Today Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced its 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival award winners at a special event, presented by Target. The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by The Los Angeles Times, ran from Thursday, June 18 to Sunday, June 28. “One of our goals at Film Independent is to help filmmakers build an audience for their work, and the Los Angeles Film Festival does just that,” said Film I...

This was my first year covering the LA Film Festival. I first remember going to some screenings in past years when it was held at the Sunset 5 in Hollywood, and later some parties and mixers in Westwood and at the W Hotel. After Cannes, June is also a busy month for film festivals around the world. This year, there was a greater focus on international film at the Festival. I spoke with new Executive Program Director Rebecca Yeldham at the award brunch, and shared how we enjoyed meeting many o...

 This was my first year covering the LA Film Festival.  I first remember going to some screenings in past years when it was held at the Sunset 5 in Hollywood, and later some parties and mixers in Westwood and at the W Hotel.  After Cannes, June is also a busy month for film festivals around the world.  This year, there was a greater focus on international film at the Festival. I spoke with new Executive Program Director Rebecca Yeldham at the award brunch, and shared how we enjoyed meeti...

Juno, The Savages, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly shared top category honors at the 2008 Film Independent’s SpiritAwards, making the highly anticipated annual event into a celebration of the diverse films that captured the public’s attention this year.  Once, Crazy Love, Talk to Me, The Lookout, August Evening, and I’m Not There also received awards at the event. The 2008 Film Independent’s Spirit Awards were held Saturday, February 23, in a tent on the beach in Santa Monica. T...

Tuesday, September 25-------- Tropfest@Tribeca, the new outdoor short film screenings event that attracted nearly 7500 attendees on Sunday evening in lower Manhattan, announced its award winners. The new Festival, a collaboration between Tribeca Enterprises and John Polson, creator of Australia’s Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, premiered 16 films at the World Financial Center Plaza in New York and was also sent live via satellite to Brookfield Properties FCP Park at First ...

 Wedneday, September 20---------- A little bit of Australia is making its way to downtown Manhattan this Sunday, when Tropfest@Tribeca 2007, the latest venture by the Tribeca Film Festival, gets into gear to offer New York film buffs a chance to sample some of the world's most provocative short films. Tropfest began in Australia in 1993 and has become the world's largest short film festival. Now, a New York version will unspool as a FREE EVENT (nice)  at the World Financial Center Plaza near G...

Los Angeles – The 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival wrapped here this weekend as festival really has come into its own at it’s new digs in Westwood. Now in it’s second year in the Westwood Village this years fest shrugged off some of the first year jitters it experienced last summer to firmly establish itself as L.A’s premiere festival. The Westwood village is one of those rare places in this city that are not dominated by car culture but instead are pedestrian friendly. The number of quali...

The 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival wrapped here this weekend as festival really has come into its own at it’s new digs in Westwood. Now in it’s second year in the Westwood Village this years fest shrugged off some of the first year jitters it experienced last summer to firmly establish itself as L.A’s premiere festival. The Westwood village is one of those rare places in this city that are not dominated by car culture but instead are pedestrian friendly. The number of quality theatrical ve...

Film Independent announced the winners of the Target Filmmaker Awards at the Los Angeles Film Festival's Spirit of Independence event honoring Clint Eastwood on Thursday, June 28. These awards, presented by Terrence Howard and Aidan Quinn, include the Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative Feature, which went to Chris Eska for August Evening, and the Target Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature, which went to Jennifer Venditti for Billy the Kid. "These films represent the unique visi...

Clint Eastwood will receive this year’s Spirit of Independence Award at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival.  The Spirit of Independence Award will be given to Eastwood at a special event on Thursday, June 28 sponsored by Target.  Tony Bennett, who is the focus of a new documentary for which Clint Eastwood serves as executive producer, will present Eastwood with this honor.The Spirit of Independence Award event is an opportunity for emerging filmmakers to hear Eastwood speak about his work, h...

Film Independent announced the full program line-up for the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival (Thursday, June 21 – Sunday, July 1), including the Opening Night and Closing Night films.As previously announced, Academy Award®-winning actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood will receive this year’s Spirit of Independence Award on Thursday, June 28 at a special event sponsored by Target. Tony Bennett, who is the focus of a new documentary for which Clint Eastwood serves as executive producer, will pre...

Film Independent announced today that Academy Award(R)-winning actor and filmmaker Clint Eastwood will receive this year's Spirit of Independence Award at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival. The Spirit of Independence Award will be given to Eastwood at a special event on Thursday, June 28, sponsored by Target. Tony Bennett, who is the focus of a new documentary for which Clint Eastwood serves as executive producer, will present Eastwood with this honor. The Spirit of Independence Award event is ...

Los Angeles – In a city that is driven by the filmed entertainment business the festivals offered to Angeleno’s have been hit or miss over the years. This year the homegrown Los Angeles Film Festival made the bold move of uprooting itself from its Hollywood base and moving to the UCLA village of Westwood. This was the latest in a series of changes that began when the festival shifted dates from spring to summer back in 2002. Next, Rachel Rosen was scouted from the venerable San Francisco Fi...

Film Independent [FIND] announced the winners for the 2005 Los Angeles Film Festival. With the prestigious Target Filmmaker Award of $50,000 going to Mark Banning for Best Narrative Feature, Jellysmoke. The Target Documentary Award for Best Documentary Feature was won by Beth Bird for Everyone Their Grain of Sand. Both these talented independent filmmakers received a $50,000 unrestrictive check with hope that this will assist in continuing their creative talents of filmmaking for the future.The...

At yhe upcoming Los Angeles Film Festival (June 16 – June 26) George Clooney will receive the inaugural Spirit of Independence Award, and the Festival premier sponsor has increased the cash prize of the Target Documentary Award to an unrestricted grant of $50,000. On Saturday, May 14, the festival will celebrate these announcements at the 2005 Festival de Cannes on the Budweiser Yacht from 8:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. The Spirit of Independence Award will be given to Clooney at a special event on J...

FULL PROGRAM LINE-UPDirector 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 ...

Ferenc Toth's Unknown Soldier, Joshua Marston's Maria Full of Grace, and Jonathan Caouette's Tarnation were among the winners Saturday night at the closing of the 10th annual Los Angeles Film Festival. Tarnation was created by director Cauoette on his Macintosh computer i - Movie program for a reported $293.00. Filmmakers Gus Van Sant and John Cameron Mitchell executive produced this charming biography. Tarnation, which centers on the troubled life of the director--who grew up gay with a schizo...

HALLE BERRY, SAMUEL L. JACKSON Serve as Co-Chairs for 2004 IFP/LA Film Festival, Neil Young is Artist In ResidenceHalle Berry and Samuel L. Jackson are serveing as Honorary Co-Chairs for the 2004 Los Angeles Film Festival. Also, musician and filmmaker Neil Young is assisting as Artist in Residence for this year’s festival.“Both Halle Berry and Samuel L. Jackson have been able to use their stature in the industry to support independent film, the Spirit Awards, and now the Los Angeles Film Fe...