo 200, Alexei Balabanov - Russia
Let the Right One In, Tomas Alfredson - Sweden (Magnolia Pictures)
X-Cross, Kenta Fukasaku - Japan
Guilty Pleasures (3)
Coyote, Brian Petersen - USA/Mexico
Heidi Fleiss: The Would-Be Madam of Crystal, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato (HBO)
Mirage Man, Ernesto Díaz Espinoza - Chile (Magnolia Pictures)
Special Event Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre (4): These unique outdoor
screenings are part of the 2008 Ford Amphitheatre Summer Season, a multidisciplinary
arts series produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in
cooperation with Los Angeles County-based arts organizations.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil, Sacha Gervasi
Cinematic Titanic
Highwater, Dana Brown - WORLD PREMIERE
Swear-A-Long Scarface, Brian De Palma (1983)
Tribute Screenings (5)
Derek, Isaac Julien (Derek Jarman, 1942 - 1994), England
The Makioka Sisters (1983), Kon Ichikawa (Kon Ichikawa, 1915 - 2008) - Japan
Nothing But A Man (1964), Michael Roemer (Ivan Dixon, 1931 - 2008)
Peter Pan (1953), Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske (Ollie Johnston, 1912 -
2008)
Planet of the Apes (1968), Franklin J. Schaffner (Charlton Heston, 1923 - 2008)
Movies And More - Films With Extended Conversations (3):
The American President (1995), Rob Reiner - Conversation with director Rob Reiner
and select cast and crew
Silverado (1985), Lawrence Kasdan - Conversation with writer/director Lawrence
Kasdan, writer Mark Kasdan, and select cast and crew
The Women (1939), George Cukor - Conversation with Diane English, writer/director
of the upcoming remake
Special Screenings (3):
The Lost Boys (1987), Joel Schumacher
Night Flight: Born Again, Stuart Samuels
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman, Eric Bricker - WORLD
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PREMIERE
Special Series (10):
L.A. Film Critics: The Films That Got Away (3)
Co-presented by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the UCLA Film & Television
Archive.
o Ice (1970), Robert Kramer
o Milestones (1975), Robert Kramer, John Douglas
o Reunion (1989), Jerry Schatzberg - France/Germany/Great Britain
Shaw Sensations (5)
Co-presented by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.
o The Boxer of Shantung, Zhang Che (Chang Cheh), Bao Xueli (1972) - Hong Kong
o Eight Diagram Pole Fighter, Lau Kar-leung (Liu Jialiang) (1983) - Hong Kong
o Hong Kong Nocturne, Umetsugu Inoue (1967) - Hong Kong
o Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan, Chu Yuan (1972) - Hong Kong
o The Singing Thief, Zhang Che (1969) - Hong Kong
The Film Foundation and American Express' Preservation Screening Program (2)
Presented by the Film Foundation and American Express. Co-presented by the UCLA
Film & Television Archive.
o Shadows, John Cassavetes (1959)
o The Short Films of George and Mike Kuchar (1958 - 1963)
Free Screenings (6):
Bye Bye Birdie, George Sidney (1963) - 45th Anniversary
A Fish Called Wanda, Charles Crichton (1988) - 20th Anniversary
The Garden, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Half-Life, Jennifer Phang - Project:Involve Screening
How I See It
Made In America, Stacy Peralta - Grand Performances Screening
Short Films (42): Shorts are shown before features and as part of five short film
programs. With their diverse and complex content, these films shine brilliantly. All short
films, domestic and international, will compete for prizes in Narrative, Documentary,
and Animation categories. The prizes are determined by a panel of prestigious jurors.
An Audience Award for Best Short Film is also presented.
Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (31): These two programs of
shorts made by high school students from around the country feature work by the next
generation of filmmakers.
Music Videos (58): The Music Video Showcase consists of three programs. Our two
Eclectic Mix programs are a visual mix tape of this year's best independent music
videos, with a few innovative major label artists thrown in for good measure. Music
videos will compete for an Audience Award. In addition, this year's Festival will
spotlight music videos from Scandinavia.
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Eclectic Mix 1
Eclectic Mix 2
Declare Yourself: Spotlight on Scandinavia
Film Independent's Diversity EXPO: The Diversity Expo joins hands with the annual
Festival Mixer honoring the Festival's Participating Organizations. This means more
people, more resources, more fun! The Diversity EXPO is a prime networking event at
which filmmakers have access to over 40 entertainment and media organizations. New,
emerging, and established filmmakers interested in expanding their industry and
community contacts are encouraged to attend. The event offers a cool vibe, relaxed
atmosphere and a jamming DJ. Complimentary cocktails. The event is free, but tickets
are required. For tickets and more information, please contact Jane Hwang at
[email protected].
Director Lunch Talks: Los Angeles Times entertainment writer John Horn hosts
conversations with some of the Festival's leading independent filmmakers. Bring your
lunch and join us for informal chats with filmmakers. This year's Lunch Talks will take
place in the Festival Gallery.
Festival Talks : These intimate conversations feature prominent industry figures on a
variety of subjects. This year's speakers include directors Ivan and Jason Reitman, and
HBO's Sheila Nevins. Sponsored by OPEN from American Express.
Coffee Talks: The Festival will have its popular Coffee Talk series again this year on
Sunday, June 22 at the W Los Angeles - Westwood. Grab some freshly brewed coffee
and conversation with some of today's most prominent film figures as they discuss
their craft with their peers in an intimate, informal setting. This year's Coffee Talks will
feature directors, actors, composers, and screenwriters. Sponsored by OPEN from
American Express.
Talks at the Festival Gallery: Drop by and listen in on great conversation between
Festival filmmakers and learn something new at our Tech Talks.
Financing Conference: The Financing Conference, on Saturday, June 21 at the
Landmark, is a day full of workshops and panels for both the novice and the seasoned
producer. From a primer on film financing to detailed discussions on current trends in
the domestic and foreign markets, this conference will provide first-hand information
and advice from the experts. Panelists include Ram Bergman, Gordon Street Pictures;
Craig Emanuel, Loeb & Loeb; Mark Gill, The Film Department; Micah Green, CAA; Kevin
Lau, Strand Releasing; Doug Mankoff, Echo Lake Productions; Paula Schmit, Film
Finances; Cathy Schulman, Mandalay Pictures; and Jonathan Wolf, IFTA. Additional
panelists to be confirmed.
Kodak Speed Dating: This program directly connects Festival filmmakers with
industry heavyweights from all walks of the entertainment community. The mission is
to create a casual atmosphere of accessibility through informative and intimate oneon-
one meetings. Kodak Speed Dating is open to all filmmakers accepted into this
year's Festival with short, narrative, documentary, and international films, as well as
Film Independent Fellows in this year's Fast Track program. This event is not open to
the public.
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Kodak Focus/Guillermo Navarro: Master cinematographer Guillermo Navarro,
winner of almost every major cinematography award in 2007 (including an Academy
Award®) for the visually daring Pan's Labyrinth, will be discussing and showing scenes
from his films with Kodak's Lorette Bayle on Saturday, June 28 at The Landmark.
Navarro's credits include Cronos, Jackie Brown, The Devil's Backbone, Hellboy, and
Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Sponsored by Kodak.
For updated information on all events, please visit LAFilmFest.com.

Official Website: http://www.lafilmfest.com/