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| A scene from The Matchmaker. |
Film festivals across LA starting Wednesday
By John Esther
Call the coincidence what you will, three film festivals open this week featuring with, shall we write, cultures containing components with a sometimes rather uneasy relationship toward each other.
Occasionally addressing that discord while celebrating their respective identities, they are, in alphabetical order: the Arab Film Festival; German Currents: Festival of New German Cinema; and the Israel Film Festival.
Call the coincidence what you will, three film festivals open this week featuring with, shall we write, cultures containing components with a sometimes rather uneasy relationship toward each other.
Occasionally addressing that discord while celebrating their respective identities, they are, in alphabetical order: the Arab Film Festival; German Currents: Festival of New German Cinema; and the Israel Film Festival.
On Oct. 20 both the German Currents (GC) and Israel Film Festival (IFF) begin.
In collaboration with the American Cinemateque and German Films, the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles the fourth annual showcase of recent German films is returning this year to the Aero Theatre and other venues around Los Angeles Oct. 20-24.
Germany’s official entry for the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, When We Leave, opens the festival Oct. 20, 7:30 at the Egyptian Theater. Writer-director Feo Aladag will be present.
Further west on Wednesday night, the 25th Israel Film Festival gets off its 25th year with an award gala recognizing actor Richard Dreyfus, director Avi Lerner, producer Ryan Kavanaugh and producer Jon Landau at The Beverly Hilton.
Winner of the recent Israeli Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, The Opening night film is Avi Nesher’s The Matchmaker, screening Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. at the Royal in West Los Angeles. In addition to Opening Night, the festival will show films through Nov. 4 with other screenings at the Royal plus at Laemmle Sunset 5 in West Hollywood and Laemmle Fallbrook 7 in West Hills.
Making its way down from the San Francisco, Berkeley and the San Jose Arab Film Festivals, the Arab Film Festival in Los Angeles will screen Oct. 22-24 at Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills. The festival will include films from Egypt, France, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and other countries.
A small festival with an impressive beginning, AFF commences with a gala screening of Algeria’s Lyes Salem’s Masquerades. The reception begins at 6 p.m., screening at 8 p.m.
For more information on the Arab Film Festival: http://www.arabfilmfestival.org/
For more information on German Currents: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/los/prj/ger/sch/enindex.htm
For more information on the Israeli Film Festival: http://www.israelfilmfestival.com/;1-877-966-5566.
In collaboration with the American Cinemateque and German Films, the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles the fourth annual showcase of recent German films is returning this year to the Aero Theatre and other venues around Los Angeles Oct. 20-24.
Germany’s official entry for the 83rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film, When We Leave, opens the festival Oct. 20, 7:30 at the Egyptian Theater. Writer-director Feo Aladag will be present.
Further west on Wednesday night, the 25th Israel Film Festival gets off its 25th year with an award gala recognizing actor Richard Dreyfus, director Avi Lerner, producer Ryan Kavanaugh and producer Jon Landau at The Beverly Hilton.
Winner of the recent Israeli Academy Awards for Best Actor and Best Actress, The Opening night film is Avi Nesher’s The Matchmaker, screening Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. at the Royal in West Los Angeles. In addition to Opening Night, the festival will show films through Nov. 4 with other screenings at the Royal plus at Laemmle Sunset 5 in West Hollywood and Laemmle Fallbrook 7 in West Hills.
Making its way down from the San Francisco, Berkeley and the San Jose Arab Film Festivals, the Arab Film Festival in Los Angeles will screen Oct. 22-24 at Writers Guild of America Theater in Beverly Hills. The festival will include films from Egypt, France, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia and other countries.
A small festival with an impressive beginning, AFF commences with a gala screening of Algeria’s Lyes Salem’s Masquerades. The reception begins at 6 p.m., screening at 8 p.m.
For more information on the Arab Film Festival: http://www.arabfilmfestival.org/
For more information on German Currents: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/los/prj/ger/sch/enindex.htm
For more information on the Israeli Film Festival: http://www.israelfilmfestival.com/;1-877-966-5566.
