Made my first sojourn over to Westwood last night for this year's LAFF, which is even more concentrated on the westside than last year (when it had a handful of screenings at its old Sunset 5 HQ) and which has expanded it's Target Red Room into a cavernous 3-story affair, complete with an upper floor of pool tables and video games. Who has time for movies?
The filmmakers present were still talking about their class trip to the Skywalker Ranch earlier in the week, with many talking about how great it was to have a chance to meet and mingle in that congenial environment, before heading south to Los Angeles, where talk might shift to competition, deals and publicists.
Here's some pictures from last night's activities:
From one side of the country to the next: I last caught Almundena Carracedo and Robert Bahar in Silver Spring, where they world premiered their film MADE IN L.A. Now, they are back in Los Angeles for their LAFF screening. Almundena directed and produced, Robert produced. And yes, it's the famed Robert Bahar of Doculink.
Directors Jennifer Venditti (BILLY THE KID) and Harris Fishman (CAT DANCERS), inside the Red Room. Both Billy and Dancers premiered to much acclaim at SXSW and there was talk of a mutual admiration society between the subjects of their films.
From left, director Ondi Timoner (JOIN US) and her son, Joaquim, PRISON TOWN, USA co-director Po Kutchins, Daniella Brower from PRISON TOWN, Helen Hood Scheer, director of JUMP! and PRISON TOWN co-director Katie Galloway.
The closing moments of THE TOWN THAT WAS, which screened Friday night at the Italian Cultural Institute.
At the post-screening Q&A for THE TOWN THAT WAS, from left, LA Film Festival programmer Doug Jones, directors Chris Perkel and Georgie Roland, producer Melinka Thompson-Godoy and composer Paul Henning.
More pictures and reviews from LAFF through the week.
Have some fun for me. Wish I was there.
Posted by: Matt Dentler | June 23, 2007 at 11:45 AM