The Arts District, 7+FIG, Chinatown, Bunker Hill, Olvera Street, the Fashion District, South Park...
Downtown Film Festival — L.A. is as multi-faceted as its namesake location. Plugging into the downtown vibe is easy. Just choose your muse below & let it be your guide:
Fiercely Independent
For fans of independent cinema, the choices are nearly unlimited with dozens of feature film & short film programs, screening on a daily basis at the AT&T Center venue's newly renovated 500-seat state-of-the-art theater.
Music Fan-atic
Find your musical niche at the festival's exclusive Music Film Series at The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live!
Classic
Hollywood icon Paul Newman will be honored on the 1st anniversary of his passing with back-to-back, outdoor screenings of two of his most celebrated films: Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid & Hud. It's all FREE!
Scene-ster
Yeah, baby! We hear you. It's a party every night - uh, make that two parties every night — at the 2009 Downtown Film Festival.
Green-ster
Green is more than good for the environment. It's also cool. Join the "living green, living great" crowd all-day & into-the-evening at Sustainable L.A. on Thursday, Aug. 20th at the festival's 7+FIG.
DayTripper
The Shorts & Sweets, August 17-21, is especially designed for commuters. Get a taste of the festival twice daily with a fascinating smorgasbord of short films & videos from around the world. Complimentary coffee & sweets! Mmmmm.
Avant-Garde / Artsy
Digital Art L.A. is a festival within a festival, an international showcase of digital and art videos.
Awards Announced for DFFLA 09At the Closing Night Ceremonies, programming director Roger M. Mayer announced the award winners of the 2009 Downtown Film Festival — L.A. Director-writer David Russo's absurdist comedy, The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle, took home the Best Feature prize while Scott Cummings' Storm Tiger Mountain captured Best Short Film. See the complete list of winners.
Closing Night Gala: Jackson 5 In Africa
The West Coast premiere of a rare, never-before-seen documentary of Michael Jackson performing with his brothers in Senegal, Africa headlines the Closing Night Gala.
Rivera Dazzles with Modern Latin Cuisine
The reviews are in! Chef John Rivera Sedlar's new restaurant, Rivera, is a hit with critics and fans alike.
Join us at Rivera nightly during the festival for a series of specially prepared pris fixe dinners, featuring the chef's signature cuisine.
Spike Lee's 'Passing Strange The Movie' to Open 2009 DFFLA
The autobiographical musical by downtown L.A. musician Stew was nominated for 7 Tony Awards. Join the stars of 'Passing Strange' for a special Opening Night Dinner at Rivera.
A favored actor of both John Cassavetes & Wes Anderson, Seymour Cassel is the embodiment of American independent cinema. On the L.A. premiere screening of his latest film, Reach For Me, co-starring Alfre Woodard, the actor will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Music Film Series at The GRAMMY Museum
The festival presents a musical triple threat: Seven nights. Seven amazing artists. Seven music film programs never before seen in Los Angeles. The first-ever film series at The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live! is like something you've never seen before.
Paul Newman Restrospective
"Paul Newman was the ultimate cool guy who men wanted to be like and women adored." - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. One year after his passing, Downtown Film Festival honors the Hollywood icon with free, outdoor screenings of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid & Hud.
African Cinema Series:
Director Euzhan Palcy
on Poet Aimé Césaire
The internationally acclaimed director of A Dry White Season discuss her documentary on the founder of the
negritude arts movement.
Living Green. Living Great. SUSTAINABLE L.A. 2009
Join us for a free day of "green" film, food, fashion and fun as Sustainable L.A., the festival's signature environmental program, celebrates its 4th anniversary in style!
My Suicide
Saturday, Aug 15 7:00 PM - AT&T Center
A dazzling and relentless hyper-assault of mixed media devices, stunning audiences around the world. Both a deeply personal exploration and a fierce polemic.
Winner of the Crystal Bear in Berlin and the Gen Art NY award!
JERKIN' Today In The Cinema Lounge!
Dance-music craze 'jerkin', featured in last week's L.A. Weekly cover story, will be showcased this afternoon in the festival Cinema Lounge (12th & Olive).
Dance b Jerk Kingz (2 pm) and Pink Dollaz (6:30 pm and 9 pm). Music by DJ Eklectiq.
Sunday: The Politics of Sex in Cinema
Join in on a panel discussion of industry "sexperts" on how sex is dealt with in American media, following the festival's world premiere of director Phillipe Diaz's
Ninety minutes with two actors in two rooms shot in three continuous takes.
An acting tour-de-force with sparkling dialogue and humor as dark as it gets.
TUESDAY: 3DIY
You don't have to spend $300 million to make a 3-D movie, you can do it yourself for pocket change! Join us for a special presentation and learn how to make them yourself!
See 3-D works ranging from comedies to documentaries made by people like you, curated by the LA 3-D Club, with a panel of 3-D filmmakers afterward.
F R I D A Y American-Latino Film Series
The American-born filmmakers represented here in the American-Latino Film Series, a continuing tradition for the festival, address the question of "being Latino" in their own ways through the stories they tell.
