VOLUNTEERS Volunteers are undoubtedly the foundation of the LA Film Festival. With over 200 screenings and events held over 9 days, the Festival would not be able to function without Volunteers holding a variety of pivotal roles. Not only do Volunteers work behind the scenes, they are also at the forefront of the Festival, ensuring that our filmmakers and guests have a truly enjoyable experience. Whether it’s working in theater operations, answering ticketing questions or setting up Q&am...

                                                               THE WAY, WAY BACK a coming-of-age comedy/drama written and directed by Academy Award winning screenwriters (2011's THE DESCENDANTS) Jim Rash and Nat Faxon, was released theatrically on 19 screens in select cities this weekend.  The Fox Searchlight Pictures...

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2013 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL   Janis Nords’ Mother, I Love You and Ryan McGarry’s Code Black Win Jury Awards   Destin Daniel Cretton’s Short Term 12, Grace Lee’s American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs and Haifaa Al Mansour’s Wadjda Win Audience Awards   Best Performance, Short Film and Music Video Award Winners Also Revealed   Sloan Fast Track Grant and Millennium Entertainment Fellowship Given...

By Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles CorrespondentEXTRA: Yes, Katie Holmes did show up to raves (without Tom Cruise in tow or Suri) for Closing night of 2011 LAFF. She looked great, ps. What might be best remembered from the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival is the endearing pairing of Shirley MacLaine and Jack Black in a lovefest on their panel, but then again, Ryan Gosling breaking the screaming hot barrier in Nicolas Winding Refn's DRIVE also stands out. Then there is John C. Reilly's new mov...

By Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   That Sidney Lumet acted when he was a child is not surprising, but that his gut-driven hard-nose for stories included giving a first job in scoring to someone like Quincy Jones who given up on film music, is surprising. Lumet's off-camera gift was that he could recognize someone's talent often before they knew it themselves. During LAFF's "Remembering Sidney Lumet" tribute hosted by Los Angeles Times' film guru K...

By Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent Last night two of the biggest stars from the TWILIGHT franchise, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner, made a surprise appearance on the red carpet for the world premiere of Summit Entertainment's A BETTER LIFE at Los Angeles Film Festival.    Half the folks crowded outside were probably there just for TWILIGHT reasons, but this won't bother the director of A BETTER LIFE, Chris Weitz, since he helmed NEW MOON. Both Kristen and Taylor...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   Diablo Cody summed up being a female screenwriter in Hollywood at yesterday's LAFF Screenwriter Panel in two sentences. Ready? "If someone (in the press) says 'your legs are fat,' it's not going to help you write. That kind of criticism, that's what happens when you're a lady." She was on a panel with Josh Olson (HISTORY OF VIOLENCE), Dustin Lance Black (MILK) and the co-writers of CAPTAIN AMERICA, Chris ...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   Later on, we'll carry an exclusive interview with THE HANGOVER's Rachel Harris who jumps off the screen into a new "Leading Lady" phase in her career in NATURAL SELECTION.  But right now this movie, director Robbie Pickering's autobiographical valentine to his mother, demands some attention.  Invoking Darwin in the title, NATURAL SELECTION presents a universe where a "Lady" who does everything rig...

By Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   OMG. Can Ryan Gosling do anything wrong on screen? DAY 2 at LAFF, his movie DRIVE, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, unspooled to a packed house, almost SRO (standing room only) with a crush of fans waiting to see the power house Canadian-born actor and cast.  New star Carey Mulligan, Christina Hendricks (AMC's "Mad Man"), Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman, Bryan Cranston, and Oscar Issac were there in support of the ultra-vio...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent   Already the Los Angeles Film Festival, now 17 years old, is acting like a teenager. First, last night they opened BERNIE, the much-anticipated Jack Black-Shirley MacLaine starrer by Richard Linklater so fast that anybody who made it from the parking structure in time felt lucky. PS, There's a dead guy in it. Then, they are calling it a "Festival Village," like some Olympians may wander in confused, drawn in by universally fam...

Here's a list of Lancaster area filmmakers screening movies at LAFF on Saturday: After the Game - Stewart Bradley The Thing with 1000 Eyes - Ron Good Last Day - Aaron Keba Return to Red Jade - Lauren Conoscenti Branches - writer/producer Rick Hansberry is local Point Blank - Brian Benzinger Lechuga - Bryan Schaefer HvX - 11-year-old Dylon Prugar Skylar Phalanges: Zombie Hunter - Mike Lombardo ...

The Lancaster Area Film Festival is proud to announce the 2011 festival lineup.  The fist block of films will begin at 12pm and run to 1:35pm.  The second block of films will begin at 1:50pm and run to 3:30pm.  You only need one ticket for the whole festival; you will not have to purchase a separate ticket for the second block of films. ...

The Lancaster Area Film Festival is proud to announce that God of Love, a 2011 Academy Award® winner will screen at the third edition of the festival on April 9. The film won the Live Action Short Film category. Written and directed by Luke Matheny, God of love follows lounge-singing darts champion Raymond finds his prayers are answered – literally – when he receives a mysterious package of passion-inducing darts. The film was a winner of the gold medal at the 2010 Student Academy A...

The calendar has turned from 2010 to 2011 (and from January to February, I just noticed. When the hell did that happen?). We here at the Lancaster Area Film Festival are hard at work getting ready to program the third edition of our fest celebrating independent film in Lancaster. I doubt you can call it work, however, as we are watching the films submitted to the festival. This is by far our favorite part (after all, how else can we get away with watching movies all day?). And...

The third edition of the Lancaster Area Film Festival is putting out a call for entries! The festival will be held Saturday, April 9th, 2011 at Penn Cinemas in Lititz, PA. For more information on the festival, check out our website. You may also enter via Withoutabox. ...

WOW!  The Transformers preimere and block party last night at the LA Film Festival was OFF THE HOOK!  What an event.  The movie premiered in 5 theatres.  It was a little chaotic down there but with a "life-sized" Bubblebee guarding the "red" (it was blue) carpet, it was allll good!  This was my second time seeing this movie and I have to tell you, I loved it the second time just as much as I loved it the first time!  The crowd reaction is priceless.  People cheer and c...