Feature | The IFP/Los Angeles Film Festival (June 11-21, 2003)
Written by: Marianne Moro

Film Reviews (click here to view ALL):
Foo-Foo Dust
Eliana,Eliana
Jesus Freak
Virgin
Speeder Kills
Crude
Teesh & Trude

Festival Overview:
Headquartered at the swanky address of 8000 Sunset in West Hollywood, the IFP/LA Film Festival was held between June 11th and 21st. If you're an aspiring filmmaker, you can't get any closer to the heart of the moviemaking capital unless you were actually on the set.

Celebrating its 9th year, the IFP/LA Fest featured dozens of workshops and special screenings in addition to the 200 films, shorts and videos that were screened, some for the first time. Kassi Lemmons was the Fest's official artist in residence and joined a narrative director panel which also included Jodie Foster and David Fincher. Some "modern classic" films were given special treatment- Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory and Rock 'N' Roll High School, were featured on the big screen outdoors, right there between Guitar Center and Virgin Megastore.

Most of the U.S. narrative films featured young, white suburban angst and/or adventures, such as Target Filmmaker Award Winner Crude. While many of the films had made the festival circuit previously, a few including the similarly themed Jesus Freak and Virgin-had their world premieres at the fest. At least three other films-Funny Ha Ha, Piggie and Salt showcased 20something females in angst.

 An interesting choice for documentary selection was Flag Wars, which concerned the battle between black lower middle class families and upwardly mobile gay men infiltrating their Columbus, Ohio neighborhood. Subjects ran the gamut from the Target Documentary Award Winner, Be Good, Smile Pretty, about a girl looking for her Vietnam vet dad, to a biography of flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya. Sunset Story, a much-ballyhooed documentary about a retirement home for liberal roustabouts in Los Angeles, won the audience documentary award, while Peter Mullan's The Magdalene Sisters garnered the audience narrative award. The centerpiece premiere was George Hickenlooper's documentary Mayor Of The Sunset Strip. The film, a biography of Los Angeles DJ/rock historian Rodney Bingenheimer, examines the life of the DJ who helped break many alternative and punk groups in America, including No Doubt, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols.