LA Film Festival ending after 18 years
Los Angeles : After 18 years the Los Angeles Film Festival is ending, Film Independent has announced.
On Wednesday, the board said it was wrapping the festival up that in 2018 was already rescheduled from June to September. It will be replaced with year-round events aimed at building community and broadening its support of visual storytellers, reports variety.com.
The event has "struggled to thrive", Josh Welsh, President of the non-profit, said.
"We took a hard look at the healthy growth of Film Independent's year-round programs and events over the past six years: the Spirit Awards, our film series curated by Elvis Mitchell, membership, labs, workshops, filmmaker grants and international programs," said Mary Sweeney, Chair of the Film Independent board of directors.
"In the end, we concluded that the organisation should explore a more nimble, sustainable form of exhibiting and celebrating independent film artists year round."
Film Independent assumed control of the festival in 2001 after it first started 24 years ago as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.
The organisation moved the festival from Westwood to downtown Los Angeles in 2010 and then to the Arclight theatres in Hollywood, Culver City and Santa Monica two years ago.
"While we are very proud of what we have accomplished with the LA Film Festival over the past 18 years, the truth is that it has struggled to thrive, and the time has come for us to try something new," said Welsh.
"We remain committed to serving filmmakers and film audiences across Los Angeles," he added.
With the discontinuation of the festival, the non-profit would also eliminate three full-time staff positions.
The LA Film Festival had been placing heavy emphasis on diversity in its competition with 42 per cent of the films directed by women and 39 per cent helmed by filmmakers of colour, reported variety.com.
This year's festival screened more than 200 features, shorts, and music videos screening, representing more than 40 countries.
Andrew Slater's music documentary "Echo in the Canyon" was the opening film at the Ford Theatre. The closing film was the thriller "Nomis" starring Henry Cavill, Ben Kingsley and Alexandra Daddario.
