Letters Of The Underground - World Premiere
Thursday, Sept. 12, 7 pm, Vista Theatre and Hollywood Hills Restaurant
Dirs: Tom Bliss, Anthony Converse, Carol Cetrone, Tom Davis, Shannon Davis, John Gulager, Bruce Hart, Todd Hughes, Marjorie Kaye, Alexander Kirkwood, Terri Phillips, Anthony Silva, Jennifer Stefanisko, Joshua Triliegi. Created and Produced by Joshua Triliegi for SLFF, USA, Video, 85 min.

Join the Opening Night festivities with the world premiere of Letters of The Underground, an original SLFF production. Fifteen filmmakers created short films based upon letters, journals and diary entries of fifteen artists considered outside the mainstream, beyond the pale of the underground. The result is a journey with some of the most creative forces in history...disco dancing with Andy Warhol... glimpsing God with Goethe...exploring the mind of Salvador Dali...kicking the habit with Jim Carroll... saving the life of Sylvia Plath...tempting fate with Dylan Thomas...rocking the mike with Patti Smith... inciting a riot with Buñuel...discussing relationships with Rainer-Maria Rilke...smelling the flowers with Franz Kafka...making love with Gertrude Stein...fighting a war with T.S. Eliot...supping with Jack Kerouac ...traveling with Simone De Beauvoir...obsessing with Joel-Peter-Witkin...

Join the filmmakers afterward as the Opening Gala celebration continues at Hollywood Hills Restaurant.

Spirit Of Silver Lake Spotlight

An Evening With Allison Anders - 2002 Filmmaker Award Winner
Saturday, Sept. 14, 7 pm, Vista Theatre and Vermont Restaurant (New Location)

Border Radio
Dir. by Allison Anders, Dean Lent and Kurt Voss, 1987, USA, 35 mm, 90min.

In The Echo
Dir. by Allison Anders, 2002, USA, Video, 36 min..

The 3rd annual Spirit of Silver Lake Award for a filmmaker goes to Allison Anders, whose films including Gas Food Lodging (1992), My Vida Loca - My Crazy Life (1993) and Sugar Town (1999) have positioned her at the forefront of the independent film world.

This special evening's program will contrast her earliest and latest work with a rare theatrical screening of Border Radio and the never-before-seen pilot for the television series In The Echo. Made while Anders was studying film at UCLA, Border Radio is set against the L.A.'s 80's punk scene and stars Chris D. of The Flesheaters, John Doe of X and Dave Alvin of The Blasters. Kurt Voss, Anders' longtime collaborator, and members of the cast including Chris D are scheduled to attend.

In The Echo, shot in Echo Park and Silver Lake, was developed by Anders as pilot for a CBS television series. The drama follows Juvenile court probation officer Molly Steed, a single mother with two teenage daughters, who has two cases that require immediate attention: a skateboarding teenager who can't keep out of trouble and a young Latina mother trying to break loose of a serious drug addiction. Just another day in the life of an Echo Park public servant.

Before the program, Ms. Anders will immortalize her handprints in front of the Vista Theatre. The evening continues with an after party at Vermont Restaurant (new location).

Locals Only Gala
Sunday, Sept. 15, 7:15 pm, Vista Theatre

Sneak preview (work in progress)

Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary
Sunday, Sept. 15, 7:15 pm, Vista Theatre
Dir. Tracy Flannigan, 2002, Video, USA,
82 min,
Sneak Preview

For people who can'tor don't want to follow the established paths, finding a different way can be a challenge. San Francisco dyke punk band, Tribe 8, has gone off the path and created their own destiny for over ten years by breaking all the rules. These women have created meaning and power in their lives in surprising and inspiring ways. Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary is a journey through hilarious punk rock extravaganzas,beautiful 16mm filmed performances, and intense personal stories ofaddiction, loss, discrimination, and rape.This band doesn't take itself too seriously - they'd rather rock out and have a good time. This is in your face with a big dildo, topless, gender bending, unapologetic girly action.By coming together as a band and a community they have triumphed against great odds.Their story is the universal tale of outsiders who discover the joy and power of simply being themselves.

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A live performance by Tribe 8 at Spaceland.

The Centerpiece Gala

American Rap Stars -- World Premiere
Wednesday, Sept. 18, 7 pm, Vista Theatre and Tantra Restaurant
Dir. by Omar Sharif, 2002, Video, USA, 87 min

From the clubs of London to the streets of New York and the neighborhoods of Los Angeles, director Omar Sharif takes us a on a wild ride through the world of hip-hop in this highly anticipated documentary. With exclusive access to some of the industry's most influential artists, producers and executives, the filmmaker reveals the personalities that have shaped and formed the most influential-and most profitable-genre of music to come along in the last three decades. This is the definitive documentary on the current state of Hip-Hop. Featured stars include Russell Simmons, Ludicrous, Jay Z, ONYX, JADAKISS, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Rick Rubin, RUN DMC and Jammaster J, Jamie Foxx, Goodie Mob, Wu Tang, S.O.M. (Sons of Man), OUTKAST, Mos Def, The Roots and many more.

The Centerpiece Gala celebration continues at Tantra, Silver Lake's hottest new restaurant/dance club, with a special surprise performance.

Closing Night Gala

The Cheat
Saturday, Sept. 21, 7 pm, The Los Angeles Palace Theater
Dir. by Cecil B. De Mille, 1915, USA, 35 mm-silent , 58 min.
(with LIVE ACCOMPANIMENT)

In keeping with the festival's tradition of honoring its silent film history, the Closing Night presentation is a rare screening of The Cheat, starring silent screen idol Sessue Hayakawa, at the historic Los Angeles Palace Theater. The Cheat tells the story of Edith Hardy, a flirtatious socialite, (Fanny Ward) who embezzles $10,000 from her Red Cross fund and turns to her friend, a wealthy and cultured art collector (Hayakawa) for help. But she doesn't realize that, in return, he plans to add her to his collection of precious possessions.

One of the highest paid actors of his time, Hayakawa's role in this classic film made him a star, even as it employed demeaning stereotypes of Asian men as sexual predators. Frustrated with the limited roles for Asian actors, Hayakawa turned down the lead role in Paramount's 1918 film, The Shiek, to open his own production company, Hayworth Films, in the heart of Silver Lake.

The screening will be accompanied by the premiere of an original score by Sheri Ozeki. Fusing classical themes with a punk rock sensibility, Ozeki's score builds on Hayakawa's riveting performance to produce a unique collaboration.

After the screening, the celebration continues upstairs in The Palace's loft space, overlooking downtown L.A with a gala celebration, which includes food provided by Ciudad and free cocktails.

Note: Free parking for the event is available in the parking garage located directly across the street from The Palace Theater.