Festivals, Film
Apr 26, 2016

THE 2016 LA FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP

The 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival has announced its lineup and it truly does cover the spectrum of cinema today.

With five competitions going on at the festival the event will feature 42 world premieres and runs June 1-9, 2016 at ArcLight Cinemas throughout Los Angeles.  That alone should give reason enough to attend the festival. the Opening Night Film is the World Premiere of Ricardo De Montreuil’s Lowriders, sponsored by Jaeger-LeCoultre. This year’s Guest Director is Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed) and Ava DuVernay (Selma, Middle of Nowhere) and Array Releasing will receive the Spirit of Independence Award. More special screenings and programs will be announced in the coming weeks.

Director Ava DuVernay will receive the Spirit of Independence Award at this year's festival.

Director Ava DuVernay will receive the Spirit of Independence Award at this year’s festival.

US Fiction Competition (12)

Original voices with distinct visions from emerging and established American independent filmmakers.

11:55, dir. Ari Issler, Ben Snyder, USA, World Premiere

72 Hours, dir. Raafi Rivero, USA, World Premiere

Blood Stripe, dir. Remy Auberjonois, USA, World Premiere

Chee and T, dir. Tanuj Chopra, USA, World Premiere

Destined, dir. Qasim Basir, USA, World Premiere

Dreamstates, dir. Anisia Uzeyman, USA, World Premiere

GREEN / is / GOLD, dir. Ryon Baxter, USA, World Premiere

My First Kiss and the People Involved, dir. Luigi Campi, USA, World Premiere

Paint it Black, dir. Amber Tamblyn, USA, World Premiere

Tracktown, dir. Jeremy Teicher, Alexi Pappas, USA, World Premiere

The View from Tall, dir. Erica Weiss, Caitlin Parrish, USA, World Premiere

Woven, dir. Salome Mulugeta, Nagwa Ibrahim, USA, World Premiere

Documentary Competition (12) 

Compelling, character-driven non-fiction films from the U.S. and around the world.

Company Town, dir. Natalie Kottke, Erica Sardarian, USA, World Premiere

Denial, dir. Derek Hallquist, USA, World Premiere

Dr. Feelgood, dir. Eve Marson, USA, World Premiere

Dying Laughing, dir. Lloyd Stanton, Paul Toogood, USA/UK, World Premiere

The House on Coco Road, dir. Damani Baker, Grenada/USA, World Premiere

Jackson, dir. Maisie Crow, USA, World Premiere

The Last Gold, dir. Brian T. Brown, Germany/USA, World Premiere

Looking at the Stars, dir. Alexandre Peralta, Brazil/Nicaragua/USA, World Premiere

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, dir. Deborah Riley Draper, USA, World Premiere

Out of Iraq, dir.  Eva Orner, Chris McKim, Canada/Iraq/Lebanon/USA, World Premiere

Political Animals, dir. Jonah Markowitz, Tracy Wares, USA, World Premiere

They Call us Monsters, dir. Ben Lear, USA, World Premiere

World Fiction Competition (6)

Unique fiction films from around the world from emerging and established filmmakers, especially curated for LA audiences.

Heis (chronicles), dir. Anaïs Volpé, France, World Premiere

Like Cotton Twines, dir. Leila Djansi, Ghana/USA, World Premiere

London Town, dir. Derrick Borte, UK, World Premiere

Lupe Under the Sun, dir. Rodrigo Reyes, Mexico/USA, World Premiere

A Moving Image, dir. Shola Amoo, UK, World Premiere

Play the Devil, dir. Maria Govan, Trinidad/Bahamas/USA, World Premiere

LA Muse (6)

Fiction and documentary films that capture the spirit of L.A.

Actors of Sound, dir. Lalo Molina, Argentina/Finland/Germany/India/Ireland/USA, World Premiere

Girl Flu., dir. Dorie Barton, USA, World Premiere

Manchild: The Schea Cotton Story, dir. Eric “Ptah” Herbert, USA, World Premiere

Namour, dir. Heidi Saman, USA, World Premiere

No Light and No Land Anywhere, dir. Amber Sealey, USA, World Premiere

Sensitivity Training, dir. Melissa Finell, USA, World Premiere

Nightfall (6)

From the bizarre to the horrifying, these are films to watch after dark.

Abattoir, dir. Darren Lynn Bousman, USA, World Premiere

Beyond the Gates, dir. Jackson Stewart, USA, World Premiere

Don’t Hang Up, dir. Alexis Wajsbrot, Damien Macé, UK, World Premiere

Mercy, dir. Chris Sparling, USA, World Premiere

Officer Downe, dir. M. Shawn Crahan, USA, World Premiere

Villisca, dir. Tony Valenzuela, USA, World Premiere

Short Films (58):

From over 2,500 submissions, the short films selected represent 15 countries and 64% are directed by women. Short films are shown before features and as part of seven short film programs. Shorts will compete for juried prizes for fiction and documentary shorts, as well as an Audience Award for Best Short Film.

Future Filmmakers Showcase: High School Shorts (33):

The LA Film Festival’s Future Filmmaker Showcase brings to the big screen the best films made by budding young filmmakers from across the country and the globe. In this diverse slate of films, incredibly accomplished high school students will present wild comedies, moving dramas, mesmerizing animation, introspective experimental films and everything in between. Program sponsored by Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television and Time Warner Foundation.

Episodes: Indie Series from the Web (13)

A showcase of independently crafted web series, celebrating rising creators whose work and subjects are innovative and unfiltered.

20 Seconds to Live, dir. Ben Rock, USA

Brothers, dir. Emmett Jack Lundberg, USA

Caring, dir. Maggie Kiley, USA

Fridays, dir. Anna Kerrigan, USA

The Ghost and the Negro, dir. Sylvester Folks, USA

Her Story, dir. Sydney Freeland, USA

Instababy, dir. Rosie Haber, USA

Literally So Busy, dir. Jerad Sloan, USA

Little Things, dir. Lex Halaby, Mila Shah, USA

Outside Comedy: Beth Stelling, dir. Thomas Wood, USA

Quirky Female Protagonist, dir. Yulin Kuang, USA

Shangri-LA, dir. Drew Rosas, USA

Time Out with Yes Please!, dir. Kholi Hicks, USA

For more information about the festival visit www.lafilmfestival.com.