FULL PROGRAM LINE-UP

Director of Programming Rachel Rosen joined Festival Director Rich Raddon in announcing the full program line-up for the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival (June 16-26), including the Centerpiece Premiere, the Guest Director, the Artist in Residence, and the Closing Night Film. The Festival also announced that Don Cheadle, Lisa Kudrow, and Elijah Wood will serve as Honorary Festival Chairs for the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival.

“We are thrilled to be highlighting two films for our Centerpiece and Closing Night Screenings by two wonderful independent directors,” said Director of Programming Rachel Rosen. “Both reveal their director’s unique mix of humanism, perception, and wit, and each features an embarrassment of riches of ensemble acting talent.”

“Sydney Pollack is a master filmmaker, and it is such a gift for our Festival filmmakers to have the opportunity to listen and learn from a director with such a wealth of creative experience,” said Festival Director Richard Raddon.
"I'm looking forward to participating in a festival that not only showcases such a diverse line-up of films, but provides audiences with important tools of the trade,” said Sydney Pollack. “This is a great opportunity to explore the creative depth of the Los Angeles film community."

Rodrigo Garcia’s Nine Lives will screen as the Centerpiece Premiere on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:00 pm at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills. A reception will follow the screening. The Centerpiece Premiere screening and reception are sponsored by Target. By depicting nine different characters at emotional crossroads, Nine Lives examines how women so often find themselves captives of relationships, both past and present. The film stars Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Elpidia Carrillo, Glenn Close, Stephen Dillane, Dakota Fanning, William Fichtner, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Jason Isaacs, Ian McShane, Joe Montegna, Molly Parker, Mary Kay Place, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Aidan Quinn, Miguel Sandoval, Amanda Seyfried, Sissy Spacek, and Robin Wright Penn. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is the executive producer, and Julie Lynn is the producer.
Don Roos’s (The Opposite of Sex, Bounce) Happy Endings will screen as the Closing Night Gala on Sunday, June 26 at 7:00 pm at Mann’s National Theatre in Westwood. Featuring a talented ensemble cast that includes Tom Arnold, Jesse Bradford, Bobby Cannavale, Sarah Clarke, Steve Coogan, Laura Dern, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Ritter, David Sutcliffe, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lions Gate Films’ Happy Endings deftly weaves together multiple stories to create a sharp, witty look at love, family, and the sheer unpredictability of life.
As Honorary Festival Chairs of the Festival, Elijah Wood will host the Opening Night festivities, Lisa Kudrow will host the Closing Night festivities, and Don Cheadle will be presenting the Target Filmmaker Award for best narrative feature at the Spirit of Independence Evening on Saturday, June 25.
Director Sydney Pollack will serve as Guest Director for the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival. In this role, Pollack will host a two-day filmmaker retreat, program a sidebar of films that have inspired his work, and attend the Opening Night festivities.

Sydney Pollack’s nineteen films have received 46 Academy Award nominations, including two for Best Picture. His film Out of Africa won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. His body of work includes The Slender Thread, This Property Is Condemned, The Scalphunters, Castle Keep, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Yakuza, Three Days of the Condor, Bobby Deerfield, The Electric Horseman, Absence of Malice, Tootsie, Havana, The Firm, Sabrina, Random Hearts, and most recently Universal Pictures’ The Interpreter.
Musician, film composer, and actor THE RZA will serve as Artist in Residence for this year’s Festival. THE RZA is the chief producer and founding member of the legendary hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan, which also spawned the solo careers of Method Man and the late O.D.B. In addition to his success as a recording artist/producer, THE RZA is a BAFTA-nominated film composer whose credits include Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Barbershop II, Blade: Trinity, and Unleashed.
THE RZA starred in Coffee and Cigarettes opposite Bill Murray.
He will also star in the upcoming film Derailed, opposite Jennifer Aniston and Clive Owen. As Artist in Residence, THE RZA has selected three films which will screen at the Festival and will also be headlining “ToonTime with THE RZA” at the Ford Amphitheater on Wednesday, June 22 at 8:30 pm. While some of the strangest, coolest cartoons screen behind him, THE RZA will layer together a live soundtrack.
On Saturday, June 25, the Festival will celebrate Family Day at the Santa Monica Pier. The event is free to the public and kicks off at 11:00 am. Family Day is a fun-filled day of celebrity storytelling, a kiddie red carpet, arts and crafts galore, dance and yoga classes, karaoke, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, magicians, Los Angeles’s hottest bands, and more to celebrate the city’s creative and cultural diversity. Family Day will conclude with a special outdoor screening of the Academy Award-nominated film, Babe. The Festival is pleased to offer a screening of this family classic during its ten-year anniversary. Family Day is sponsored by Target, People, A Disney Playhouse, Häagen-Dazs Light, and The Santa Monica Pier.
As previously announced, the Festival will open with the North American premiere of David Jacobson’s Down In The Valley; George Clooney will receive its inaugural Spirit of Independence Award; the Target Documentary and Filmmaker Awards are the largest cash prizes in North America with a $50,000 cash prize each, which represents a $25,000 increase in the Target Documentary Award over last year; and Elvis Mitchell is this year’s Guest Curator.


FULL FESTIVAL PROGRAM

The 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival will screen 263 films in 11 different sections. This year the Festival received more than 3700 submissions from filmmakers around the world with the final selections representing several World, North American, and U.S. premieres. This represents an increase of 900 submitted films from the 2004 Festival.

FILM TITLES, SYNOPSES, CAST AND CREDITS FOR ALL FILMS ARE ATTACHED AS AN ADDENDUM AT THE END OF THIS PRESS RELEASE.

Summer Previews (11): A sneak peek at this summer’s upcoming independent film releases. Sponsored by Pop Secret®.
• 2046, Wong Kar Wai – China (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Be Here to Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt, Margaret Brown (Palm Pictures)
• The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Jacques Audiard – France (Wellspring)
• The Beautiful Country, Hans Petter Moland – Norway/USA (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Junebug, Phil Morrison (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Keane, Lodge H. Kerrigan (Magnolia Pictures)
• Last Days, Gus Van Sant (HBO/Fine Line)
• Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July (IFC Films)
• New York Doll, Greg Whiteley (First Independent Pictures)
• November, Greg Harrison (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Yes, Sally Potter - England (Sony Pictures Classics)

Special Event Screenings at the Ford Amphitheatre (5): Unique outdoor events. Sponsored by Ford Freestyle.
• The Last Laugh (1924), F.W. Murnau – Germany. Live musical score by J. Rocc of the Beat Junkies.
• March of the Penguins, Luc Jacquet – France (Warner Independent Pictures)
• Night Watch, Timur Bekmambetov – Russia (Fox Searchlight)
• Rize, David LaChapelle (Lions Gate Films)
• ToonTime with THE RZA

Narrative Competition (8): This section is comprised of films, made by emerging U.S. filmmakers, that will compete for the Target Filmmaker Award. Funded by Target, the third-annual award carries a $50,000 unrestricted grant, the largest cash prize bestowed by a major U.S. film festival. 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.
• Beauty Remains, Ann Hu - USA/China - NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
• Cavite, Neill Dela Llana, Ian Gamazon
• Jellysmoke, Mark Banning – WORLD PREMIERE
• Nearing Grace, Rick Rosenthal – WORLD PREMIERE
• Our Very Own, Cameron Watson – WORLD PREMIERE
• Road, Leslie McCleave – WORLD PREMIERE
• Southbounders, Ben Wagner – WORLD PREMIERE
• Trona, David Fenster

Documentary Competition (11): This section of films is dedicated to the best documentary film work of the year. The films compete for the Target Documentary Award, which carries a $50,000 unrestricted grant, an increase of $25,000 from last year’s award. The award is funded by Target. 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.
• The Century Plaza, Eric Lahey – WORLD PREMIERE
• Ears, Open. Eyeballs, Click., Canaan Brumley
• Everyone Their Grain of Sand, Beth Bird - Mexico/USA - US PREMIERE
• The Grace Lee Project, Grace Lee
• How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It), Joe Angio
• In a Nutshell: A Portrait of Elizabeth Tashjian, Don Bernier
• Romántico, Mark Becker
• La Sierra, Scott Dalton, Margarita Martinez - Colombia/USA
• Sir! No Sir!, David Zeiger – WORLD PREMIERE
• Stolen, Rebecca Dreyfus
• To the Other Side, Natalia Almada - Mexico/USA

International Showcase (18): The International Showcase highlights the best in world cinema. Films screened in this section compete for the Audience Award for Best International Film.
• 4, Ilya Khrzhanovsky – Russia
• Avanim, Raphael Nadjari – France/Israel
• Before the Flood, Yan Yu, Li Yifan – China –NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
• Bitter Dream, Mohsen Amiryoussefi – Iran
• Fatima, the Algerian Woman of Dakar, Med Hondo – Mauritania/France/
Tunisia/Senegal – US PREMIERE
• The Forest for the Trees, Maren Ade – Germany
• Le Grand Voyage, Ismaël Ferroukhi – France/Morocco
• Kamikaze Girls, Tetsuya Nakashima – Japan – US PREMIERE (Viz Media)
• One Out of Two, Alejo Taube – Argentina
• Pilgrimage, Bahman Kiarostami – Iran
• Sentenced to Marriage, Anat Zuria – Israel – US PREMIERE
• Spying Cam, Whang Cheol Mean – South Korea – US PREMIERE
• Swenkas, Jeppe Rønde – Denmark/South Africa (Seventh Art Releasing)
• The Syrian Bride, Eran Riklis – France/Germany/Israel (Koch Lorber)
• Tony Takitani, Jun Ichikawa – Japan (Strand Releasing)
• Unknown White Male, Rupert Murray – England (Wellspring)
• Vento di Terra, Vincenzo Marra – Italy
• Waiting for the Clouds, Yesim Ustaoglu – France/Germany/Greece/Turkey

Spotlight (4): Drawing Outside the Lines: Animation From Out of the Past and Around the World
• Before Anime: Japanese Animation 1925-1946
• A Decade of Iranian Animation – The 70’s
• Tales and Legends from Africa
• Walt Disney’s Alice Comedies

Dark Wave (4): Edgy films from around the world. For mature audiences.
• The Ape, James Franco – WORLD PREMIERE
• Promedio Rojo, Nicholás López – Chile/Spain
• R-Point, Kong Su-chang – South Korea (Tartan Films)
• The Roost, Ti West – Sponsored by Target

Guest Director Sidebar (3): Sydney Pollack
• The Conformist (1970), Bernardo Bertolucci
• Notorious (1946), Alfred Hitchcock
• On The Waterfront (1954), Elia Kazan

Artist In Residence Sidebar (3): THE RZA
• The 36th Chamber of Shaolin(1977), Lau Kar-leung
• Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), Jim Jarmusch
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966), Sergio Leone

High School Showcase (32): These two programs of shorts made by high school students from around the world feature the work of the next generation of filmmakers.

Short Film Programs (38): 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.

Music Video Showcase (60): The Music Video Showcase consists of three programs. Eclectic Mix Programs are visual mix tapes of this year’s best independent music videos, with a few innovative major label artists thrown in for good measure. In addition, the festival is showcasing the music videos of Floria Sigismondi, who has directed music videos for such diverse music artists as Marilyn Manson, Christina Aguilera, Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, Sigur Ros, Interpol, Martina Topley Bird, and Incubus.

Free Screenings (5):
• Babe, Chris Noonan. Tenth Anniversary screening that will conclude the Festival’s Family Day event on the Santa Monica Pier.
• The Fearless Freaks featuring the Flaming Lips, Bradley Beesley. An outdoor screening at the 8000 Sunset Courtyard. Sponsored by LA Weekly.
• Mad Hot Ballroom, Marilyn Agrelo (Paramount Classics). Plus Albert Torres’s The Latin Shakers Team and the Ritmo y Sabor Dance Company will perform at the California Downtown Plaza.
• Maid in America, Anayansi Prado. Sponsored by LA Weekly.
• Twist of Faith, Kirby Dick.

Events:
• Writer’s Day, Wednesday, June 22 - a day of panels, screenings, and events celebrating the independent writer.
• Diversity EXPO – At the EXPO, filmmakers meet with over 40 film and entertainment organizations looking to network and introduce their services and resources to filmmakers of color.

Tribute Screening (3):
• Ossie Davis (1917-2005) - Gone Are the Days (1963), Nicholas Webster
• Morris Engel (1918-2005) - Little Fugitive (1953), Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin
• Stan Brakhage (1933-2003) - Stan Brakhage-Last Films, Stan Brakhage

Special Screenings (5):
• The Son of the Sheik (1926), George Fitzmaurice. The swan song of Rudolph Valentino, this classic film will be accompanied with live organ music by Robert Israel. Presented by Los Angeles Conservancy.
• Surprise screening – A Los Angeles premiere of a highly anticipated independent film to be announced the week of June 13.
• Secret Screenings (3) – The most anticipated fall films will be pre-screened to a select audience of Festival passholders. Sponsored by Pop Secret.

Conversations & Performances
• The Possession of Mrs. Jones – A musical stage performance from the outrageous mind of playwright D’Arcy Drollinger that is sure to be adapted to the big screen. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld (Kissing Jessica Stein, Legally Blonde 2) directs this exclusive sneak preview.
• Letting Go of God – Julia Sweeney’s latest one-woman show and your last chance to see this production live.
• Diversity Panel: Marketing Outside the Box – A discussion with the creative and marketing teams behind such films as Barbershop, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Rize, Hustle & Flow, and Crash, moderated by Stephanie Allain (Producer, Hustle & Flow, Biker Boyz). Presented by FIND’s Project: Involve.
• Kodak Three Reeler: John Bailey – Cinematographer John Bailey discusses his work and screens one reel each from In the Line of Fire, Incident at Loch Ness, and his latest, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Sponsored by Kodak.
• A Night at the Laugh Factory: Broken Lizards Live – My Favorite Comedies -Members of the Broken Lizards share clips from their favorite comedies and talk candidly about making funny on film.
• Storytelling Evening: Robert Towne’s L.A. – Four-time Academy Award-nominee Robert Towne is best known for his Oscar-winning classic, Chinatown.
A native of Los Angeles, Towne has used the City of Angels as muse and backdrop for much of his work, including Shampoo, Tequila Sunrise, and his latest project, Ask the Dust. In a special evening moderated by Elvis Mitchell, Robert Towne will show clips and discuss his relationship with L.A. as a character and a location in his work. Sponsored by Target.

Poolside Chats: Poolside Chats are hosted in the Wetherly Garden at the Four Seasons Hotel. Free shuttle from DGA, 6:15 pm – 8:30 pm. Time: 7-8 pm.
• Knockout Films: The Art of the Boxing Movie
Join us for a punchy conversation exploring the public’s fascination with the artistic and cinematic nature of boxing movies. In the ring are boxing filmmakers Ron Shelton (Play it to the Bone) and Karyn Kusama (Girlfight); and authors Joyce Carol Oates (On Boxing) and Gerald L. Early (The Culture of Bruising: Essays on Prizefighting). Moderator: Elvis Mitchell
• When Oscar Met Tony
Join us as we explore the new wave of plays and musicals being adapted into movies, and movies being adapted for the stage. We will examine everything from artistic challenges to the differences in the mediums and why this cross-over has been such a success. Chatting with us are Oscar-winner Bill Condon (Chicago, Dreamgirls), and acclaimed Broadway producer/director/actor/
lyricist, George C. Wolfe (Angels in America, Lackawanna Blues), and MGM’s On Stage President Darcie Denkert (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang). Moderator: Pete Hammond.
• LA Writes Itself – Sponsored by Los Angeles Times
She has played more characters than any starlet you know. Explore Los Angeles - cinema’s most elusive muse. Join novelist Steve Erickson (Days Between Stations, Our Ecstatic Days) and screenwriters Stuart Beattie (Collateral) and Paul Mazursky (Down and Out in Beverly Hills) as they discuss the art of interpreting and reinterpreting the city of angels in print. Moderator: David L. Ulin

The Low Budget Summit: Friday, June 24, at the Directors Guild of America. Sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Moviola, and Melrose Mac. A full schedule of events for the Low Budget Summit is available at www.lafilmfest.com.

Coffee Talks: The festival will also have its popular Coffee Talk series again this year on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 with informal conversations between prominent film professionals about their specific area of expertise. This year, Coffee Talks will focus on Producers, Actors, Directors, Screenwriters, Editors, Production Designers, and Composers. The Directors Coffee Talk is sponsored by the Directors Guild of America, the Screenwriters Coffee Talk is sponsored by the Writers Guild of America, west, and the Composers Coffee Talk is sponsored by BMI.

2005 Financing Conference
The Financing Conference is a day full of workshops and panels for both the novice and the seasoned producer at the Pacific Design Center on Saturday, June 25. From a primer on film financing to detailed discussion on current trends in the foreign market, this conference will provide first-hand information and advice from the experts. Sponsored by Surpin, Mayersohn & Edelstone, LLP; Comerica; HSBC Private Bank; Pacific Design Center; and DeWitt Stern Group.

# # # #

Any press questions regarding the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival, please contact Jennifer Chikes at 310.432.1217 or via email at jchikes@findfilm.org. To apply for media credentials, please contact Levi Elder at 310.432.1213 or via email at lelder@findfilm.org. For more information about the Festival, please visit www.lafilmfest.com.

ADDENDUM
Please find brief descriptions, credits and cast lists of each film below:

OPENING NIGHT
Down in the Valley - North American Premiere
USA. 125 min.
DIRECTOR David Jacobson WRITER David Jacobson PRODUCERS Holly Wiersma, Adam Rosenfelt, Edward Norton CAST Edward Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, David Morse, Rory Culkin, Bruce Dern
A mysterious horseman rolls into a suburban enclave at the edge of the creeping sprawl of the San Fernando Valley and forever changes the lives of two young siblings in this classic yet wholly original parable of hope and disappointed dreams.

CENTERPIECE PREMIERE
Nine Lives
USA. 114 min.
DIRECTOR Rodrigo Garcia WRITER Rodrigo Garcia PRODUCER Julie Lynn CAST Kathy Baker, Amy Brenneman, Elpidia Carrillo, Glenn Close, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Holly Hunter, Amanda Seyfried, Sissy Spacek, Robin Wright Penn
Nine sometimes overlapping stories, each captured in a single take, depict critical moments in the emotional lives of nine women.

CLOSING NIGHT
Happy Endings
USA. 130 min.
DIRECTOR Don Roos WRITER Don Roos PRODUCERS Holly Wiersma, Michael Paseornek CAST Maggie Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern, Tom Arnold, Lisa Kudrow, Jason Ritter, Jesse Bradford, Bobby Cannavale, Sarah Clarke, Steve Coogan, David Sutcliffe
One of the foremost chroniclers of the foibles and mores of modern life, writer/director Don Roos has fashioned a wickedly funny and unexpectedly touching look at families coming together and being torn apart.

SUMMER PREVIEWS
2046
China. In Cantonese, Japanese, and Mandarin with English subtitles. 129 min.
DIRECTOR Wong Kar Wai WRITER Wong Kar Wai PRODUCER Wong Kar Wai CAST Tony Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Gong Li, Faye Wong, Maggie Cheung, Chang Chen
Tony Leung reprises his role from In the Mood for Love as a man who becomes involved with a series of women, played by Asia's biggest female stars, as he struggles to write a futuristic novel based on his own memories.

Be Here To Love Me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt
USA. 99 min.
DIRECTOR Margaret Brown PRODUCERS Sam Brumbaugh, Margaret Brown FEATURING Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Steve Shelley, Willie Nelson
An affectionate and unblinking look at the troubled life of Townes Van Zandt, Be Here To Love Me captures the wounded essence of the man and his music.

The Beat That My Heart Skipped
De battre mon coeur s'est arrete
France. In French with English subtitles. 107 min.
DIRECTOR Jacques Audiard WRITERS Jacques Audiard, Tonino Benacquista CAST Romain Duris, Niels Arestrup, Aure Atika
In this ingenious French re-make of James Tobak's Fingers, a shady real-estate investor is torn between his semi-criminal world and a second chance at respectability as a concert pianist.

The Beautiful Country
Norway/USA. In English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese with English subtitles. 125 min.
DIRECTOR Hans Petter Moland WRITER Sabina Murray PRODUCERS Edward R. Pressman, Terrence Malick, Petter J. Borgli, Tomas Backström CAST Damien Nguyen, Nick Nolte, Tim Roth, Bai Ling, Temuera Morrison
Touched with an epic sensibility, The Beautiful Country is a tender, straightforward tale of a young man's journey to find the parents he's never known, a Vietnamese mother and an American G.I. father.

Junebug
USA. 102 min.
DIRECTOR Phil Morrison WRITER Angus MacLachlan PRODUCERS Mindy Goldberg, Mike S. Ryan CAST Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz, Ben McKenzie, Alessandro Nivola, Frank Hoyt Taylor, Celia Weston, Scott Wilson
While on a business trip to North Carolina, a midwestern art dealer gets to know her new in-laws in this portrait of life and family in the modern South.

Keane
USA. 100 min.
DIRECTOR Lodge H. Kerrigan WRITER Lodge H. Kerrigan PRODUCER Steven Soderbergh CAST Damian Lewis, Amy Ryan, Tina Holmes, Abigail Breslin
In a mesmerizing performance, Damian Lewis plays William Keane, a man struggling to cope with the abduction of his daughter, in the latest from director Lodge Kerrigan.

Last Days
USA. 97 min.
DIRECTOR Gus Van Sant WRITER Gus Van Sant PRODUCER Dany Wolf CAST Michael Pitt, Lukas Haas, Asia Argento, Scott Green
A meditation on isolation inspired by the final days in the life of Kurt Cobain, Gus Van Sant's latest exploration of American tragedy and elliptical storytelling follows rock-star Blake as he spends his last hours rambling through his crumbling estate.

Me and You and Everyone We Know
USA. 93 min.
DIRECTOR Miranda July WRITER Miranda July PRODUCER Gina Kwon CAST Miranda July, John Hawkes, Miles Thompson, Brandon Ratcliff, Carlie Westerman, Natasha Slayton, Najarra Townsend, Hector Elias, Tracy Wright
Acclaimed video and performance artist Miranda July makes her feature debut with the gently moving Me and You and Everyone We Know, an invigorating hybrid of humor and melancholy.

New York Doll
USA. 77 min.
DIRECTOR Greg Whiteley PRODUCERS Ed Cunningham, Seth Lewis Gordon FEATURING Arthur "Killer" Kane, David Johansen, Barbara Kane, Morrissey, Sylvain Sylvain, Iggy Pop
New York Dolls rock star Arthur "Killer" Kane, who transformed from suicidal alcoholic into born-again Mormon, is given the chance to reunite with his infamous punk band after 30 years.

November
USA. 78 min.
DIRECTOR Greg Harrison WRITER Benjamin Brand PRODUCERS Danielle Renfrew, Gary Winick, Jake Abraham CAST Courteney Cox, James LeGros, Michael Ealy, Nora Dunn, Nick Offerman, Anne Archer
Courteney Cox stars as a photographer trying to cope with her boyfriend's murder while her grasp on what actually transpired begins to disintegrate.

Yes
England. 95 min.
DIRECTOR Sally Potter WRITER Sally Potter PRODUCERS Christopher Sheppard, Andrew Fierberg CAST Joan Allen, Simon Abkarian, Sam Neill, Shirley Henderson
A successful molecular scientist in a loveless marriage begins an affair with a middle-eastern man. Though the two have much in common, their affair soon begins to strain under the pressures of their cultural and political differences.

OUTDOOR PROGRAMS AT THE FORD AMPHITHEATRE
The Last Laugh (1924)
Der Letzte Mann
Germany. Silent with English intertitles. 75 min.
With live musical score by J.Rocc
DIRECTOR F.W. Murnau WRITER Carl Mayer PRODUCER Erich Pommer CAST Emil Jannings, Maly Delschaft, Max Hiller
Turntablist extraordinaire J.Rocc of the Beat Junkies performs a new score to F.W. Murnau's masterful tale of a proud, brass-buttoned doorman demoted to lavatory attendant in this special combination of silent film and live music.

March of the Penguins
La Marche de l'empereur
France. 80 min.
DIRECTOR Luc Jacquet WRITERS Luc Jacquet, Michel Fessler PRODUCERS Yves Darondeau, Christophe Lioud, Emmanuel Priou
Every year thousands of penguins trek across Antarctica, guided by instinct and the promise of true love. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, this portrait of these brave birds will delight children and amaze their parents.

Night Watch
Nochnoi Dozor
Russia. In Russian with English subtitles. 116 min.
DIRECTOR Timur Bekmambetov WRITERS Sergei Lukyanenko, Timur Bekmambetov PRODUCERS Anatoly Maximov, Konstantin Ernst CAST Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Mensho, Valery Zolotukhin, Maria Poroshina, Galina Tunina, Victor Verzhbitsky, Dima Martynov
Timur Bekmambetov’s huge Russian hit is an incredible melding of horror, fantasy, and action, bringing blood-suckers, changelings, and urban heroes together in the ultimate battle between good and evil.

Rize
USA. 84 min.
DIRECTOR David LaChapelle PRODUCERS David LaChapelle, Marc Hawker, Ellen Jacobson-Clarke, Richmond Talauega, Tone Talauega
An energetic chronicle of the South Central-born dance style known as "krumping," Rize uses stunning photography to convey the vitality of the form as well as its positive use as a means of self-expression for the youth of the neighborhood.

ToonTime with THE RZA
70 min.
While some of the strangest, coolest cartoons you've ever seen screen behind him, THE RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan will lay down tracks in his indomitable style. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime performance when the animated and the Wu collide.

DARK WAVE
The Ape - World Premiere
USA. 91 min.
DIRECTOR James Franco WRITERS James Franco, Merriwether Williams PRODUCERS Vince Jolivette, David Klein CAST James Franco, Brian Lally, Stacey Miller, Allison Bibicoff, Vince Jolivette
In this dark comedy, put-upon family man Harry abandons his family to become the next Dostoyevsky, but finds himself sharing an apartment with a foul-mouthed, Hawaiian shirt-wearing gorilla.

Promedio Rojo
Chile/Spain. In Spanish with English subtitles. 104 min.
DIRECTOR Nicolás López WRITER Nicolás López PRODUCER Miguel Asensio CAST Ariel Levy, Xenia Tostado, Benjamin Vicuña
First-time Chilean filmmaker Nicolás López throws his obsession with comic books, Kevin Smith, bodily fluid jokes, and John Hughes movies into a blender, serving up an outrageous teen angst comedy with surprising skill.

R-Point
South Korea. In Korean with English subtitles. 106 min.
DIRECTOR Kong Su-chang WRITER Kong Su-chang PRODUCER Choi Kang-hyeok CAST Kam Woo-seong, Son Byung-ho, Oh Tae-kyung, Park Won-sang
War is hell, and no place is that truer than R-Point, where the ground is soaked in blood and the dead refuse to stay down.

The Roost
USA. 80 min.
DIRECTOR Ti West WRITER Ti West PRODUCERS Larry Fessenden, Susan Leber CAST Tom Noonan, Wil Horneff, Karl Jacob, Vanessa Horneff, Sean Reid, John Speredakos, Larry Fessenden
Four friends run into car trouble in the middle of nowhere and wind up battling bloodthirsty bats and the always hungry undead in Ti West's B- movie blast.

TRIBUTE SCREENINGS
Gone Are The Days (1963)
USA. 99 min.
Ossie Davis (1917-2005)
DIRECTOR Nicholas Webster WRITER Ossie Davis PRODUCER Nicholas Webster CAST Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Alan Alda, Sorrell Brooke, Godfrey Cambridge, Hilda Haynes
An adaptation of Ossie Davis's play, Purlie Victorious, this slice of old school indie filmmaking and early black storytelling follows Purlie Victorious Judson returning to the plantation with his cousin Lutiebelle to claim an inheritance.

Little Fugitive (1953)
USA. 80 min.
Morris Engel (1918-2005)
DIRECTORS Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin WRITERS Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin PRODUCER Morris Engel CAST Ricky Brewster, Will Lee, Charlie Moss, Jay Williams, Richie Andrusco, Tommy de Canio, Winifred Cushing
When filmmaker Morris Engel passed away in March, independent cinema lost a true pioneer whose first film—about a 7-year-old boy who runs away to Coney Island—influenced Truffaut, Cassavettes, and Scorsese.

Stan Brakhage - Last Films
USA. 94 min.
Stan Brakhage (1933-2003)
DIRECTOR Stan Brakhage
The late Stan Brakhage became synonymous with personal and experimental filmmaking. This program of shorts from his last three years—most made up of painted and hand-carved elements—displays an astonishing range and subtlety of emotion.

FREE SCREENINGS
Babe (1995)
Australia/USA. 92 min.
DIRECTOR Chris Noonan WRITERS Chris Noonan, George Miller PRODUCERS George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Bill Miller CAST James Cromwell, Magda Szubanski, Christine Cavanaugh, Miriam Margolyes, Danny Mann, Hugo Weaving
With a gift for herding sheep, a piglet named Babe aspires to be an award-winning sheepdog. This family classic celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. This special outdoor screening closes the Festival's Family Day at the Santa Monica Pier (Saturday, June 25), a full day of movies and magic for kids of all ages.

The Fearless Freaks Featuring The Flaming Lips
USA. 100 min.
DIRECTOR Bradley Beesley PRODUCERS Rick Fuller, Ryan Dolan FEATURING The Flaming Lips: Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Michael Ivins
Bradley Beesley's surprisingly touching look at The Flaming Lips utilizes home movies and unbelievably intimate access to provide a portrait of a group that epitomizes the do-it-yourself ethos at the heart of American alternative culture.

Mad Hot Ballroom
USA. 105 min.
Presented in association with Grand Performances
DIRECTOR Marilyn Agrelo WRITER Amy Sewell PRODUCERS Marilyn Agrelo, Amy Sewell
Marilyn Agrelo and Amy Sewell's feature film debut about a group of New York City kids learning to ballroom dance delicately explores the intricacies of growing up and the sweet, simple power of art to change lives.

Maid in America
USA. In English and Spanish with English subtitles. 57 min.
DIRECTOR Anayansi Prado WRITER Anayansi Prado PRODUCERS Anayansi Prado, Kevin Leadingham
An emotional look at the lives of three Latin American immigrant women who've left their own families behind to earn a living cleaning other people's homes and caring for other people's children.

Twist of Faith
USA. 8