Monday, October 22, 2012

Press Release - VFF12 Program Announcement

The Valley Film Festival announces its twelfth annual lineup of cinema so independent it can be found only in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley.  VFF Founder and Director, Tracey Adlai, says she “looks forward to having our festival down the street from Universal Studios, founded by the Laemmle family a century ago, at a great new theater managed by them.”  The festival will run for five days, beginning November 7th, at the Laemmle NoHo 7, located at 5240 Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood.  Complete festival information is available at ValleyFilmFest.com.

With over 30 films on its program, including fifteen premieres and eight foreign films, the festival showcases independent cinema from around the Valley and the world.  Adlai says, “the Laemmle slogan is ‘Not Afraid of Subtitles’ – and neither are we this year.  We’ve expanded our foreign film selections to include three features—from the UK, Denmark, and Australia—and five short films—from the UK, Italy, Spain, and Poland.”  The selections include documentaries, fiction, animation, and music videos. 

The VFF continues to promote local independent production, with fifteen films made by San Fernando Valley residents, in the Valley, or about it.  Fourteen films are from people who’ve screened previously with the festival.  The opening night feature, ROUTE 30, TOO!, is having its L.A. premiere and is the sequel to ROUTE 30, which the festival screened in 2008.  This comedy is director John Putch’s second installment in his south central Pennsylvania trilogy, with another ensemble cast including Robert Romanus (“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”) and Curtis Armstrong (“Revenge of the Nerds”).  The Thursday night feature program has the L.A. premiere of MULTIPLE MEANS OF MURDER, a comedy feature from Denmark, and WRITTEN IN INK, a documentary short from Poland.

The “Girls on Film” program of short films includes the U.S. premiere of UNDER A VEST, a noir spoof directed by VFF alum Kal Bonner, and the world premiere of YOU GOT THIS, a drama by AFI Directing Fellow Simo Manfredi.  THE OLDEST LESBIAN IN THE WORLD is a documentary co-directed by two-time Emmy-award winning video journalist Renee Sotile. 

Other programs of short films include “Comedy Shorts,” “Alumni Filmmakers,” and “Happy Endings.”  Other features include the thriller END OF THE ROAD, the horror film THE HUMAN RACE, the comedy VINYL, and THE GHASTLY LOVE OF JOHNNY X—a mix of 1950s juvenile delinquent films, sci-fi thrillers, musicals, and comedies.  The latter film is paired with LUMINARIS, a pixilation-animated short about a worker in a light bulb factory who tries to get ahead by cheating, and what goes wrong—and right—when he’s caught.  A playful film from Argentinian director Juan Pablo Zaramella, LUMINARIS was named to the 2011 Academy Award shortlist for Best Animated Short Film.

The closing night feature is A FEW BEST MEN, a wedding comedy directed by Stephan Elliott (“Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”), written by Dean Craig (“Death at a Funeral”), and co-produced by VFF alum Laurence Malkin (“Death at a Funeral”).  The cast includes Rebel Wilson (“Bridesmaids,” “Pitch Perfect”).

Founded in 2000, The Valley Film Festival, a project of Community Partners®, is the first and longest continually running film festival in the San Fernando Valley.  With a mission to join established filmmakers and emerging talent with adventurous audiences in Los Angeles, the VFF has screened a total of over 450 shorts, features, documentaries, animated films, and music videos from all over the world.  While emphasizing independent film, the festival also has occasionally shown studio productions, including BOOGIE NIGHTS, CHINATOWN, ENCINO MAN, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, MAGNOLIA, TERMINATOR 2, VALLEY GIRL, and WORLD TRADE CENTER.  

In addition to screenings, the festival provides educational panels, social mixers, and awards.  The juried "Ten Degrees Hotter" award is for one short and one feature from a competitive section.  Additionally, there is an award for short films, in the non-competitive section, as chosen by the audience.

THE VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL begins its 2012 season on Wednesday, November 7th and continues through Sunday, November 13th, with screenings at the Laemmle NoHo 7, located at 5240 Lankershim Blvd., in North Hollywood.  Tickets are $10-$15.  For more information and tickets, visit ValleyFilmFest.com.

2012 Sponsors: ProductionHUB, Creative Handbook, iBlakeStudio, Footage Firm, Citizen L.A., Decor Art Galleries, Valley Relics, Kirin, The Hollywood Guild, Video Blocks, Cine Gear Expo


THE VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL 2012 PROGRAM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5th

Evening – Meet the Filmmakers party (for filmmakers, distributors, and media)
 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th

8:00 pm – Opening Night Feature Program: Route 30, Too!


THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8th

8:00 pm – Feature Program 2:  Multiple Means of Murder with Written in Ink


FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9th

5:00 – 6:30 pm – A Happy Hour to celebrate "Girls on Film" filmmakers, at Bow & Truss in NoHo

7:30 pm – “Girls on Film” Shorts Program:  Bathing and the Single Girl, Le Chapeau (The Hat), Liking Men, The Oldest Lesbian in the World, Under a Vest, You Got This

9:30 pm – Feature Program 3:  End of the Road with 108.1 FM Radio


SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10th

11:00 am – 12:30 pm – Panel TBA (topical to independent filmmaking) at The ARC (The Artist Resource Center, in NoHo)

1:00 pm – Comedy Shorts Program:  Goldenbox, Incest! The Musical, The Red Towel, Untitled

3:00 pm – Feature Program 4:  The Human Race

6:30 pm – Centerpiece Feature: Vinyl with L'equip Petit (The Little Team)

9:30 pm – Feature Program 5:  The Ghastly Love of Johnny X with Luminaris


SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11th

11:00 am – 12:30 pm – Panel TBA (topical to independent filmmaking) at The ARC (The Artist Resource Center, in NoHo)

1:00 pm – "Happy Endings" Shorts Program:  Cross Court, Enchanting Hands, Freak, Hi Lillian

3:00 pm – "Alumni Showcase" Shorts Program: Chad and the Alien Toupee, A Day in the Life of Your Cats, Happy Anniversary, History, Reverse Parthenogenesis, Seymour Sally Rufus, Sitting Babies

5:00 pm – Closing Night Feature Program: A Few Best Men

Evening – Closing Night Party at Gallery 800 (operated by IATSE Local 800, The Art Directors Guild)


For review copies, interviews, photos, and press comps, contact Media@ValleyFilmFest.com

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