Los Angeles, California: Festival Shifts but Outdoor Movies Remain in Hollywood

Among the venues at which the Film Independent-run LAFF will show films and host panels are Regal Cinemas, the Grammy Museum, the Orpheum Theatre and Nokia Plaza, with L.A. Live serving as its flagship venue. The festival will continue to hold outdoor screenings in Hollywood, at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater. (The Times is a presenting sponsor of LAFF.) The move continues a pattern for Film Independent, which also runs the Spirit Awards, of moving its events downtown. The Spirits' switch last month, to L.A. Live, met with mixed results, but festival director Rebecca Yeldham said that the new spot would be more central and also tap into the neighborhood's emerging cultural identity. Our new location will continue to pave the way for LAFF to realize its potential as an international destination event, and unites our filmmakers and audiences with the diverse arts community that exists downtown," she said. Steven Zeitchik Read more....