Ron Gilbert

Film Independent made a great move to the Regal Cinema’s Live forthis year's Los Angeles Film Festival. The opening film was director LisaCholodenko’s “Are the Kids All Right” with Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo andAnnette Bening

Film starsfrom Hollywood and overseas walked the red carpet along with many brightfirst feature  directors like Adam Reid with narrative ensembleaward for "Hello Lonesome",Hossein Keshavarz ,director of "DogSweat" shot in Tehran and Brett Haley's "The New Year" filmed inPensacola, Florida. I mentioned these 3 because there budgets were lower thanthe price of a new hybrid car. Joe Maggio directed his first horror/thriller"Bitter Feast" which is a treat and on the international front,directors Percy and Felix Adlon served us "Mahler on the Couch" withthe musical score of this incredible composer. In the future filmmaker’scategory Hannah Sullivan directed herself in "Love, Forever andAlways" which her brother Spencer shot. The female directors lead thedocumentary films with Ditteke Mensink's"Farewell",LisaLeeman's"One Lucky Elephant"and Cathyrn Collin's"Power"(Vlast) with Mexico's Award winning documentary” PresumedGuilty" plus "Circo","The Toledo Report” and "Revolucion"and finally Columbia's "The Two Escobars". The other award winners"Make Believe" for best documentary,” Four Lions" audienceaward,  and "A Family" best feature. Of course the tastiestdocumentary was "Kings of Pastry" co-directed by D.A Pennebaker andChris Hegedus.

Guest directorand Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow and director Christopher Nolan conveyed theirbits of wisdom on the film world and no festival would be complete without Hollywood legend and our favorite Rocky andRambo, Sly Stallone