The LA Shorts International Film Festival is a premier event in the film industry, showcasing a diverse array of films and documentaries.
LA Shorts International Film Festival: A Showcase of 470 Films
The 29th LA Shorts International Film Festival is set to commence in downtown Los Angeles, an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying event that will feature 470 films from July 16-28.
Opening Night Highlights
The festival kicks off at Regal LA Live with a selection of four shorts, including Como si la tierra se las hubiera tragado, directed by Natalia León. This animated short won the jury award at the Sundance Film Festival.
“In Olivia’s Mexican hometown, femicide and gender-based violence are increasing at an alarming rate,” notes the description of León’s film in the Hot Docs program guide. “Upon her return after a long absence, she quickly notices the city walls are covered with posters of missing women. The mistreatment of women is pervasive, and the once-vibrant city is gradually losing its vitality.”
Documentary Features
Also screening tonight is The Letter, a documentary directed by Oliver Würffell that recounts a heroic act late in WWII involving a relative the filmmaker never had the chance to meet. “On February 17th, 1945,” Würffell writes, “my great-grandfather Friedrich wrote a letter to the fleeing family one hour before he was executed by the Nazis for his refusal of military service.”
Classroom 4, directed by Eden Wurmfeld – winner of Best Documentary at Aspen Shortsfest — and Walud, a German-Syrian co-production directed by Daood Alabdulaa, are also part of tonight’s program.
Notable Films to Look Out For
Among the notable films screening over the next 12 days are A King’s Curtain starring Austin Pendleton and Stephen McKinley Henderson; Nigel Lythgoe making a rare acting turn in Bottom’s Dream; Helga with Michael Gandolfini, The Clock featuring CCH Pounder and Wallace Shawn; An Evening at Martini’s with Mattias Ferrell; Before They Joined Us directed by Arshile Egoyan, and No Choice written by Cynthia Riddle and Julie Kohner and directed by Peter Hunziker.
Documentary Spotlight
The Friday, July 25 program will feature the documentary Whispers: A Julian Lennon Retrospective, showcasing the musician and artist’s work in photography. “A stunning tribute to creativity,” the festival program comments, “this documentary invites you to see the world through Julian’s lens in a way that will move and inspire.”
Awards and Recognition
Winners in four categories at LA Shorts — Best of Festival, Best International, Best Doc, and Best Animation – will qualify for the Academy Awards. In addition to Oscars and BAFTAs, LA Shorts winners qualify for the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT), presenters of the Canadian Screen Awards, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain (Goya Awards). Over 68 filmmakers from LA Shorts have earned Academy Award nominations.
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Alumni Spotlight
Among the festival’s filmmaking alumni are Sofia Coppola, Tim Burton, Bryan Singer, Paul Haggis, Shane Black, Jason Reitman, John Woo, Tony Scott, David Lynch, Joe Carnahan, Louis D’Esposito, Terry Gilliam, Jon Favreau, Scarlett Johansson, Vin Diesel, Hilary Swank, Demi Moore, Courteney Cox, Jessica Biel, Kirsten Dunst, Ralph Macchio, Ricky Gervais, and many more.
Special Screening
The feature-length documentary Rebel Hearts, directed by Pedro Kos, will be screened for free at the festival this Saturday. “This documentary depicts how The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church, fighting for equality, their livelihoods, and their own freedom against an all-powerful Cardinal who sought to keep them in their place,” the festival writes. “Their bold acts of faith, defiance, and activism turned the Church upside down, helping to reshape our society in ways that continue to resonate today.”
AI Shorts and Industry Programs
On Sunday (July 20), LA Shorts will showcase a selection of nine AI shorts, including writer-director Gabriele Ciampi’s Into the White. Logline: “As a child, Valery’s life was forever changed when a devastating three-day storm claimed his mother and left his Siberian village in ruins. Decades later, he has transformed that loss into purpose, becoming a climate scientist who studies the very forces that shaped his past.”
LA Shorts features a number of industry programs, including “Pre-Production Legal/How Not to Shoot Yourself In the Foot” (Saturday, July 19); “The Biggest Opportunity in Hollywood: Vertical Microdramas” (Sunday, July 20), and “Launch Your Career With A Short Film” (Saturday, July 26).
For more information on the LA Shorts International Film Festival, click here.
