Today the Los Angeles Film Festival, in conjunction with Presenting Media Sponsor the Los Angeles Times and Host Partner L.A. LIVE, announced its jurors for the 2012 Festival, which runs Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 24 in downtown Los Angeles. And we’ll be bringing you coverage of this wonderful fest right here!
The narrative jury consists of Film Independent Spirit Award-nominated actress Rachael Harris (Natural Selection, Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies), Spirit Award-nominated actor, writer, producer and director Robert Townsend (Hollywood Shuffle, The Five Heartbeats) and film critic Sheri Linden (LAFCA, The Hollywood Reporter, The Los Angeles Times).
The documentary jury is comprised of Spirit Award-winning producers Heather Rae (Frozen River, The Dry Land) and Karin Chien (Circumstance, The Exploding Girl), and director Mark Landsman (Thunder Soul), who won the 2010 LA Film Fest Audience Award and was nominated for a 2011 Spirit Award.
Film critic and author Ernest Hardy (Blood Beats Vols. 1 and 2), Spirit Award-nominated cinematographer Nancy Schreiber (Your Friends And Neighbors, The Celluloid Closet) and writer/ director/editor Javier Fuentes León (Contracorriente), who won the Audience Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival round out the shorts jury.
“I couldn’t be happier with our juries this year. We’ve assembled a sterling team that represents all aspects of the film business: producers, directors, cinematographers, actors, critics and, like the movies in the Festival, reflects the diversity of Los Angeles,” said Festival Artistic Director David Ansen.
Unrestricted cash awards are given out in the following categories: Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature ($15,000), Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature ($15,000), Best Animated or Experimental Short ($5,000), Best Documentary Short ($5,000) and Best Narrative Short ($5,000). The jury also hands out an award for Best Outstanding Performance in a Narrative Feature. The Audience Awards, which are chosen based on ballots submitted by Festival audiences, are presented in the following categories: Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, International Feature, Short Film and Music Video. The Los Angeles Film Festival is a qualifying festival in all categories for the Film Independent Spirit Awards and for the Narrative and Animated Short Film categories at the Academy Awards.
The competition and audience award winners, presented by special guest hosts, will be announced at the Awards Brunch held at CHAYA Downtown on Sunday, June 24.
To keep track of all the fun happenings at the Los Angeles Film Festival, iPhone users can now download the official mobile app by visiting the App Store. Features include a real-time, searchable film guide, ability to customize a personal schedule, purchase tickets, stream trailers, navigate the L.A. LIVE campus and parking, find Festival discounts at downtown restaurants, and engage with the Festival via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. To access features of the iPhone app on other mobile devices, visit here.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles and headquartered at L.A. LIVE for a third year, the Festival will run from Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 24. Now in its eighteenth year, the Festival is widely recognized as a world-class event, showcasing the best in new American and international cinema, and is produced by Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that also produces the Spirit Awards.
Passes and tickets are currently on sale to Film Independent members and the general public. In addition to screenings and events, Festival passes provide access to a series of networking receptions and entry to the Filmmaker Lounge, where Festival pass holders can interact with Festival filmmakers and professionals in the film community. Contact the Ticket Office for passes, tickets and event information by calling 866.FILM.FEST (866.345.6337) or visit LAFilmFest.com.
For the seventh year, the Los Angeles Times will serve as the Festival’s Presenting Media Sponsor and will once again produce the Official Film Guide, the comprehensive source for all movie info, screenings, locations and related special events. The Film Guide will top the paper on Sunday, June 10 in Los Angeles and Orange County, and will be made available throughout downtown Los Angeles during the ten-day event.
