It's a Wrap on VFF15 Call-for-Entries

Our 2015 call-for-entries have officially closed!

This year, we used two platforms (vs. the three from last year): FilmFreeway.com and Festhome.com and received submissions from 70 countries. 

What surprised us most was the number of films from Iran. This is a country with a rich, cultural history, yet it is also known for censoring films, throwing artists in jail, and forcing filmmakers (and their families) into exile. 

For the first time since 2009, Iran had a tent inside the International Village at Festival de Cannes. Under the Republic's new president, Hassan Rouhani, the new policy appears to be celebrating culture. Fingers crossed this is a new beginning. 

Moving on, below are the Top 10 countries VFF15 submissions came from:

1. United States
2. Islamic Republic of Iran
3. United Kingdom
4. Spain
5. Germany
6. Canada
7. Italy
8. France
9. Brazil
10. India

Countdown to VFF15...T-Minus 75 Days

75 days out and still over 300 films unwatched. 

This week we called upon our screening group volunteers to commit to an additional 10 films. With this plan in place, we're confident that every film can be viewed by August 23. This will allow us time to review the films in consideration, find the content that best complements each other and the festival, program, schedule, and update the website by September 7. 

If we miss this deadline, we miss the 6-8 week press window and we make it more difficult for filmmakers outside of Los Angeles to plan their attendance. Because we rely on our friends in the press to get the word out AND our filmmakers to support their films, this is a really important deadline for us to meet. 

We're also chasing down our sponsors, returning & new, and securing after-party venues. 

We'll provide another update once our submissions close on August 15th! 

Countdown to VFF15...T-Minus 100 Days

100 days out. This is when we start to get nervous.  Even though our venue is locked down and our call-for-entries is coming to an end, once we hit the "T-Minus 100 Days" mark,  we feel just a wee more pressure to speed things up. 

Our main priority right now is to make sure every film is viewed & reviewed, from start to finish, by August 31. This year, 95% of our submissions are online. Thanks to portals such as FilmFreeway.com and FestHome.com, VFF is now able to include our foreign alumni filmmakers (and fans) in the reviewing process; we currently have approximately 30 volunteers watching submissions from all over the world. 

Usually around this time, we've picked up on submission trends. One year it was female westerns, another year it was 3D films or "Hollywood," but this year we've seen several films set just before, during, and after the Serbia/Kosovo war. While the reality of war is beyond brutal, it warms our heart to know that those affected by this conflict have found their voice via film. 

Next on the agenda is filling in the festival gaps with panel discussions and networking gatherings. If you have ideas, or wish to be involved, please let us know. 

Once we hit "T-Minus 75 Days" we'll sneak in another production update. Until then, connect with us on Facebook or Twitter for everyday interaction. 

Why You Should Volunteer at a Film Festival (Like, The Valley Film Festival)

Most Angelenos in the entertainment industry divide their time between making art and making connections with other industry professionals, with the hopes to make even more art. Even the most talented tend to get stuck without a solid network of "contacts," aka friends who support their art and will recommend them to others and of course, vice versa. 

But how do you create this network? With all the people, neighborhoods, bars, and events all over the city every night, how are you supposed to turn a short yet meaningful conversation with a director at one party into a true invitation to send him your script or your headshot? How can you stand out from everyone else?

You can't. At least that's been my experience in 8 years of networking in LA's film scene. At an event, you can have great conversations that can lead to the beginnings of great friendships. These can, in turn,  years later usually, lead to a wider net of contacts. But until someone knows they can trust you, sees your work ethic, and watches the energy and intelligence you bring to the table, they aren't going to bring you onto a film regardless of how or charming you are at a party after a few drinks. And you won't know if you want to work with them either. This is why the word networking carries such a stigma of phoniness. Meeting someone for the first time with an agenda just doesn't make you feel trustworthy, and networking without an agenda can feel like a waste of time, gas, and money. And most of the chatter about work is, frankly, irrelevant because people aren't looking to hire people they just met. They want to work with people they know.

I've always looked at volunteering as a different but extremely productive approach to networking.

And if you're hoping to make contacts with filmmakers, there's no better place than a film festival, where you'll be interacting with everyone, with plenty of chances to be remembered. With over 100 film festivals in LA ranging from the large and in charge (AFI, LA Film Festival, Hollywood Film Festival) to the boutique and unique (THE VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL, Silver Docs, The Downtown Independent) you're never hurting for opportunities.

The beauty of volunteering for a film festival is that you are networking with everyone else involved, but you aren't. Rather than two dueling agendas, you'll share a mutual agenda, to make the festival go. You're all on the same team.  Whether you are talking to vendors about sponsorships, selling tickets, screening films, coordinating filmmakers, or stuffing gift bags, you have days, weeks, even months of time to get to know not just who your peers are, but how they work, and show them your best as well.

As the festival starts, you'll be one of the few people who feels right at home. Everyone will feel relaxed chatting with you, after all, you're with the festival. You'll have no trouble meeting new people. And of course, because you have free passes to see all the films, you have something to talk about all night. 

Even when not at the film festival itself, just being affiliated will change the way you meet other filmmakers.  At other events, you now have something genuine to say to a filmmaker, like "Oh you just finished a feature? You should submit to The Valley Film Festival." immediately offering up something could help them and yourself at the same time.
 

Having volunteered for many other festivals before falling in love with The Valley Film Festival, I've found that most people volunteering are also in the industry. You'd be surprised at how many of the volunteers folding programs next to you are also directors and artists with projects that may suit your talents. Between the set up, launch, and break down you'll get close quickly, and suddenly cast a new net of true contacts.

Even the most glamorous film festivals are understaffed. Volunteering, if you're looking to rise and shine, can quickly put you in line to man some of the most creative and executive positions. So if you're looking for real experience in entertainment marketing, hosting, blogging, designing, set carpentry to add to your resume and skill set, here's another great way to make yourself more marketable and qualify you bigger film jobs.

Going to a film festivals opened my eyes to how many quality films are out there, even one with bigger names, that may never get distribution, or at least not in the United States. Underneath the first layer of over exposed studio movies and TV shows, an entire world of less accessible but equally dynamic films are made, screened, and loved by people all around the world. Some of my favorite films that have shaped my views came from screenings at SXSW, Boston International, and other festivals, films that most people never had the chance to see. As a volunteer for The Valley Film Festival, my eyes are even wider, as the next layer of films peels open, the great ones that just won't fit in our programming schedule (we are usually choosing about 6 features from hundreds) but still moved me. The art is inspirational, as is the reminder that around us, artists are hustling, making their dreams into reality and it keeps me on the ball.

Are you interested in volunteering for the Valley Film Festival? We have year round meetings and are always hoping to expand. If so, please email Hillary, our Volunteer Coordinator, at Hillary@valleyfilmfest.com, or feel free to reach out to me: georgia@valleyfilmfest.com.

Perhaps another festival is more your style, either way my advice is go for it. Make the call and ask if the festival is looking for volunteers. Let them know your strengths. Feel free to switch around till you find the right fit, search for ways to leave a footprint on the organization, and watch the opportunities unfold before you.

Contributed by Georgia Menides

Countdown To VFF14...Short Films From Five Continents!

While The Valley Film Festival will always remain true to celebrating films produced in the (818), we're really excited that North Hollywood has become the hub of international cinema! We didn't conquer all the continents this year, but showcasing films from five isn't too shabby.

VFF14 runs December 10-14 at Laemmle NoHo7

View the entire program at ValleyFilmFest.com

ASIA

BUTTERFLY DREAMS (India)
23 mins/Drama - Directed by Venkat Krishnan
Screens in Dramatic Shorts Program - 12/13 at 12:00pm
Butterfly Dreams is based on the real stories of many children who are working in factories in India, but have a desire to go to school. The Child Labor Law in India prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 in any factory. But the reality is different. Child labor in India is practiced in almost all places like restaurants, matches and fireworks industries, glass and bangles factories, the diamond industries, and building and construction industries.

COLLECT (India)
9 min/Thriller - Directed by Elvis D'Silva
Screens in Dramatic Shorts Program - 12/13 at 12:00pm

Leena is bound and gagged in a grimy bathroom. The masked man has a question. Her life depends on her answer.

NOT ANYMORE: A STORY OF REVOLUTION (Syria-USA)
15 min/Documentary - Directed by Matthew Vandyke
Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm

A 15 minute documentary film about the Syrian struggle for freedom as experienced by a 32 year old rebel commander, Mowya, and a 24 year old female journalist, Nour, in Aleppo, Syria. The film clearly and concisely shows why Syrians are fighting for their freedom, told through the emotional words of two powerful characters whose lives have been torn apart by war.

ADVISORY: This film contains images of war, violence, and death, and is not suitable for all ages.

UNTITLED (Azerbaijan)
17 min/Drama - Directed by Maria Ibrahimova
Screens before YOU OR A LOVED ONE - 12/13 at 7:30pm
A lonely widower discovers that he is dying and after a series of mysterious encounters decides to do the only thing he can think of: write a LETTER TO GOD.

AUSTRALIA

FLYBOY (Sydney)
5 min/Drama - Directed by Tobias Andersson
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm
An estranged mother and father discuss their son's desire to fly.

EUROPE (See our post: Short Film Selections from the EU)

NORTH AMERICA

(Additionally, see our post: Short Films Made in the (818))

THE GUNFIGHTER (Los Angeles, CA)
9 min/Comedy - Directed by Erik Kissack
Screens before GONE SOUTH: HOW CANADA INVENTED HOLLYWOOD 12/13 at 2:30pm (Featuring Nick Offerman as The Narrator)
In the tradition of classic westerns, a narrator sets up the story of a lone gunslinger who walks into a saloon. However, the people in this saloon can hear the narrator and the narrator may just be a little bit bloodthirsty.

INSIDE THE WHALE (Canada)
12 min/Drama - Directed by Mathew Murray
Screens in Dramatic Shorts Program - 12/13 at 12:00pm
Sweet, edgy and mildly philosophical, 'Inside the Whale' illustrates a day in the life of Benji, a young millennial boy who has always looked to others for everything - his absent lover Leo for intimacy, his best friend Ava for companionship, and his eccentric parents for everything else. However, on the day his best friend moves out, Benji is forced to confront his feelings of isolation and anxiety.

LOOK UP IN THE SKY: CETUS DAWN (Seattle, WA)
10 min/Science Fiction - Directed by Brendon Fogle
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm
A pre-quel to the SAG New Media web series LOOK UP IN THE SKY, this short film follows a science professor (Rik Deskin) and his students as they hike into treacherous Washington mountains near winter. Here, on a seemingly innocent trip to discover more about Earth's atmosphere, they are about to make an astonishing discovery that will change their lives forever.

NOW YOU KNOW (New York, NY)
5 min/Music Video - Automatic Children
Screens before RIPPED - 12/12 at 9:30pm
The music video for Automatic Children's NOW YOU KNOW. Shot at Film Biz Recycling in Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY.

SELF OFFENSE (Nashville, TN)
15 min/Drama - Directed by Wendy Keeling
Screens in "Reality Bites" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm
Self Offense is a seat gripping suspense film about the journey of four women victimized by abuse and violence. Their individual stories are woven together through the self defense course where they meet and gain tools necessary to break the cycle of abuse that has paralyzed them from moving forward. Shot as a suspense film, engaging a broader audience, the message is important and has the power to create dialogue about the issue of violence against women.

SOUTH AMERICA

EN MI RECUERDO SIEMPRE ESTARAS/YOU'LL ALWAYS BE ON MY MIND (Colombia)
4 min/Drama - Directed by Alexander Quezada
Screens in "Reality Bites" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm
A man and a woman have a chance encounter on a bus.

PELUQUERIA/THE HAIR SALON (Argentina)
2 min/Animation - Produced by Danila Veniani
Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm
While visiting a hair salon, a young woman chooses from a catalog of styles, activating the various machinery in this special place.

TOCA PRA DIABO/A HELL OF A PLAYER (Brazil)
15 min/Dark Comedy - Directed by Joao Velho
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm
Sig could never imagine that a simple trip with his band to the interior of Minas Gerais State would change his life so drastically. After meeting Demostenes Brasao, a man full of mysteries and musical talent, he discovers that there are more things between hell and earth than a naive metal head kid from a big city might suppose.

Countdown to VFF14...Shorts Film Selections From The EU

As much as we love films made locally, The Valley Film Festival has a serious soft spot for films from abroad.  Thanks to WAB alternatives - FilmFreeway, ClickForFestivals, and FestHome - our submissions from afar outnumbered domestic films this year. We encourage you to check out the VFF14 shortlist and browse through the films we're supporting in spirit, as well as click through the films that made the final cut.  You can see these and more December 10-14, 2014 at Laemmle NoHo7.  


BELGIUM

BAGHDAD MESSI* (16 min/Drama) - Directed by Sahim Omar-Kalifa
Screens in the Dramatic Shorts Program - 12/13 at 12:00pm
Iraq 2009. Ten-year-old Hamoudi has only one leg, but is totally obsessed with football. He and his friends - like the rest of the world - are looking forward to the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester (Messi versus Ronaldo). But then Hamoudi’s television breaks down!
*Shortlisted for a Best Live Action Short Film Oscar. Final nominees announced in January 2015.

MALAKIM (12 min/Drama) - Directed by Frederike Migom
Screens in "Girls on Film Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm
Tom, a lonely 11 year old, bumps into a living statue on the street. Despite Tom’s multiple efforts to make the statue move, the angel remains still. Tom, angry and desperate for attention, challenges him.

TRAILER

FRANCE

LE MAILLOT DE BAIN/THE SWIMMING TRUNKS (21 min/Drama)
Directed by Jonathan Hazan
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm
On holiday on a campsite by the seaside, Remy, 10, is fascinated by Stephan, 35, the father of one of his playmates. This is a new, confusing feeling for him. Nobody knows what he is going through especially not handsome Stephan.

LIFEVER (14 min/Science Fiction) - Directed by Ted Hardy-Carnac

Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm

16 year-old Karine chats with her father, every night, via phone or web cam. After Karine's mother reveals their financial situation is dire, the future of the family is in question. Mixing social drama and science fiction, the movie dives into the day-to-day life of an almost normal family.

TRAILER

UN CHIEN DE MA CHIENNE/PAYBACK IS A BITCH 

(12 min/Comedy) - Directed by Fabien Gorgeart

Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm

Anna and Marie turn up in the village where their friend Joannie lives alone an endless pregnancy. Their reunion is disrupted by Tony, the presumed father, who threatens to take Joannie by force to the hospital so that they can start the delivery.

GREECE

THE MAN WHO FED HIS SHADOW (18 min/Drama)
Directed by Mario Garefo
Screens before SING YOUR OWN SONG: AN OPERA LOVE STORY - 12/12 at 7:00pm
A man intrudes into rich people’s dinners claiming that he can collect the food from their table and feed his shadow which, curiously enough, is a female figure.

TRAILER

ITALY

HANG ME ON THE LINE (3 min/Music Video)
Produced by Lumaca Film
Screens before RIPPED - 12/12 at 9:30pm
Jon Kenzie is an independent song writer from Manchester, UK. HANG ME ON THE LINE is a music video produced by Lumaca Films. Barcelona-based puppet company Trukitrek co-produced.

SPAIN

CARGOLIS!/SNAILS! (17 min/Comedy) - Directed by Geoffrey Cowper
Screens before THE GREEN GIRL - 12/14 at 12:00pm
Joey sees his ex-girlfriend there at a music festival and decides to tell her he still loves her, but a giant snail interrupts them! Joey will have to do whatever it takes to get the girl of his life back.

DUMMIES (7 min/Animation) - Produced by Daniel P. Alava
Screens in "Reality Bites" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm
A dummy watches the days go by from his little shop, bored. But with the opening of a new store next to his, his life will change forever.

TRAILER

KIKO'S PARADISE (9 min/Animation) - Produced by Lluna Films
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm
Kiko is a "magician" who brings beautiful teddy bear dolls to life with a pencil. Kiko's plane crashes while touring the world with his bears and he remains trapped on an island for twenty years with only one surviving doll: Boro. If he could only find his magic pencil, he could end their loneliness.

TRAILER

VOLUNTARIO/VOLUNTEER (4 min/Comedy)
Directed by Javier Marco
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm
Jaime wants to move to Hollywood, but his parents want him to go a bit farther.

TRAILER

UNITED KINGDOM

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (14 min/Dramedy) - Directed by Mark Playne
Screens in "Reality Bites" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm
A Shy Lonely Young Man (SLYM played by Shane Zaza) arrives in a new country, in a strange new town. His world is suddenly lit up when he spots his beautiful neighbor (Francesca Binefa) on the balcony opposite his new room. He tries desperately to be noticed yet she remains stubbornly oblivious to his infatuation. SLYM is not giving up though and he has one more idea to catch her attention and win her heart…

SOMETHING FOR NOTHING (5 min/Drama)
Directed by Andrew Brand
Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm
What happens when there's nothing to steal?

TRAILER

Countdown to VFF14..."Made in the (818)" Short Films

From A to Z, here are the short films in the 14th Annual Valley Film Festival that were either shot in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley or whose key crew (Director/Producer/Writer) calls the (818) home-sweet-home. 

ABASHED

17 min/Dark Comedy - Written & Produced by Michele Karpel

Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm

ABASHED is the story of David and Brenda. A married couple of 17 years who have the opportunity on this one night to do better for themselves. To reinvent themselves. Be the David and Brenda they thought they'd be before life got a hold of them. Will they make a fresh start?

ANY OTHER FRIDAY

34 min/Drama - Directed by Peter Paul Basler

Screens in Dramatic Shorts Program - 12/13 at 12:00pm

A coach, once on top of his game, finds everything he holds dear slipping away. Over the course of one single day, this man who has become an institution, finds a way to comes to grips with that fact that he must leave behind his football family to solve the problems within his real family that have long been ignored.

TRAILER

THE CO-STAR: MASTER ACTING CLASS

16 min/Comedy - Written and Produced by Jeanne Taylor

Screens before ODD BRODSKY - 12/14 at 5:00pm

A hilarious insight into the Hollywood "Master" Acting Class. Follow the adventures of Cloe Floutz, an aspiring actress in Hollywood. Is the class her last stop or her first step in making her acting dreams come true?

LIFE IS SWEET

19 min/Dramedy - Directed by Chris Valenziano

Screens before LA VIE NOUS APPARTIENT - 12/14 at 2:30pm

When Noah, a small town ice cream man with dreams of moving to New York, meets Emma, a free-spirited girl visiting for the summer, she shows him another side to both his hometown and his life as she learns the tragic truth of what Noah’s really running away from.

TRAILER

NARCISSIST

18 min/Drama - Directed by Eric Casaccio

Screens in "Reality Bites" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm

An honest genuine writer discovers the painful truth of a handsome and charming, yet manipulative and toxic love interest.

TRAILER

THE PRADYS

13 min/Dramedy - Directed by Jax Medel

Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm

When a young man finally admits to dropping out of law school, his parents' reaction is not what he expected.

SPIDORA

16 min/Drama - Directed by Fred Olen Ray

Screens in "Flights of Fantasy" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 10:00pm

After weeks of receiving anonymous notes and Shakespearean love sonnets, Spidora, a Side Show performer in Dr. Graves’ Museum of the Weird, finally agrees to meet her secret admirer. Encouraged by the tiny Stella, the Museum’s resident escape artist, and equally disparaged by Roxanne the fire-eater, Spidora nervously waits backstage after the show.

TRACES OF MEMORY

15 min/Drama - Directed by Jody Jaress

Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm

TRACES OF MEMORY, a psychological drama about a woman's fractured mind and what happens when she can no longer differentiate between her reality... and the truth.

TRAILER

WINDS AND STRINGS

14 min/Drama - Directed by Ricardo Ultreras

Screens in "Reality Bites" Shorts Program - 12/13 at 5:00pm

When Nick and Angie reunite after 10 years, they discover how reminiscing about the past will ultimately define their future.

ZERO SIGHT: BAD CALL

8 min/Comedy - Directed by Liz Rizzo

Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm

Gamer girl Veronica gets real power in her hands when she steals a mysterious woman's phone during a one-night stand gone south. Now a single anonymous text message can kill anyone she wants. And she'll have to use all her first-person shooter skills when one bad call has her scouting a real professional assassin across suburban rooftops.

ZUGZWANG

9 min/Dramedy - Directed by Yolanda Centeno

Screens in "Girls on Film" Shorts Program - 12/11 at 8:00pm

ZUGZWANG in German means obligation to move. Life and chess are not so different. There is a moment in life where you know you have to make a decision, but the best thing to do would be not to make any move. But... you must. We simply call this being screwed. In chess, they call it Zugzwang.

Schedule Announcement for the 14th Annual Valley Film Festival

THE FIRST AND LONGEST RUNNING FILM FESTIVAL 

IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY 

PRESENTS ITS 2014 LINEUP

North Hollywood, CA - The Valley Film Festival (VFF) announces another thought provoking and entertaining lineup of cinema so independent it has to be in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, from December 10-14, at Laemmle's NoHo 7.

Providing quality independent domestic and international cinema, VFF also is the premiere showcase for Valley-based filmmakers. Altogether, the fourteenth annual Valley Film Festival provides audiences with the opportunity to discover 45 of today's most compelling films, such as FLYBOY, the newest short film produced by Academy Award Nominee Drew Bailey (MIRACLE FISH, 2009). The complete list of films with ticketing info is available at ValleyFilmFest.com.

The Opening Night program brings director John Putch back to VFF, with the only Los Angeles festival screening of ROUTE 30 THREE!  This final chapter of the comedic trilogy set in rural South Central Pennsylvania features David Cowgill, Nathalie Boltt, and Dan Poole. Known for his work on "Cougar Town," "Scrubs" and "Ugly Betty," John Putch previously screened BACHELORMAN (2003), MOJAVE PHONE BOOTH (2006), ROUTE 30 (2008) and ROUTE 30, TOO (2012) at The Valley Film Festival. 

  

VFF continues to program diverse films from around the country and the world.  This year's features include films from Canada and Austria, and our shorts are in languages including Arabic, Catalan, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Tamil.

We also continue to proudly support local independent production, with over fifteen films made by Angelenos, Vals, and shot in or about the glamorous San Fernando Valley.  Our Centerpiece Screening, YOU OR A LOVED ONE, is a dramedy directed by Matt Mercer that follows a reclusive illustrator as he navigates withdrawal effects from a pharmaceutical drug trial and is thrust back into daily life, and love, in Los Angeles.

Another local production is our Closing Night film, ODD BRODSKY, a quirky comedy about following your dreams, directed by Cindy Baer.  It tells the story of Audrey Brodsky, who quits her office job of eleven years to pursue her dream of acting. There's just one problem: she's not very good at it.  When Audrey meets an aspiring cameraman online, the adventure of her life finally begins.  Cindy Baer previously screened MORBID CURIOSITY (2006), STALKED (2011), and SEYMOUR SALLY RUFUS (2012) at VFF.

Our documentary features this year include some more films made in or about Los Angeles:  GONE SOUTH: HOW CANADA INVENTED HOLLYWOOD (LA premiere) and SING YOUR OWN SONG: AN OPERA LOVE STORY (NoHo premiere).  THE GREEN GIRL, made by VFF alum George Pappy, is an in-depth look at Star Trek icon and prolific actress Susan Oliver.

Our feature films this year also include two West Coast premieres:  the sci-fi musical comedy RIPPED and the drama LA VIE NOUS APPARTIENT (MAYBE TOMORROW).

About three dozen short films round out our 2014 program, including dramas, comedies, documentaries, animated works, and music videos.  Two are world premieres:  INSIDE THE WHALE and ANY OTHER FRIDAY, both playing on our dramatic shorts program.  Our U.S. premieres are the thriller COLLECT and the dramas SOMETHING FOR NOTHING and UN CHIEN DE MA CHIENNE (PAYBACK IS A BITCH).

THE VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

SO INDEPENDENT IT HAS TO BE IN THE (818)!

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 and emerging talent with adventurous audiences in Los Angeles, the VFF has screened over 500 shorts, features, documentaries, animated films, experimental works, and music videos from around the world.  While emphasizing independent film, the festival also has screened 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, opportunities for young filmmakers, audience awards, and the juried "Ten Degrees Hotter" award for one feature and one short chosen from the competitive section.

THE VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL 2014 will open on Wednesday, December 10 and continue through Sunday, December 14 with daily screenings at the LAEMMLE NOHO 7, located at 5240 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood. Tickets are $12. For more information and tickets, visit ValleyFilmFest.com.

THE VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL
2014 SCREENING SCHEDULE

WEDNESDAY - 12/10
8:00 pm - Opening Night Feature: Route 30 Three!

THURSDAY - 12/11

8:00 pm - Girls on Film Shorts Program (Abashed, Lifever, Malakim, Not Anymore: A Story of Revolution, Peluqueria/The Hair Salon, Traces of Memory, Zero Sight: Bad Call, and Zugzwang)

FRIDAY - 12/12
7:00 pm - Documentary Program: Sing Your Own Song: An Opera Love Story with The Man Who Fed His Shadow
9:30 pm - Feature Program: Ripped with Hang Me On The Line and Now You Know

SATURDAY - 12/13

12:00 pm/noon - Dramatic Shorts Program (Any Other Friday, Baghdad Messi, Butterfly Dreams, Collect, and Inside the Whale)

2:30 pm - Documentary Program: Gone South: How Canada Invented Hollywood with The Gunfighter

5:00 pm - Reality Bites Shorts Program (Dummies, En Mi Recuerdo Siempre Estaras/You'll Always Be on My Mind, Le Maillot De Bain/The Swimming Trunks, Love at First Sight, Narcissist, Self Offense, and Winds & Strings)

7:30 pm - Centerpiece Screening: You or a Loved One with Untitled

10:00 pm - Flights of Fantasy Shorts Program (Flyboy, Kiko's Paradise, Look Up in the Sky: Cetus Dawn, The Pradys, Something for Nothing, Spidora, Toca Pra Diabo/A Hell of a Player, Un Chien de Ma Chienne/Payback is a Bitch, and Voluntario/Volunteer)

SUNDAY - 12/14
12:00 pm/noon - Documentary Program: The Green Girl with Cargols!/Snails!
2:30 pm - Feature Program: La Vie Nous Appartient/Maybe Tomorrow with Life is Sweet
5:00 pm - Closing Night Feature: Odd Brodsky with The Co-Star: Master Acting Class