SIDEWALKS OF SUNSET BLVD. L.A. FILM FEST PLANS TO RIVAL UTAH'S ANNUAL SUNDANCE.Byline: Sandra Barrera Staff Writer Though Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. is the filmmaking capital of the world, it's no Park City, Utah Park City is a city located in Summit County, Utah, United States. It is one of two major resort towns in Utah, the other being Moab. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back and a part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. . But the people who program the L.A. Film Festival are convinced they have an event equally as diverse, compelling and innovative as the Sundance Film Festival - one that satisfies both Hollywood and independent film audiences. The festival opens Friday with the world premiere Noun 1. world premiere - (music) the first public performance (as of a dramatic or musical work) anywhere in the world performance, public presentation - a dramatic or musical entertainment; "they listened to ten different performances"; "the play ran for 100 of ``Sidewalks of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of ,'' a romantic comedy by filmmaker/actor Edward Burns
And except for a collection of the Chinese martial-arts fantasies that inspired Ang Lee's ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Traditional Chinese: 臥虎藏龍; Simplified Chinese: 卧虎藏龙; Pinyin: ,'' it continues its emphasis on North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. independent cinema: A total of 41 features, 10 documentaries, 45 shorts, three programs of music videos and two programs of high school films will be screened at several theaters during the festival's nine-day run ending April 28, twice the length of last year's event, thanks to the producers at IFP/West. Several of this year's selections are throwbacks to the uncompromising vision, emotional honesty and integrity that is basic to American independent cinema, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. festival programmers. Burns' film is one of them. ``Sidewalks of New York'' was chosen to kick off the festival because of Burns' history with independent cinema. ``He was basically discovered the first time he played his first movie, 'The Brothers McMullen,' at the IFP (1) (Intelligent Forms Processing) Using advanced techniques to scan documents and determine their data content. See ICR. (2) (Integer Factorization Problem) The difficulty of finding prime numbers in an encryption key. market in New York,'' says festival director Richard Raddon. ``So we love having him back at the festival because he's very important to our movement. And we think he makes great movies.'' ``Sidewalks,'' which goes into general release this summer, zeroes in on the troubled relations of six Manhattanites looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. love. The film is told from a documentary camera's point of view, encompassing an all-star cast that includes Burns, Heather Graham, Stanley Tucci and Brittany Murphy. In addition to ``Sidewalks'' are original works from lesser-known independent filmmakers such as Josh Apter and Peter Olsen, whose ``Kaaterskill Falls'' employs unexpected plot twists and turns. The film is the story of a young couple who escape for a weekend getaway to the Catskills to conceive a baby and pick up a hitchhiker along the way. ``Right away, your mind is ticking: 'He's going to be a freak and he's going to put them in danger,' '' says festival director Thomas Ethan Harris. ``And that is not at all what happens. ``It becomes a very emotionally bruising collapse of a relationship in multiple ways,'' he says. Another film that's not what it seems is ``Ever Since the World Ended,'' a science-fiction work from Calum Grant and Joshua Atesh Litle. The film takes place 12 years after a plague has eliminated virtually all the Earth's population. But Harris points out that this is not the run-of-the-mill, ``Mad Max,'' post-apocalyptic nightmare world full of anger, violence and depression. ``(The movie is) just trying to figure out how to repopulate the Earth and get enough food out there for people,'' says Harris. ``This is a film about what it probably would be like.'' ``Ever Since the World Ended'' was shot on digital video and will be shown in the style of Cinemascope, as a band across the screen. One third of the films at this year's festival were shot digitally, including Allison Anders' ``Things Behind the Sun.'' ``People argued up and down at Sundance,'' says Anders. ``There were arguments out in the lobby - 'That wasn't shot on digital. That was film,' '' she says. ``Which, of course, we loved.'' The reason Anders chose digital for her film was that it is less expensive and less time-consuming. It's also new. ``Film, which women helped to invent, always felt to me like a borrowed medium,'' says Anders. ``Whereas with digital, I feel like, 'Oh, this is mine.' '' Also in the unexpected category is Russell DeGrazier's feature ``Attraction,'' the story of a young L.A. woman being stalked by her ex-boyfriend and actually beginning to like it. But when her ex starts dating the woman's best friend, it sets off a chain of events that leads up to what DeGrazier calls a ``crazy last 15 minutes.'' ``Attraction'' is scheduled for limited release on May 11 by Lions Gate Films, putting it in the minority when it comes to the L.A. Film Festival. As DeGrazier explains, ``A range of these films aren't necessarily looking to hit and be the next sleeper to branch over into commercial success anyway. ``That's what I think has kept this invigorating in·vig·or·ate tr.v. in·vig·or·at·ed, in·vig·or·at·ing, in·vig·or·ates To impart vigor, strength, or vitality to; animate: "A few whiffs of the raw, strong scent of phlox invigorated her" ,'' he says. Zooming in on a smorgasbord of genres, low-budget surprises and technical trailblazers are what has kept the L.A. Film Festival thriving since its inception in 1995. It gives voice to filmmakers who are rarely heard. And this year is no exception. In this case, the experiences of Middle Easterners in America will be spotlighted. ``Here is a vibrant new cinema that is telling stories that are completely original,'' says Harris. ``If you think you understood the Iranian hostage crisis When a surrounded terrorist or criminal tries to hold off the authorities by force, it is considered a "barricaded suspect" situation. When a person/s holds others against their will, but keeps them hidden, it is simple kidnapping. , check out 'America So Beautiful.' You may want to see it from the point of view of an Iranian-American, and how they were treated.'' Babak Shokrian's ``America So Beautiful'' chronicles the life of an Iranian man in 1979 Los Angeles who is trying to break away from his family's business and become a club owner; all he needs is the cash. Again, it's not what you think. ``It doesn't deal in all those big racial slurs,'' says Harris. ``It's just very poetic. Simple. It's the difference between being able to get into a disco and not being able to get past the velvet rope suddenly.'' What American film festival wouldn't be complete without a horror showcase? Screams on Screen will revive John Carpenter's cinematic fright ``Halloween'' Saturday at the L.A. Film School. In addition to ``Halloween,'' the horror showcase will feature the premiere of John Fawcett's ``Ginger Snaps,'' a movie about a girl who turns into a werewolf werewolf: see lycanthropy. werewolf In European folklore, a man who changes into a wolf at night and devours animals, people, or corpses, returning to human form by day. at the onset of her menstrual period, and ``Wendigo'' by horror auteur auteur (ōtör`), in film criticism, a director who so dominates the film-making process that it is appropriate to call the director the auteur, or author, of the motion picture. Larry Fessenden. Like the ``Shining,'' ``Wendigo'' centers around a family in crisis; here they travel to the woods for a weekend getaway and encounter an evil half-man, half-deer creature. Anders' ``Things Behind the Sun'' closes the festival. The film got a standing ovation at Sundance and stars Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz and Elizabeth Pena. It is a rough-edged portrayal of a rocker chick who is forced to deal with having been raped as a young girl. The story is based on Anders' own experience. It was filmed in the very house in which Anders was raped. Though she has been back twice before, the filmmaker says she found this time to be strangely ``exhilarating.'' ``It was tough at times but for the most part, it was so freeing that it was wonderful,'' she says. ``Things Behind the Sun'' will air on Showtime sometime in August. But Anders says she's thrilled it was selected for the L.A. Film Festival. The event happens to be one of her favorites. ``I love seeing all these really groovy groov·y adj. groov·i·er, groov·i·est Slang Very pleasing; wonderful. groov  i·ness n. young people coming to the
festival with their great clothes,'' says Anders. ``They look
like they were in the Flying Burrito Brothers or beatniks or something.
And I love that there's a large ethnic diversity at the festival.
``It's a festival where the people of L.A. can come out to see films, which is a very different feel from another festival that I love,'' she says. ``Park City is there for the industry. There was not much there before Sundance came so you're not always seeing a real audience.'' Festival highlights Tickets are now available for the Los Angeles Film Festival, opening Friday with the world premiere of Edward Burns' ``Sidewalks of New York.'' Prices vary from $8.50 for an individual screening to $500 for full access to all nine days of the festival. Tickets can be purchased at www.lafilmfest.com or by calling (800) 965-4827. The L.A. venues that will be hosting the screenings and seminars include the Directors Guild of America, 7920 Sunset Blvd Sunset BLVD is unreleased material and remixes by the rapper 2Pac. It was released on September 12, 2005 internationally and the United States. Track listing
Following are times for some of the features being shown at the DGA DGA Directors Guild of America (movie directors union) DGA Délégation Générale pour l'Armement (France) DGA Directeur-Grootaandeelhouder (Dutch: Managing Director and Major Shareholder) : 7:30 p.m. Friday ``Sidewalks of New York'' A romantic comedy about singles trying to find a perfect match in a city of 8 million people. Written and directed by Edward Burns. Stars Burns, Heather Graham, Stanley Tucci, David Krumholtz David Krumholtz (born May 15, 1978) is an American actor. As of 2007, he stars in the CBS television show Numb3rs. Biography Early life Krumholtz was born in Queens, New York to Judy, a dental assistant, and Michael Krumholtz, a postal worker. , Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson Rosario Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Early life Dawson was born in New York City to Isabel,[1] a Bronx-born professional vocalist, and Greg Dawson, a construction worker.[2] The two are now divorced. and Dennis Farina. 4:15 p.m. Saturday ``Ever Since the World Went Away'' A plague has exterminated all of the world's human population except for 186 people in San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden . Written and co-directed by Calum Grant. Co-directed by Joshua Atesh Litle. Stars James Curry, Linda Noveroske, Dan Plumlee, Mark Routhier, Adam Savage Adam John Savage (born July 15, 1967) is an American television co-host on the program MythBusters on the Discovery Channel. Early life Born in New York City, Savage was raised in Westchester County, New York. and Angie Thieriot. 2 p.m. Sunday ``Dirt'' Ill-prepared to deal with life after the death of their mother, Junior and Scooter wander through the dregs dregs Noun, pl 1. solid particles that settle at the bottom of some liquids 2. the dregs the worst or most despised elements: the dregs of colonial society [Old Norse dregg of west Texas looking for a replacement. Written and co-directed by Michael Covert. Co-directed by Trace Fraim. Stars Covert, Fraim, Patrick Warburton Patrick J. Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American television actor and voice artist. He is best known for his television roles of David Puddy on Seinfeld, the title role on the live-action version of The Tick , Tara Chocol and Olivia Rosewood. 7 p.m. Monday ``With a Friend Like Harry'' A weekend getaway turns sour for a young French family when the patriarch invites a well-to-do former classmate, whom he bumps into at a rest stop. Written and co-directed by Dominik Moll. Co-directed by Gilles Marchand. Stars Laurent Lucas Laurent Lucas is a french actor, born in 1965. Biography Born in Paris in 1965, Laurent Lucas enrolled as a student of Charles Dullin and quickly became one of the most promising students at the Strasbourg National Theatre. , Sergi Lopez, Mathilde Seigner, Sophie Guillemin, Liliane Rovere, Dominique Rozan, Michel Fau, Victorie De Koster, Laurie Caminita and Lorena Caminita. 10 p.m. Tuesday ``Ginger Snaps'' Ginger turns into a werewolf at the onset of her menstrual period after being attacked by a corpse outside a school. Written by Karen Walton. Directed by John Fawcett. Stars Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Mimi Rogers, Kris Lemche, Jesse Moss and Danielle Hampton. 10 p.m. Wednesday ``Scratch'' A spirited documentary about the DJ movement known as ``turntablism See DJ turntable. .'' Directed by Doug Pray. Features Jazzy Jay, Steinski, The X Ecutioners, DJ Babu & the Beat Junkies, DJ Faust & Shortee, DJ Shadow, Z-Trip, DJ Krush, Cut Chemist (Ozomatli) and Nu-Mark (Jurassic 5). 7:15 p.m. Thursday ``Born Romantic'' A romantic comedy about three lonely Londoners contemplating one of life's biggest mysteries: women. Written and directed by David Kane. Stars Craig Ferguson, Ian Hart, Jane Horrocks, Adrian Lester, Catherine McCormack, Jimi Mistry, David Morrissey and Olivia Williams. 4:30 p.m. April 27 ``Nailed'' A young man goes against the sage advice of his best friend and father by moving in with a woman he has impregnated im·preg·nate tr.v. im·preg·nat·ed, im·preg·nat·ing, im·preg·nates 1. To make pregnant; inseminate. 2. To fertilize (an ovum, for example). 3. , causing turbulence at home. Written and directed by Joel Silverman. Stars Harvey Keitel, Brad Rowe, Rachel Blanchard, Mary Kay Place Mary Kay Place (b. September 23 1947, Port Arthur, Texas) is an American actress, singer, director and screen writer. Early Career After graduating from the University of Tulsa with a Speech Degree, Place moved to Hollywood with aspirations of becoming an actress and and Dash Mihok. 8 p.m. April 28 ``Things Behind the Sun'' A Janis Joplin-like singer-songwriter awakens sleeping memories of rape when a music journalist interviews her for a profile. Written by Allison Anders and Kurt Voss. Directed by Anders. Stars Kim Dickens, Gabriel Mann, Don Cheadle, Rosanna Arquette, Alison Folland, Jade Gordon, Joshua Leonard, Elizabeth Pena and Eric Stoltz. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) ``A Touch of Zen'' (1971), with Shi Jun, left, and Xu Feng, features aerial martial arts in a bamboo forest and is one of the films that influenced director Ang Lee. (2) Heather Graham and Edward Burns star in ``Sidewalks of New York,'' which will receive its world premiere Friday night at the L.A. Film Festival. Box: Festival Highlights (see text) |
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