Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by The Los Angeles Times, runs Thursday, June 21 - Sunday, July 1, in Westwood. Films, workshops, discussions, musical performances, family fun and events -- something for everyone!

Saturday, June 23, 2007
10:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Various Venues
Westwood
West Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095

The Los Angeles Film Festival -- come out and support independent films. 

For event info and tickets, visit the on site Ticket Pavilion in Westwood at 1031 Broxton Ave (south of Weyburn) or call 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or go to www.lafilmfest.com

For a day-by-day schedule of films and events, visit http://filmguide.lafilmfest.com/tixSYS/2007/filmguide/schedule-list.php

Films that might be of interest to Africanists:

War/Dance (USA, 2006, 105 min)
Sat, June 23  --  4:30 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
Tues, June 26  --  2:00 PM, Landmark's Regent Theatre
The harrowing stories of survival of three young Ugandan refugees are tempered by their subsequent discovery of the joy of performance as their school prepares for a national music and dance competition. The film illuminates the profound contrasts of the young refugees' lives — Uganda's stunning natural beauty and the horror of its history, the innocence of childhood and the brutality of war — to craft a powerful testament to these unforgettable children and their amazing capacity to hope and to sing.
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The Last Dog in Rwanda - Den sista hunden i Rwanda (Sweden, 2006, 30 min., In Swedish and English with English subtitles) - plays in Shorts Program 1
Sun, June 24  --  12 PM, Mann Festival Theatre
Thurs, June 28  --  9:45 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
A photojournalist with a lifelong fascination with war is at the center of this penetrating account of a workday on the front lines.
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A Conversation with Pharrell Williams - 90 min  --  FREE  -- Sat, June 23  --  8:00 PM, Hammer Museum
Join us for a special conversation between Artist in Residence Pharrell Williams and film critic Elvis Mitchell.  Grammy-winning record producer Pharrell Williams will serve as the Artist in Residence at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival.
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Liberty Kid (USA, 2007, 90 min)  --  World Premiere
Sat, June 23  --  7:45 PM, Landmark's Regent Theatre
Mon, June 25  --  7:30 PM, The Landmark (Pico & Westwood)
When, in the aftermath of 9/11, two young men lose their jobs at the Statue of Liberty, they have to struggle to keep their friendship — and lives — on track. Hotheaded Tico slowly dips into a life of petty crime and low-level, semi-successful scams while Derrick begins to fear his only option may lie with the persistent army recruiters he's been fending off. With a playful, street-level energy, writer-director Ilya Chaiken finds the beating pulse of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness even at the fringes of the American Dream.
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Love Story -  Arthur Lee (1945-2006) (England, 2006, 110 min)  --  North American Premiere
Fri, June 22  --  10:00 PM, Mann Festival Theatre
Sun, June 24  --  12 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
The psychedelic folk rock sound of Love is so quintessentially evocative of Los Angeles in the late 1960s, their music conjures the sticky sweet scent of bougainvillea and eucalyptus — and other less legal forms of plant life — from countless summer nights on the Sunset Strip. Charting the band's tumultuous rise, fall and lasting legacy, this richly textured celebration avoids VH1-style clichés while offering fitting tribute to the volatile visionary at its center, Arthur Lee, a Los Angeles legend in his own right.
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A Girl Like Me (USA - 8 min) - plays in High School Program 2
Sat, June 23  --  2:00 PM, Italian Cultural Institute
Sun, July 1  --  11:00 AM, Italian Cultural Institute
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Queen Deelah: Im' a Rida (USA, 2006, 5 min) - plays in High School Program 2 -- North American Premiere
Sat, June 23  --  2:00 PM, Italian Cultural Institute
Sun, July 1  --  11:00 AM, Italian Cultural Institute
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People or Puppets? Media's Stronghold on Youth Culture (USA, 2006, 19 min) - plays in High School Program 1
Sat, June 23 --  11:00 AM, Italian Cultural Institute
Sun, July 1  --  1:00 PM, Italian Cultural Institute
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Bullet Proof Vest (USA, 2006, 6 min) - plays in Shorts Program 3
Sat, June 23  --  12 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
Sat, June 30  --  10:30 PM, Mann Festival Theatre
Nine-year old twins explain why they need a bulletproof vest to walk safely around their neighborhood.
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Pariah (USA, 2006, 28 min) - plays in Shorts Program 2
Sun, June 24  --  2:30 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
Fri, June 29  --  9:45 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
A 17-year-old girl living in the Bronx relentlessly struggles with her sexual identity, as she tries to conform to the expectations of family and friends.
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SOS - Live Earth Short Films (Outdoor Screening) -- FREE
Sun, June 24  --  8:30 PM, Festival Promenade on Broxton
On this special Sunday, 50 short films commissioned by SOS-Live Earth—an organization supported by Al Gore and designed to trigger a mass-scale movement to combat the climate crisis—will screen at the L.A. Film Festival. Environmental groups will occupy booths on Broxton during the day to educate attendees about this impending danger and what we can all do to make a better tomorrow.
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Quincy & Althea (USA, 2006, 10 min) - plays in Shorts Program 5
Mon, June 25  --  9:30 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
Sat, June 30  --  2:30 PM, Majestic Crest Theatre
An elderly couple is at the center of this bittersweet tale of marriage, love and survival in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Tickets are available at the Festival Ticket Pavilion on Broxton [see website], on the web (some tickets are now only available at the ticket pavilion or at the door), and by calling 866-345-6337. Parking is available in Lot 32 and Lot 36 on the UCLA campus at Veteran and Kinross for $2 per hour, up to a maximum of $8 [cash only]. Shuttle service is available from the parking structures to the theaters/venues [see website for routes]. For event info and tickets, call 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or go to www.lafilmfest.com

Cost : Most regular screening tickets cost $11 (Shorts and special screenings/events tickets vary); some events are free.

www.lafilmfest.com

Sponsor(s): Film Independent, Los Angeles Times. Information about non-ASC events is posted for informational purposes and does not necessarily reflect opinions of or endorsements by African Studies personnel.